‘Do you know the feeling when you decide to do something and when the moment is finally there you’re not sure anymore? I had that feeling, but more about that later.. First, who am I?

My name is Anna and I am a 22-year-old sociology student from Amsterdam. Travelling and doing new exciting things has always been a passion of mine. I travelled on my own for a few months to countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and South-Africa. What I loved about these travels and travelling, in general, is getting to know different cultures, enjoying unknown landscapes and meeting interesting new people from all over the world. So yeah, studying abroad was something I really needed and wanted to do!  I must admit that Manchester wasn’t my first choice because I really wanted to go to another continent, to South Africa! Sadly I wasn’t the only one with that idea. After the long process of getting my application in order and submitting it, I found out that I applied along with 150 other people for the only 15th spots. What are the odds I would get it?  After waiting for a couple of weeks I found out that the 10% change wasn’t in my advantage, I didn’t get into the University of Cape Town. So what next? Studying abroad was still one of the things I really wanted to do, this time I decided to look closer to home. After speaking to different people that told me about the amazing student life and the great university, Manchester became THE place. And there we are… fast forward… at the moment I wasn’t sure anymore. The weeks before my departure I had never doubted or been nervous, mostly because it didn’t really feel like I was actually going. But when I walked towards customs and waved for the last time at my mother, friends and boyfriend before going in, reality struck me, ‘I would live and study for four months in a city I never visited, Manchester’! And at the moment I entered the plane and sat down on my seat with all little presents my friends gave me I wasn’t sure anymore. The whole flight images went through my head, what if the university will be too hard, the apartment terrible, there will be nobody to hang out with or maybe I will get homesick?

But here we are, already a month later, looking back at all my worries they were all for nothing. Funny how something can be so scary at firsthand and turns out to be, better than expected. I live in a really nice apartment in the heart of Fallowfield with five amazing international students. The past few weeks I met a lot of great, sweet, loving people, with whom I feel really good. We hang out almost every day; go out, have dinner, visit nice places like Edinburgh and do beautiful hikes to places like Peak and Lake district. It’s strange how people you know for such a short period of time can become so close. And what about University? Although I still have to get used to the English (writing, speaking, listening), I really like the courses I am attending! The content is really interesting and the professors really good. And there we are at the end of my first blog, with one final note: ‘don’t forget this Erasmus will only last for a few months, so enjoy it to the fullest!