What, where, how, when: Taking a year abroad at UCL

Today student writer Alex tells us about why he decided to do a year abroad whilst studying at UCL. Alex is currently spending his third year at the Higher School of Economics in St Petersburg. 

When I was debating which degree to apply for a big deciding factor was the possibility of taking a year abroad. The employability factor of it undoubtedly played a part but I also really wanted to properly experience another culture, as a student, before the mayhem of employed life, responsibilities, etc etc etc, kicked in (and, not to mention, put off such things for another year).

Whilst upon arrival at uni everyone is vaguely aware a year abroad is a possibility, and there is an obligatory caveat to your introductory conversations that you will be leaving in third year, discussion of it ceases once routine university life commences.

That is, until you get a fateful email from UCL reminding you to attend a preparatory seminar during your second year.

Choosing where to study

I was never in any doubt that I wanted to take a year abroad but for many people the preparatory process clarifies what exactly they want. Equally, whilst this is not widely advertised before applying to university, it is quite easy to opt in to do one once you’ve arrived, as long as your course offers it.

The process begins by letting you debate where you want to go, and potentially what to study. Deciding I wanted to study at the Higher School of Economics in St Petersburg I was offered the opportunity to attend a discussion with fourth years who had returned from their year abroad.

These informal meetings are massively helpful in influencing your decision, in the sense that they tell you the things the university are unlikely to – such as what the quality of teaching is like, what the nightlife is like and how the people are. Getting an unbiased, truthful perspective is vital in informing your decision.

Then you have to fill some forms out, then some more, and finally, fill some more forms out. At which point you are, on the whole, ready to go.

Pros and cons

The pros and cons of doing a year abroad are difficult to fully appreciate until you do one yourself, largely because of the variety of reasons people decide to do one, the different destinations on offer and the individual problems people encounter. That being said, I haven’t met anyone who has regretted it.

In my opinion, the major pros are the opportunities – the people you meet, the skills you acquire and the experiences that are pretty much inaccessible to anyone else merely visiting the country. On the other hand, you are acutely aware that whilst away the rest of your friends will be continuing their life in London and the group chats continually remind you of what you’re missing out on. Whatsmore, elements of life abroad just often can’t compare with life in London. It’s highly likely you’ll return to student accommodation, which whilst often much much cheaper than London commonly has its downsides – such as shared rooms.

Whilst many people take a year abroad simply for the benefits mentioned, a massive draw for me was learning a language. I knew I would be taking a language module with my degree (Russian in my case) and, as any linguist will tell you, it really is incredibly difficult to learn a language without living in the country. So far (one month in), this mantra has rung true. Whilst the work you do throughout your first two years of study is a good foundation nothing quite prepares you for the slang, the speed of conversation or the difficulty of listening to a conversation in a noisy bar.

If you can I would certainly recommend looking into taking a year abroad. Not only do you get another year of university (often at a cheaper rate) you also get the thrill of living in a new place and meeting new people. For me, the challenges and the rewards have become a quintessential university experience.

Further information

More information is available about studying abroad whilst attending UCL on the study abroad team’s website, including videos from current UCL students based in countries across the world.