By an Insight Team member
Moving from the comfort of my home to the other side of the world has been interesting. As someone who enjoys working according to their schedule, altering my day-to-day based on my Microsoft 365 calendar has been an adjustment. The weather, however, is not so much. The grey feeling of the outside feels like home. Although one could argue that this is what I signed up for, having a taste of what life was like online compared to in person is something I will never forget.
With school being online for the first semester, I was able to set up a schedule that met my educational needs and personal matters. In addition, the ability to stop and rewind a Panopto recording when you’ve missed out on something was a huge help because one cannot pause a lecture. There was no worry of falling behind. However, with in-person learning, I sometimes figure out what day I should go grocery shopping and make a healthy meal for the week while trying to prevent myself from falling behind in notes, lectures, and tutorials. Although I believe I have established an efficient schedule living here, I feel like I am not as productive as I was back home.
I have to say the social factor here is something I will never forget. Going out to the Canadian Law Society events and attending the traditional FatCat Thursday night outs will probably be the most memorable when I reflect on my law degree. I find that once you find your friend group, life gets more manageable because they are also, for the most part, living abroad in Leicester for the first time. Going to school abroad made me understand the importance of exploring your area, and I don’t mean just exploring the city. It was a bit of a shock to me when I realized how close places such as Amsterdam or Paris are. On top of that, how inexpensive it is to get there.
Reflecting on when I first landed here in September to my life today, I am still happy with my decision to pursue my degree in Law. To anyone hesitant about moving to the UK for school, it will be nerve-racking, especially if it’s your first time living on your own. After that, however, you will get settled in and realize how great living on your own is.