Aniket

Aniket

Current Course:

• Medicine and Surgery

Global Experience:

• Medical Elective, India

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go abroad for my medical elective. Through this I gained incredible experiences, made lots of friends and stepped out of my comfort zone. I decided to go to India because I have a brief knowledge of the language, so going and conversing in (broken!) hindi was a challenge but also rewarding when my hard work paid off.

What is one piece of advice you would give to other students considering a global experience?

• Make sure to attend all the events run by Global Opportunities. The connect before you go events run in the summer helps you to make friends in your new city before you even go!
  

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• An eye-opening experience that got better and better.

Becca

Becca

Current Course: 

• Modern Languages & Business Studies

Global Experience:

• Internship in Berlin, Germany

• Internship & language school in Barcelona, Spain 

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I wanted to improve my language skills, whilst also experiencing what it would be like to live abroad in two new countries and everything that comes with that! I also think it adds great value to your degree, another element to your CV and an experience where you can learn unique and transferable skills.

What is one piece of advice you would give to students considering a global experience?

• Making sure to start the visa process as soon as possible, as this is the longest and most time-consuming part of it. 
  

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• The most exciting, challenging but rewarding year of my life.

Circe

Circe

Current course:

• Psychology 

Global Experience:

• Study Abroad- full year at the University of Waterloo (Canada)

What motivated you to go abroad?

• I liked the idea of doing modules that Newcastle didn’t offer, especially through the major/minor system which allows you to study topics outside of your degree. An obvious reason was to discover a new part of the world and fully immerse yourself. I wanted a personal challenge and I’m so glad that I did this as it genuinely was the best year of my life
  

What is one piece of advice you would give to students considering a global experience?

• Save money before going so that you can make the most of your time away. Also, it’s worth saving up so that you can travel on weekends and during holidays. 
  

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• Filled with ups and downs, but definitely the best year of my life by far

Cristina

Cristina

Current course:

• MPharm Pharmacy

Global Experience:

• Washington state, US. – student exchange programme

• Taiwan – mini travel scholarship
• Seliger, Russia – global youth conference
• Virtual experience between Newcastle University and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I am originally from Guatemala, so my main motivation for taking part in all the experiences above was to get to see other parts of the world and meet people from different countries. Going away from home for the first time can be a scary experience, but it helps you grow as a person.  You get to appreciate things in a new light.  You also become more aware of the wider world, and develop intercultural skills.

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

• Really go for it and don’t be scared to do something that will become one of the best experiences in your life. Sign up to any activities Global Opportunities are carrying out that will provide you with all the tips and information you need to know before travelling. 
  

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• An incredible opportunity that will not disappoint. 

 

Ellie

Ellie

Current course:

• Law (European Legal Studies) LLB (Hons) 

Global Experience:

• Volunteering with Think Pacific, Fiji 

• Study Year Abroad in Barcelona, Spain 

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• After a long pandemic, the opportunity to go abroad as part of my degree seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back out into the world. Above all, what motivated me to go abroad was the chance to experience something new; language, culture, people, and education, and the possibility of returning home edified and fulfilled.
  

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Do your research. Taking the time to do thorough research will save you time, money, and stress. Research currency, visa requirements, language, accommodation, culture, healthcare, transport, and anything else. A global experience is about you; taking ownership of research gives you the ability to maximise your enjoyment.
  

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• The best decision that I have ever made.  

Emily B

Emily

Current course: 

• MA Cross-Cultural Communication  

• BA Hons Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies 

Global Experience:

Emily C

Emily C

Current course: 

• Psychology 

Global Experience:

• Italy – Summer school with the University of Trento. 

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I was motivated to go abroad to improve my intercultural skills and experience studying in a new country and environment. As I aspire to move abroad in the future, I wanted to gain experience living somewhere new to see how well I adapt.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

• My main advice for anyone considering a global experience is to just do it and even though you might be scared (as I was), you’ll only ever regret not doing it. Also, check for funding as there is a lot available to help you out. 
  

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• My global experience was life-changing and something I’ll never forget. 
  

 

Jane

Jane

Current course:

• Law

Global Experience:

• Year abroad studying Law at the University of Trento, Italy.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I have always loved going on holiday in Italy, so I wanted to experience living there. I wanted to meet new people and improve my language skills.  
  

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Definitely, research the place you are going to before committing and try everything, even if you are scared! I would really encourage students to push themselves out of their comfort zone.  
  

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• It was one of the most challenging yet rewarding years of my life but I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Jasmine

Jasmine

Current course:

• Modern Languages (French and Chinese) 

Global experience:

• France – study placement at Université Angers

• China – summer school short course at Beijing Language and Culture University

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• After studying French and Chinese for so long, I really wanted to get real-life experience using the languages and to experience the culture. I also wanted to push myself to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. Moving abroad is daunting but I wanted to prove to myself that I could overcome the challenges.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Even if you find it scary, if you know you want to go abroad, you should try it. In my experience the only way to conquer the fear is to just do it!  
• Being organised and staying on top of deadlines is really important and something I didn’t consider enough before I went abroad. Especially if you need a visa, it’s good to have a plan and treat your visa application, finding accommodation, applying for funding etc. as a project.  And research vaccines early!

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• I found the best people and had the best experiences doing things that scared me most. 

Karolina

Karolina

Current course:

• Modern Languages & Business & Media and Communication 

Global Experience:

• Year Abroad Study at Universidad de Cádiz in Cádiz, Spain
  

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• To improve language skills 
• To add value to my degree, make it more interesting 
• I wanted to meet people from different countries and develop an international network 
• Experience living in Spain and get to know the Spanish culture

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?

• Do it even though you might be unsure or worried about it, you won’t regret it. 
  

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• A very cheerful year full of amazing memories and meeting great people from the whole of Europe who are now my friends.
  

 

Max

Max

Current course:

• Business Management

Global Experience:

• Studying Abroad for two semesters in Valencia, Spain.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• Being from the Northeast, I wanted to experience living outside of my region for the first time. I also wanted to pick up on the GCSE Spanish skills which I had completely forgotten. I find language learning incredibly fun, and it is a great way to improve your CV and widen your prospects. 
  

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

• Do it. Just Do it. If you go and you do not like it, at least you know that and become more aware of your personal preferences. If you don’t do it then you will never know! 
  

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• A once in a lifetime opportunity that I am so glad I took.