A Year in the Sun

George Maunder gives an insight into his experience of studying in Spain and France.

I am currently in Bilbao, Spain studying at the Universidad de Deusto and I spent the first semester of the year in Grenoble, France studying at l’Université-Grenoble-Alpes. I chose to study instead of working or doing a British Council assistantship because I wanted the experience of studying in a foreign university and seeing how it differed from studying in the UK. Another factor was the social life – I thought to myself that I wanted to meet as many people as possible and thought that studying was the best route to achieving this. 

During my time in France I was able to travel around a lot, which I absolutely loved. Due to the location of Grenoble I was able to visit so many beautiful cities, such as Geneva, Milan, Paris, Annecy, Lyon and Chambéry, it was amazing. 

There have been some challenges along the way, like getting used to different dynamics in the classroom in different universities and sorting things out like getting a visa. It has definitely taught me how to adapt to any situation. 

To conclude, I would highly recommend participating in a study abroad placement to anyone who is considering it as it has been an amazing experience and something that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life. You will meet people from all over the world and have so much fun, but you also have to remember that at times it’s going to be stressful and tough, however that’s the same for almost every international student so I guarantee if you talk to several people you will find that you 100% are not alone in feeling that way.