I leave for Manchester in 5 days. Some didn’t think I would make it to this point, especially since the only other USC student headed to the University of Manchester no longer decided to head abroad, but here we are!
I’m quite nervous. The fact that there was only one other person headed to Manchester when I first received my placement was a bit unsettling, so now that I’m going alone, one could say it’s lethally daunting. But one of the primary reasons I wanted to go abroad was to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that’s what we’re doing! If you find yourself in a similar situation, use your network of friends at USC and from home to your advantage. Many of them may know of someone going to the same city. By doing this I was introduced to someone from my hometown that attends the University of Manchester full-time (amazing connection to have since they’ve studied there for 2 years and are now familiar with both American and European culture) and another student also studying abroad at the University for the semester. Establish as many relationships as you can!
Lucky for me, Manchester was one of the easier locations to prep for considering I didn’t have to apply for a Visa (If you plan on getting a job while you're out here, however, you will need one). While waiting for my departure, however, UK travel policies continued to change due to the Coronavirus. For a while, I had to have a negative PCR test before I could board my flight, I then had to schedule a negative test to take once I reached the UK, and France and Germany had closed it’s borders to anyone in the UK. As of today, I no longer need a negative PCR to enter the UK, the France/UK ban was lifted, and I have a lateral flow COVID test waiting for me at my hotel upon my arrival (I used Chronomics and had a great experience). Given that the COVID situation is constantly changing, I encourage you to look at any and all travel procedures you may need to arrange prior to traveling to and within Europe at www.gov.uk.
I'm not sure how the next four months will unfold, but I am optimistic nonetheless.
See you in Manchester, mates!
Cheers xx