My Experience at Penn:
My time at Penn was unforgettable. I learnt a lot from the people I met, both my fellow exchangers and other Penn students. A moment that stood out in particular is one of the lessons for my Beyond Bollywood junior research seminar which actually inspired my thesis topic, something I'd been worried about for the entire year! Shoutout to my professor Vikrant Dadawala who led the class and helped engage everyone in the discussion. Unlike the UK education system, Penn offers a variety of options in your major and I found myself learning about things I have never learnt before in an academic setting, thus enabling me to think about my studies in a multi-disciplinary way when returning to my degree in London. Penn students are really motivated to pursue their career goals, which motivated me to try harder in securing internships and work experience. Additionally, I loved the range of global internships the Penn Abroad team offers and it's actually inspired me to seek out similar opportunities at home!
Highlights:
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Being abroad in the U.S. for the first time
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Growing in confidence, both from the discussion-based classes that are common in the U.S. college system and putting myself out there to be open to meet new people
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Being involved in student societies as an exchange student
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Travelling within a budget
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Navigating the differences between British and American academics
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Meeting amazing friends who fully supported me and helped me make the most of my experience abroad
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Benefiting from academics who are experts in their field
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Halal cart, especially chicken over rice. It was so good and we don't have something like it in the UK
