Hello from Plymouth, UK! My name is Jessica, and my dragon Mushu
and I are here at Plymouth University studying English and Creative
Writing.
 |
| Meet Mushu! |
First things first, Plymouth is
gorgeous. I'm constantly finding myself in a state of amazement over
things that aren't really a big deal. Things as simple as finding out
they sell peanut butter here, learning new phrases, or discovering new
culinary happiness (helloooo sausage rolls!!) completely make my day.
Walking pretty much anywhere here leaves me in awe because Plymouth is
easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It has the
perfect blend of old and new, urban and rural, busy and quiet. I love
being able to look out my window to see the sun setting over the
beautiful buildings on campus and then walking less than ten minutes to
see that exact same sunset over the ocean.
 | |
| Nearing sunset at Smeaton's Tower, the Plymouth lighthouse |
The
people here are super nice and my professors are great. The education
system is set up differently here than it is back home. Two of my
modules have an hour lecture once a week and then a two hour seminar
also once a week. The seminars are smaller and have about twenty people
in them so that you can talk and share ideas. My third module is a
three hour workshop. My professor for that module leads a seminar type
discussion for the first part and then we break into smaller groups to
critique each other's writing samples. I've found this to be immensely
helpful and have improved my writing drastically in the month I've been
here. The professors in all three modules genuinely care about the
students and what they have to say. I feel like this instills
confidence in the students to speak up during class and share their
thoughts. I don't feel like a number here, I feel like I matter.
In
addition to the beautiful scenery and academic challenge, Plymouth also
offers many opportunities to explore not only around Plymouth itself
but also different places beyond the city. A lot of the international
students are going on a trip to Amsterdam in March and the English
department is taking several students to Bath to study Jane Austen.
Within the city there is an aquarium, a mall, and dozens of cafes and
pubs. There is literally something for every taste here, and there are
also many opportunities for you to broaden your horizons.
 |
| From a trip to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth |
There
is one drawback to living here. The seagulls are terrifying. Mushu
refuses to go anywhere near them. These seagulls are about three times
the size of American seagulls and MEAN. If you're outside for long you
are almost guaranteed to get up close and personal with them and they
WILL attack you for food (just don't carry chips out in the open....).
 |
| Thankfully, no seagulls here at the moment. |
I'm
at a loss of words to tell you just how imperfectly perfect this place
is. I can't describe all the sights and sounds and do it justice. My
flatmates are great, the food is wonderful, and I absolutely love it
here. I've got four months left and I already know it's going to be
extraordinarily difficult for me to leave.
Jessica Carelock
Plymouth University
Plymouth, United Kingdom
You can also follow Jessica's travels at Teatime Ponderings
