Student Highlights
Overseas exchange opportunity uncovers new potential career paths
Rhiannon always knew she wanted to go on exchange while studying her Bachelor of Psychology. After originally looking into options in the US, she was eventually drawn to Leeds – where she got the extra kickstart she needed for her final year of study.
“I always knew I wanted to experience another country’s university life, so I had always planned on doing an exchange.
“I was looking to go to the US but after meeting some of my best friends when they undertook an exchange in Newcastle from Leeds, I decided that’s where I wanted to go instead.
“Being friends with some of the locals was also a plus, I’d definitely recommend it because they can show you a whole other side to the city and the exchange experience,” Rhiannon said.
Diving into her studies in Leeds, Rhiannon’s exchange opened her eyes to new ways of thinking and the different opportunities out there for her when she finished her degree.
“Leeds has a huge number of courses to choose from, including a lot of specialty subjects. I studied Forensic Psychology, Global Terrorism and a couple of Neuroscience modules.
“I really enjoyed my courses, they were truly interesting and it gave me an opportunity to look into different career paths that I wasn’t considering before. I even got credit for a couple of my courses that mirrored those offered at the University of Newcastle,” she said.
While Rhiannon would say that every moment of her exchange was a standout, the opportunity to travel on weekends during semester was definitely top of the list.
“It’s hard to pick just one moment, Leeds as a city has a vibrant, young culture – there are so many things to do each night and so many people to meet which is something I really enjoyed.
“I absolutely loved being able to travel to so many countries! I visited 15 countries during my eight months in the UK.
“I was so close to so many amazing places. I managed to tick a lot of places off my bucket list and got some crazy cheap flights (£10, 4-hour flight to Bulgaria for the weekend), this is something to take advantage of for sure,” she said.
Looking back on her time studying abroad, Rhiannon reflected, saying that she came back more focused and enthusiastic about her future.
“My subjects really challenged me which was good. I came back to Newcastle more studious than ever.
“The experience really opened me up to thinking about my future and what career I could have, and I couldn’t recommend studying abroad more!” she finished.
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Rhiannon Jaeger-Michael
Undertaking an international exchange in Leeds opened up a world of career possibilities for Bachelor of Psychology student Rhiannon Jaeger-Michael.
The experience really opened me up to thinking about my future and what career I could have, and I couldn’t recommend studying abroad more!
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