Period on Exchange: Semester 1, 2012
What courses did you study?
- Industrial Property
- Child Law
- International Wildlife Law
- Law of Restitution
Why did you choose that university?
One, Europe is your backyard when you’re living in England, and two, the awesome testimonials from previous law students. Also, the assessment structure is highly flexible - exchange students have the option of doing 4 take home essays, rather than closed book final exams, meaning your semester finishes earlier (i.e. an extra 3-4 weeks of travel!)
How does studying law overseas compare to studying at UNSW?
Some aspects of the teaching style are quite different to our law school. I experienced two different types of teaching styles: seminars like UNSW with no more than 30 students, and lecture/tutorial style, with lectures consisting of 200-300 students, and tutorials consisting of 6-8.
What was the cost of living compared to Australia?
Living in Leeds is a lot cheaper than living in Australia! I stayed in one of the more expensive residences which cost $160AUD per week with all bills included. A weekly shop for groceries usually cost around $40AUD, with a pint of cider only being $2AUD! Shopping and going out at night is also significantly cheaper. Public transport was reasonably priced, but not as reasonable as the taxis, which charged by distance and not time.
What was your accommodation arrangement?
Own room with the bathroom shared with one female.
What were the highlights of your experience?
Living like a local at friends’ places all over Europe and definitely the crazy amount of travelling with newfound exchange friends!
What were the main challenges you faced, if any?
Feeling homesick in the first few weeks when uni was slow to start up, but this was soon solved by all the exchange friends I met who were in the same boat!
Angelina