Hi! My name is Patricija, and last year, I had the amazing opportunity to do an exchange at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Before leaving, I spoke with a professor who used to work there and realised one thing – the enjoyment and success of my exchange solely depended on me. This meant that I had to become a yes-person, saying yes to attending one of the several balls hosted there, saying yes to joining one or a few societies and saying yes to attending my professors' office hours. Of course, I also said yes to reading by the North Sea—which is right across from the School of English. This was made possible because I was an Honours student – meaning that a student is in the 3rd or 4th year of their undergraduate degree – and was only required to take two 15 ECTS credit modules. The rest of your time as a student depends on you. This is why the university has numerous societies one can join: there are sports, art, theatre, and music societies, as well as one of the world’s oldest debating societies. I also spent a lot of time exploring the town – and even attempted to hike the Fife Coastal Path where I met some grazing Highland cows. Speaking of the town, St Andrews is a three-street town with a population that consists of three things: students, seagulls, and golfers. Despite its modest size, the town’s history and mythology are vast and can be traced in every single building – from the 12th-century St Andrews castle and cathedral remains to the World Golf Museum and a cafe that proudly advertises that it is the place 'where Kate dumped Wills'.
In terms of academic benefits, the lecturers at the School of English make the exchange experience worthwhile. Last semester, I was extremely lucky to attend Dr Peter Mackay’s module on Celtic Modernisms. During those classes, I developed a strong interest in modernist Scottish, Irish, and Welsh poetry and discovered many parallels between their and our (Lithuanian) literary traditions. Not only was I able to learn about their literary traditions, but I was also able to witness how they continue – Dr Mackay was recently appointed to be Scotland’s National Poet – a Makar.
I could write pages about my experience at St Andrews, and hopefully, my enthusiasm shows just how delightful it is to get out of your comfort zone and apply for a study exchange.