Success!

Guess who's been approved for a visa on time?? Whoo!!! That's a load off my mind. I was terrified that I'd have to reschedule my flight.

On a random note, I wish that Blogger wouldn't automatically sign me in with the Gmail account I have open. I have 2 Gmail accounts, and I was really confused when Blogger told me I didn't have a blog -- turns out that I was signed in with the wrong email address.

Biding Time

Yes, I am still in the U.S. I bet some people are confused as to why I created a study abroad blog and update it frequently BEFORE studying abroad. This is because I consider all of this preparation to be part of the study abroad process.

Today the visa office reopened. Yaaaay! Please, please, PLEASE send me a visa on time!

Last night I did some more class scouting. Currently I am signed up for the following "modules" (I don't take "classes", I take "modules"!):

• Cancer Biology -- I will hopefully get credit for this class, and I've always been interested in the bazillions of pathways that lead to cancer.
  
• Introduction to Genetics -- Technically, here at the University of Illinois, I've taken the class AFTER the intro class... but I still would like to take this. I'm a premed, and this is usually a required course for premeds, and I also really like genetics.
• Data Analysis (Biomedical Sciences style!!) -- I'm hoping to get credit for this class too from the bioe department here. It would make my life tremendously easier. Also, this is a good class to take from an engineering standpoint.
• Introduction to Drug Design -- I have a feeling that this is running for the title of "favorite class" next semester. Basically, I study drugs from a molecular standpoint, and also learn on how to have the best structure for efficiency.
• Medieval Magic -- I'm going to be at Hogwarts, right? Just kidding. I've always had an interest in different religions, particularly the subject of witchcraft and Christianity. This class focuses on before the divergence between the two happens.
• The Guitar and Its Musics -- I started learning some guitar, and since I started I became interested more in different guitar music. There's such a wide variety!

However, I mentioned before that I had a conflict. My Data Analysis class and Medieval Magic class are at the same time. I'm not sure why the timetabling people did this. Unlike here, where we make our own schedules and register ourselves, for Leeds I gave a list of about 10 classes I was interested in, and someone over there chose the classes that best fit a working schedule. Frankly, that saves me a headache, because looking at the time tables for each class was insane. I think my Cancer Biology course has lectures at different times during different weeks. I think I'll have to constantly check my schedule. Oh, another class I'm taking doesn't start until like a month in.

So, anyway, I'll have to email someone over there and see why they think I can take two classes at the same time. Most likely I will have to drop Medieval Magic and take another class. (Which makes me really sad, because I'm really interested in that subject.) I was looking at possible choices, and I think I want to take another science class... but it also scares me since over there the final is worth SO much more. I don't want to overdo it. I'm used to a final being 20%-40% of my grade. Over there I've seen 60%-100%, with most of them being 80%-100%.

Scary!!!

I also did some research on what type of bedding to bring. Apparently Twin XL is more of an American thing. I emailed the accommodation office asking if I should bring twin or twin xl sheets, and they just reminded me that I have a single bed. So, apparently single = twin. That makes my life easier because it's off-season for twin-xl sheets and I couldn't find any today.

On a side note, I'm not trying to be offensive when I make Hogwarts jokes. I'm getting a lot of those comments here, especially because the hall I'm living in is a historical building looks like a castle (according to people here). Continuing with that thought, I'm excited to be living there. The dorm has its own music ensembles that I hope to join, which will hopefully make it easier for me to fit in. I'm always nervous about meeting new people, let alone new people in a new place with a new culture. Music helps me relax.

Visas

This may be common sense, but send in your visa application as soon as possible. I'm cutting it really close (closer than I would like). It's recommended to get it in 5-10 weeks before you travel, and I sent it in 5 weeks. Sending it earlier than I did would have been difficult for me though due to exams and finals, but it could have been done with the acceptance of a few more white hairs. I kind of wish I did now, just to save myself some stress.

If you send it in early, you don't have to be like me. Freaking out. Because the Visa application center is having "technical difficulties" and apparently won't be open for business until the 29th of December, and who knows what they do for New Years' Eve and New Years Day.

But what's done is done.

(If you don't know me well, here's a brief note -- I worry. It's kind of a natural hobby of mine, and now being on break means no exams and homework to stress over, so my body channels all of that into worrying about my visa. By the way, I love my Dad. He just calmed me down about this whole process.)

So anyway, if anyone is thinking of studying in the UK, a good informational video about your visa application can be found here.

If you don't feel like watching the video, it basically tells you that studying as a student means you fill out a points-based application, and you need 40 points in order to have your visa approved. 30 points comes just from you visa letter from your school, and 10 points comes from proving you have enough funds to cover living and expenses (estimated to be 600 pounds per month outside of London, 800 for London).

Why Leeds?

"Studying abroad is so exciting! Where are you going?"
"University of Leeds"
"...Where is that exactly?"

Well, first of all, the location of Leeds, courtesy of Google Maps, is shown to the right.

Despite Leeds being "UK's largest centre for business, legal, and financial services outside London" according to Wikipedia (and let's face it, we all get information from Wikipedia), many people I've talked to had no idea where the city is located. Maybe they're like me -- ignorant when it comes to geography -- but all of the questions still boil down to why I chose to study in Leeds.

Short answer:

More knowledge about my major!

Long Answer:
As you may have gleaned from the "About Me" section of this blog, I'm a bioengineer. Bioengineering a relatively new field. So new, in fact, that some companies don't recognize it as a real engineering major, and many people are still a little confused to what the major actually is. (At least, I definitely hope it's a real major, because otherwise I'm in some real trouble psychologically.)

What is bioengineering, you ask? Essentially it combines biology and different types of engineering in order to address issues in biology and medicine.

Yes, I am aware my answer is very vague. Since it is an emerging field, I believe there is so much flexibility to what can be taught and learned that right now I can't tell you exactly what bioengineering is. At my university alone, I have learned bits of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering -- you name it, and I've probably learned at least a smidgen about it. However, 3 years ago, I took a university trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan, and I saw that they approached the major very differently. No one approaches bioengineering exactly the same way, and I wanted to go study at a school that could offer me another side to the major.

Since I wanted a school that offered bioengineering, my options were limited. I had a list of pre-approved schools for a scholarship, and wanting bioengineering narrowed it even more. So, I decided to apply to the University of Leeds. Right now I am currently enrolled there as a student in the department of biological sciences, which should be different. In Illinois, most of my curriculum is spent focusing on engineering side, and I'm excited to take more biology courses as well as some design courses at Leeds. My coolest sounding class is drug design -- finding the best way to chemically make a medical drug so it works the best in the body. How awesome is that?

I still need to iron out the details of my course list, since I apparently have 2 classes at the same time... but that's just a minor glitch.

Some people were confused about my choice in Leeds since I had my heart set on the Technische Universität Darmstadt, but things didn't work out. I had started my application, but then realized that while my German skills would greatly improve by going there, I would most likely not get any credit approved by my department and I would have to do A LOT of translating during my busiest semester ever. Also, when I looked at possible bioengineering choices at TU Darmstadt, I realized that I would learn a lot more at Leeds.

So, there you have it. Hopefully that made sense.