My time on the Study USA programme

Why did you apply to Study USA?

As I decided to stay in Northern Ireland for university, I was eager to have a full-year study abroad experience. I like that Study USA added another year to my degree; I love being a student, so I’d like to have the opportunity to study for as long as possible. Getting to spend the extra year in the US, benefitting from a different culture and unique academic experience is another one of the many bonuses of the programme.

Where are you studying?

I study at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. The campus itself is in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, with lots of scenic views and beautiful outdoor spaces. Kerrville is a small town with opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and river sports. It’s not a typical big city college experience, but I love the slow pace of life and close-knit campus feel. There are ten other international students studying at Schreiner, all from Mexico – it’s been great to learn more about their culture and backgrounds.

How are you finding the academic life?

The class sizes at Schreiner are small. Although at home I study Primary Education with Art at Stranmillis University College, so I am used to similarly small class sizes. My professional skills and business class has about 20 people and my music class only has five of us. I’ve built close relationships with my professors. They’re always happy to help with assignments and even give out their personal phone numbers in case we have any questions. A big difference from my home university is that at Schreiner the final exams for my modules are only worth about 20 or 30 percent of my grade. The rest of the grade is based on my attendance, class participation as well as quizzes, group projects and assignments throughout the semester.

Can you give a bit of detail about what life’s like on campus.

There’s a lot going on at Schreiner – all the student events get put on a board in the middle of the campus every week and most of the students get involved. These range from padel tennis to a petting zoo coming to campus. Every Friday the college hold a campfire and a local artist comes to perform or there’s karaoke – families from the local area come and join in with their kids so it’s a wonderful community environment. All the activities, including the opportunity to play inter-mural sports, has helped me meet and become friends with people I don’t have classes with.

What has been your Study USA highlight so far?

There’s too many to choose from. Joining the Mountaineer Adventure Programme at my college has been brilliant. We camped for two nights at Garner State Park in Texas and are planning a week-long expedition to Big Bend National Park over Spring break. So much of it is funded by my college so I’ve only needed to make a small contribution to any overnight trips.

Over the Thanksgiving break I met up with another Study USA student in Washington D.C. We visited the museums, took a tour of US Capitol, visited the Library of Congress, Lincoln Memorial and so much more.

What advice would you give to a student thinking of applying to Study USA?

Apply – take the leap! I always thought I was a homebird and deliberated a lot before I made the decision to apply to Study USA. The programme has shown me that I can be independent and live away from home, I’m looking forward to more opportunities to travel and work abroad in the future.

The Study USA programme is open to both undergraduate and HND/ Foundation degree students. To find out more and how to apply visit: https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/opportunities/study-usa

Study USA is generously funded through the Department for the Economy.