Go Abroad blog

Primary page content

Selena at Gothenburg’s Summer School (Part Three)

Selena Carty, a BA History with Military History student attending the University of Gothenburg’s Summer School of Sustainability – the third and final part of her blog.

Week three has been a challenging one. Homesickness is a real feeling as being consumed with nothing but your thoughts and feelings with fresh air, foods, and space reminds me that I am in a foreign place. I love history and find myself immersed deeply into it here. Forging a new relationship with the planet and my sense of belonging. Making so many connections to times past and present, understanding the length of the cosmopolitan cultural connectivity’s we all have, and maybe unaware of. Looking deeper into the relationships between humans, animals, plants, and all the elements and trying to make the connections between how reliant we are on all things found within the planet Earth.

A picture of different coloured buildings in the distance on a bright sunny day.

Marstrand Island was a beautiful day out

Move night: ‘Push’ Directed by Fredrik Gertten presented the experiences globally of communities being pushed out of their homes and areas due to the imbalance of investors capitalising on equity of the future, with no regards to the present. England, Canada, Spain, Italy, France and Sweden were all featured within the film. Notting Hill and Grenfell Tower were also strongly featured. The voices of the communities and the collaboration of voices coming together being a powerful method for change. As it goes beyond race, gender, and age.

A woman reaching into a popcorn machine.

Fresh popcorn made on film night

Amsterdam Summer Study

Lily James who is studying Law attended a summer course at the University of Amsterdam which was funded by Santander Universities.

After seeing various Go Abroad advertisements around campus, I decided to look online and explore potential opportunities with partner universities. I discovered one pre-existing pathway within the Law department, but it didn’t quite suit what I was looking for. Despite this, they were immediately enthusiastic to support me in seeking placements elsewhere if I could secure one independently. After some research, I found the perfect course at the University of Amsterdam and submitted my application. During the whole process, the Go Abroad department was incredibly supportive, giving information on available funding options and holding informative pre-departure meetings.

First and foremost, my accommodation at the University of Amsterdam was incredible. I was located in a studio flat in the central Prinsengracht area, overlooking a beautiful canal. My entire class was placed in the same accommodation which made it much easier to make friends and settle in.

Selena at Gothenburg’s Summer School (Part Two)

Selena Carty, a BA History with Military History student attending the University of Gothenburg’s Summer School of Sustainability – the second part of her blog.

Week one in Gothenburg, Sweden has created a calmness unfamiliar to me. Walking and the constant connection to nature has been having a tranquil impact on me. The fast pace of London is void here and is allowing me to have more time. I am a mother of a 13-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, so being away from them also allows me to have isolated time that is unfamiliar to me. (I call them twice a day, just before school and after school to learn about how they slept and how their days were, all whilst sharing images and my experiences)

The feeling of home isn’t lost on me. As once I feel comfortable, I can navigate without fear or concern and Gothenburg supports this feeling within me.

Our first trip for Week 2 was to the Second-best amusement park in the European Star Awards, Liseberg, right here in Gothenburg, Sweden. Liseberg is celebrating 100 years of providing entertainment and excitement to the citizens of Gothenburg and its visitors.

Selena at Gothenburg’s Summer School (Part One)

Selena Carty, a BA History with Military History student, is currently attending the University of Gothenburg’s Summer School of Sustainability – a coveted spot at a popular summer school.

My applications were successful upon submission, and I planned and prepped for the opportunity to study ‘Teaching Sustainability for a Global Perspective’. The Go Abroad team were very supportive with the knowledge and support given in the countdown to departure. When Monday the 3rd of July arrived, I was finally ready to embark on my newest adventure of attending summer school in Gothenburg, Sweden.

On my arrival I was received by the welcome team, and we were loaded into a coach patiently waiting to take us to our accommodation. The rain fell very hard on arrival, causing me to feel right at home! The air here is so clean, the landscape serene, the space unrivalled. The energy here in Gothenburg is very light and consumes you into submission. It is a very peaceful place.

I packed my creature comforts from home to limit my homesickness and am very glad I did. Gothenburg’s prices are double what they are in England, so budgeting has been interesting. My excitement increased when I located a cheese, chocolate, pastries, and yoghurts that I love, as well as finding an African-Caribbean store, where I have been able to shop for items culturally familiar to me. *HAPPINESS*

Summer Study at the University of Amsterdam

Read Nicola McEvoy’s account of her time doing a short course (Arcane Worlds: New Frontiers in the Study of Esotericism) at the University of Amsterdam over the summer.

For three weeks, I was studying in Amsterdam — in the only department in the world that specialises in esoteric studies. It is an intensive course that introduces the academic field of esotericism: the current approaches, where it is going and how it can be improved. We had lectures on different topics including chaos magic, alchemy, Sufiism, and Jewish mysticism, with many guest lecturers. The close-knittedness of the very small community made the experience invaluable, and the camaraderie of the course made my time there enjoyable.

I attended the preliminary programme last year with help from the Go Abroad scheme, so when I received an email from the University of Amsterdam Summer School department that there would be a more advanced programme, I could not pass up the opportunity to attend in person.

Working in the Vulvarium Studio (Austria)

Ella Clancy, BA Design student, received funding towards her work placement at the Vulvarium.

How did you source your placement?  

I followed Vulvarium on Instagram. I was super interested in their work and kept sliding into their DMs asking questions about their work as well as for internship opportunities. Viki, behind the account, replied to my questions and we had a good back and forth however it was always a ‘no’ to any internship enquiries. However, after gaining the grant from Santander, I managed to convince the Vulvarium Studio it was a great idea to take me on. Which of course it was. 

What were the highlights of your experience abroad?  

There were so many highlights to my experience abroad, the first one that springs to mind was what a pleasure it was making new friends. They each wanted to show me their favourite spots and homes, they took me on gorgeous hikes in the mountains and shared their rock-climbing kit with me as well as crazy queer raves that only the locals would know. These girls are now my friends for life, we talk on a weekly basis and they have already visited me in London for my birthday. I hope to meet them again next summer, and the summer after that… Another massive highlight was that I was able to learn skills I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance or the time for. As well as learn about subject areas I wouldn’t have touched upon at university. I learned so much about each woman I worked with predominantly about her relationship with her vulva and body. These kinds of conversations are something I am sure I would have never ever had without this internship and now it is like as second nature to me.

Volunteering in Nepal

Rose Bartels, BA Design student, received funding to volunteer at a school in Kathmandu, Nepal.

For my placement I travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal, to stay at the Nawa Asha Griha (NAG) School. I found the placement because this school is twinned with a school in Switzerland where a family friend works. This friend had visited Nepal on several occasions and recommended my sister and myself to the headmistress as potential volunteers for the school.

The view from our accommodation

Both my sister and I studied art subjects at university; therefore, it was suggested we would volunteer in the art department while at NAG. The school has 400 pupils, half of which live onsite full time and range in age from around 4 up to 18 years old. Previously I had a little bit of experience working with children, such as helping to run art workshops, but I had not worked with children in this capacity or on this scale before. Working with the kids was the biggest highlight for me and has helped me realise this is something I would like to pursue as a career.

It sounds cliché to say a trip abroad has changed your life, but the experience I gained in Nepal has helped me to get more work, in tutoring and nannying. And this helped me decide I would like to gain a TEFL qualification in order to teach English as a second language abroad for the foreseeable future.

My favourite moment was painting a mural to go in the children’s playhouse. Everyone, staff and students, wanted to get involved and it was lovely to see the kids’ reactions to what they had helped create and how it sparked their imaginations for play.

Painting the mural

Internship in New York

Emily Bianconi, a BA Curating student, completed an internship in New York during the summer of her second year.

A young woman with sunglasses up on her head smiling at the camera with a view of a sunset and blue sky with the sun reflecting on the ocean in the backdrop

On the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

On the 1^st of July 2022 I left for New York, for an experience that would change my life. I was there for just over a month, working in the education department of the Queens Museum. The opportunity came earlier in the year when I had the idea to do an internship abroad. By speaking to my tutor about it, she told me about an opportunity that was intended for 3^rd year students but hadn’t had much attention from them. When she told me about it, I immediately knew it was perfect for me. I was a little tight with the application deadlines as I love a lastminute idea but fortunately I managed to send all the documents on time. The study abroad team at Goldsmiths are very helpful and quick to respond so it makes it a lot easier and less stressful to apply and have everything you need prepared for your departure.

When we got there, the staff at the Queens Museum had an induction day prepared for all the summer interns. They showed us around the museum, introduced us to all the people working there and guided us through their policies and projects for the future. I was placed in the education department where I had a desk and a supervisor. They were all very friendly and open to hearing our ideas and points of view. Me and the other girl working in the same sector ended up taking over a project and having our own space to completely organise an event aimed at starting conversations between teenagers around topics that are important to them. We also got the chance to help with all the events going on in the museum during the month. This was valuable as we got to test out other positions within the institution.

a room with tables and chairs set up along the sides and people working on them in groups

An event I helped organise

Pisa Summer School

Read the blog post of Lydia Hiraide, a BSc Politics and International Relations student who attended a summer school at the University of Pisa. Lydia received funding by Santander Universities.

I am very keen on travelling as a way to enrich my research, so I often spend a lot of time looking online for opportunities abroad. I was thrilled when I found the Politics Ontologies Ecologies summer school at the University of Pisa whilst searching on Google for summer schools relating to my field. I thought this would be a fantastic chance to discover a new city whilst engaging in some of the most urgent conversations and discussions ongoing in the field of my research.

My experience abroad in Pisa will be one that I always remember. It was my first time ever visiting Pisa and my first time attending a summer school in person – I was very pleasantly surprised with the great balance between attending really challenging but interesting classes and being able to discover this magical city.

Lydia, a young woman, sitting on a short brick wall with the leaning tower of Pisa in the backdrop. Everyday, classes started bright and early. Every morning I prepared myself a hearty breakfast before walking down the beautiful riverside to the University of Pisa. Once I arrived, I always found a few minutes to chat to others and settle in before the first session. Each session consisted of a presentation from some of the top academics in my field before some discussion. Then, with plenty of time for lunch, I tried a new spot to discover the local cuisine everyday. The food in Pisa was delicious – so different from the food back home. And there were so many different dishes to try!

One morning during the summer school, each of the student participants shared our own research project which we discussed collaboratively. This was a great chance to practice communicating research whilst getting to learn about other peoples’ ongoing projects. It was very exciting.

Some of the highlights of my experience in Pisa included discovering the town and its culinary delights in my spare time. The Leaning Tower is magnificent – a sight that photos simply can’t do justice! I also really enjoyed the opportunity to be in a room full of students and scholars working on similar topics to me. The discussions were extremely stimulating and I felt very lucky to actually meet some of the scholars whose work has been very important for my own research. It’s a special experience to be able to put a face to a name you’ve been reading for months.

Language Learning in Paris

Samia Khatoon, a BSc History student went to Paris and attended a French language course with Alliance Francaise thanks to funding from Santander Universities. Read her blog below.

For my placement abroad, I completed a language course at Alliance Francaise in Paris for four weeks. It was always a dream of mine to learn French and to experience studying in Paris and I was able to do that through this opportunity. I first heard of Alliance Francaise from a careers advisor at Goldsmiths who recommended this school for learning French. From that point, I did my own research and read reviews from other students which finally made me decide to choose

Three people smiling at the camera

this for my opportunity abroad. My time at Alliance Francaise went fantastically, I not only learnt French and improved my level, I also made wonderful friends. The best part for me was that I learnt French but also learned about the culture and history of Paris. This was primarily through visiting museums, walking the streets, visiting bookstores and cafes.