When I tell people I am studying abroad at the University of Leeds in England I always have to mention it is in West Yorkshire located two hours north of London by train, as many people have no idea where Leeds is. The truth is, that despite being the third largest city in England, Leeds does not get recognition like its southerly cousin. It might not sound as posh as London, and yes it might rain more here, but it is an exceptional place to study.

My choice to study at the University of Leeds was a fairly simple one. During the previous fall semester, I searched through the module catalogues and discovered that Leeds was a perfect fit for what I wanted. Leeds is known as a college city, so I was confident it had a conducive atmosphere for a student and traveler.

Leeds

Photos of the campus looked beautiful online, and seeing it in person for the first time made me fall in love with the area even faster. The architecture that has a certain degree of presence with its mixture of Gothic revival, art deco, brutalist and postmodern architecture. I enjoy walking through campus and seeing buildings that look like a brick town house or ones that are tall and sloping with large glass windows.

The student union in particular impresses me because of its quality and size. At first it appears like an average sized building, but within it there are pubs, venues, and stores located in underground tunnels that include a barber shop, beauty shop, opticians, and a convenience store.

My days are spent like anyone else’s: going to class, obsessively playing Flappy Bird, hanging out with friends, and eating cheap but unhealthy amounts of ramen. I live in a flat with two British girls and two Australian girls who are also studying abroad.
I quickly discovered that there are many Australians here and they must have magnets or something because they somehow all miraculously found each other. Celebrating Australia Day on January 26th with them was enormous fun, enjoying food and drinks while listening to the Triple J Hottest 100.

Day-to-day Leeds appears like most of England, dark and rainy. But when the sun comes out, and you are able to walk around the city without feeling like a character in a Brontë novel, it can be lovely. The university is located close to the downtown area near many shops, clubs, restaurants and businesses.

My personal favorite place to visit is Pound World where everything is £1, the equivalent of a US “dollar store.” There I can soak up on toiletries, Kinder eggs, and other random objects that catch my fancy. There is also the Corn Exchange, a Victorian building that used to be a center for agricultural trading but is now a major shopping center.

Cultural Differences

Despite the traveling I’ve done so far around England, I have not been struck with culture shock, but there are many differences I have noticed. On my bus rides to and from the University of Leeds, I am often joined by children in uniforms on their way to middle-school because apparently there is no separate bus system for school children.

At the supermarkets I have seen bagged milk, which even my British roommates do not seem to understand how that works. I have exalted in the finding—and subsequent binging—of Kinder Surprise eggs, which I promise myself to smuggle back into the country in large quantities.

And I have also noticed the lack of high-fructose corn syrup in food ingredients. In the United States it is a ubiquitous product found in even the blandest of products, but even my baby size cans of Dr. Pepper here reveal an absence, and in its stead is sugar. Though I cannot say I miss high-fructose corn syrup, it does help me highlight the degrees of difference in American and British culture.

Beyond bagged milk and a lack of high-fructose corn syrup, I have found myself adapting in different ways. Part of my initial reason for studying abroad was that it could give me the opportunity of independence- to become a more fully formed adult and take part in the global community around me. I have already matured in several ways, either by tapping into my resourcefulness to solve a problem, or by learning to take greater initiative.

It’s hard to remember the first days of freshman year, but being abroad is similar in that everyone is nervous and excited and anxious to make friends. Except now I can take the knowledge and growth I have experienced over the past few years and apply them more directly into developing serious relationships and memories here that I hope will last a lifetime.

Emma Sandler can be reached at [email protected].