England: Natalia Torres (Our Global Classroom)

Walking in the brisk fall air to my classes is a small moment I will remember of my time here in Leeds. As I leave my accommodation, it has been nice seeing how students find social spaces on campus, whether it is queuing outside a coffee truck for lattes or sitting on the steps of the Parkinson building eating breakfast. I have enjoyed being an exchange student at the University of Leeds. One of the main reasons I chose to participate in an exchange program for my year abroad was because I wanted the opportunity to take classes with local students. I highly value immersing myself in British culture through the host city and classroom. As the semester progresses, I have examined the differences between the academic environment in Leeds and UW-Madison, a significant highlight of my time here at Leeds.

The first step in my academic journey was becoming accustomed to new vocabulary in relation to the university. Classes are referred to as modules, while majors are considered one’s course. In terms of the structure of modules at Leeds, I found that the majority consist of lectures and seminars occurring once a week. The sizes of lectures and seminars are comparable to UW-Madison, but I find it interesting that professors, not TAs, lead seminars. A major cultural difference has been the use of the English language. The differences between British and American English are quite prevalent, and I find myself recognizing new spelling of words such as “favourite” or “centre”.

Natalia Torres

Hometown: Sparta, Wisconsin

Major: International Studies; Information Science; Cert in Political Science

Program: University of Leeds Exchange