Recently I visited Cave Hill and Belfast Castle with my friends which was a long hike but very much worth it. We got a nice view of the whole city and it was a great way to spend time with my friends before the program ended and we all went home. I enjoyed hiking around Belfast and exploring the city, but I’ll miss my friends the most out of everything. The semester went by faster than I expected and I wish I could spend more time with them. Without my flatmates and friends, I never would have become the person I am now. I learned a lot about myself and my habits just from being around them.
One of the most important things I learned while studying abroad was to be open minded. I think it can be easy to forget sometimes that everyone has different experiences and perspectives, and it’s important to be respectful of their opinions and thoughts even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. I also gained more confidence in being able to do things by myself but also recognizing that there’s nothing wrong with asking others for help sometimes.
Before I studied abroad, I wished I had set up a plan or tracked my spending better because I think I ended up spending more money than I should have from eating out or buying stuff I didn’t really need. I would wait a week or two before buying some things like laundry detergent because you can get tide pods and some kitchen items from reception for free or borrow things from your flatmates.
Katie Huang
Fall 2023
GW Exchange - Queen's University Belfast
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major