As September flew by and the academic year has well and truly started, it is fair to say those start-of-year anxieties are back and better than ever. For many fourth years like me, it is a goodbye and a big red line under what was an incredible year spent living our best lives abroad, experiencing a whole new perspective on life. While my year abroad was undeniably one of the best years of my life, it was also a year away from the responsibilities, pressures, and the life that I’d built here in Manchester. Not only am I returning to the final year of my degree, but repositioning myself back into my old life, after having grown and changed so much, is an adjustment to say the least.
This time last year, I was five weeks into my new life in Paris, swapping the curry mile for a walk past the Sacré-Cœur, and my morning bowl of Weetabix for a croissant en route to work. I was fully immersed into an all-French office, translating anything and everything into both English and Spanish within a marketing department of Parisians (oof!). The following semester consisted of me travelling over 6000 miles away to Uruguay in South America, where I had the choice to study anything, and I travelled to incredible places such as Brazil and Patagonia. Despite the occasional crash-out, leaving my boyfriend, friends, and family behind, and often feeling very overwhelmed, this year surpassed all my hopes and dreams, and was something I will never forget.
Arriving back in the UK, and more notably Manchester, a few weeks ago was nothing more than a shock. The blue skies of South America are now grey and rainy, my local beach is now Ladybarn Park, and my year of no responsibilities is well and truly a distant memory of the past as I quickly approach my final year of studies and the stress of figuring out post-uni life.
However, despite the emotional comedown of ending a year abroad, the optimist in me looks to hone all my character developments of this year. Here is a collection of things that have shaped my perspective on my final year of studies.
1. Language Confidence
One massive thing that I have gained since my year abroad is the confidence to speak more in my languages. When I left for Uruguay, my Spanish level was embarrassingly low, having ignored it as much as possible and scraped through my second year. Being forced into a different country, especially in South America, where English is scarce, I had no choice but to dig out my buried Spanish if I wanted to get by. I also made the decision (unbeknownst to me in advance) to live with 15 Spaniards, meaning I was unwillingly thrown into the deep end with Spanish. However, because of this, I saw improvements in my confidence and ability, which is something I will definitely take with me into my final year of studies, and try my very best not to lose across the course of the year.
2. Excitement for a new environment
While being a fourth year now means I am very familiar with all the local Withington pubs and Northern Quarter bars, I quickly realised when I came back to Manchester that I actually didn’t know the city very well. I’d never been to a gallery, exhibition, or museum, and I’d barely left the student bubble that spans from Didsbury to the Engineering Building. While abroad, I made such a conscious effort to explore as much as possible, knowing that my time was limited and that I wouldn’t know when I would be back. Now that I only have eight months left in Manchester, I have given myself the challenge to explore everywhere, as if I were a tourist in this city I now call home.
3. Academic Motivation
The ability to study abroad and experience another way of education allowed me to explore a whole new perspective when it comes to teaching. I was lucky enough to study new subjects such as photography, allowing me to temporarily immerse myself in a brand new experience for a semester and learn new skills. The different teaching methods and expectations pushed me to think in new ways and explore different ways of learning and understanding. Coming home and facing my fourth year now, I have a breadth of new techniques to apply from my time away.
4. Adaptability and independence
If there’s one thing a year abroad teaches you, it’s how to stand on your own two feet. From navigating French bureaucracy and visas to figuring out the Montevideo bus system, I’ve learned to problem-solve, adapt quickly and stay calm when things don’t go to plan. The mindset of overcoming big issues and trusting myself to handle situations is a big part of what I learnt while away, and a mindset that I will carry through to my final year and beyond.
So, although the concept of a year abroad may be scary and unlike anything else you’ve done before, there are so many amazing things to learn that will shape you, and so many lessons to bring home with you for the last year of studies. Despite missing it with all my heart, nothing beats being surrounded by friends and loved ones, and the ease of coming back to your own language!
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