Jacob Knehr

University of Derby

The reason I chose to study abroad in Derby, England is because I needed a change.

I grew up in northern New Hampshire and I had been studying at KSC for almost three years.

After 20 years living there, I was pretty sick of New Hampshire and I needed a new experience.

Thankfully my wish came true.

I came to England on January 9 to study at the University of Derby for the 2015 spring semester.

Before I arrived, I was very nervous.

For starters, I had never been far outside of the New England area and I had never been on an airplane before, which was definitely a different experience.

The flight took six-and-a-half hours from Boston to London, and it took an additional two hours to get from the  London Heathrow Airport  to my school.

A representative from the university picked me up and drove me to my flat (or dorm room) and when I went to sit in the car, I realized I accidentally sat in the driver’s seat, thinking it was the passenger’s seat.

That was my very first experience with culture shock.

When I first got to England, I was adapting really well.

I missed my friends and family, but I was ready to embark on this crazy, new adventure.

My friends Liz Sniffen and Lucia Martin, who came to the University of Derby before me, helped me prepare for what to expect while I was not only studying, but also living here.

This definitely played a big role in my ability to adjust to this new area so quickly.

Liz had told her friends that she made while she was here about me, and I met them soon after arriving to my flat.

I have also made other friends who are studying abroad from different parts of the world. I am so happy that

Jacob Knehr / Contributed Photos

I met all of them because they made the transition not only easier, but more fun.

During my semester here we had a two week Easter break from school, and during this time all I wanted to do was travel to as many places as possible.

I was having trouble finding people to travel with because people were either broke, already had traveling plans or were too nervous about traveling to so many places in such a short span of time.

I was not one of these people.

I was getting nervous that I would have to travel by myself, but if push came to shove, I would have gone by myself.

Luckily I found Meghan Jenks, who is a Communications major at KSC studying abroad in York, England, who also wanted to travel during this time.

It took days of planning, but we decided to spend two nights and two days each in Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Prague, Venice, Florence, Rome and Paris.

The two weeks that Meghan and I backpacked through Europe was such an incredible experience that I can’t even begin to explain it.

It was life changing to say the least.

Seeing all of the beautiful cities, each one being completely different and unique in its own way, was incredible.

I was able to see major landmarks and monuments in each city, and each one was breathtaking.

Although, that doesn’t go without saying that there were bumps in the road.

For instance, when Meghan and I were about to leave Munich and go to Vienna, there was a huge storm and part of the roof collapsed in the Hauptbahnhof train station in Berlin, which caused all the trains to be canceled.

After panicking and wondering how we were suppose to get to Vienna, we were able to find a bus that could take us there.

Unfortunately, the bus left that night at 11:00 p.m. and wouldn’t arrive in Vienna until 5:30 a.m. the next day.

What was even more unfortunate was that the bus was pulled over by the police to check passports and baggage which took a total of two hours.

So, we didn’t arrive to Vienna until 7:30 a.m., which threw our plans of a bit.   

That was the most stressful bump in the road during my backpacking adventure with Meghan, but we made it work and even though it didn’t go entirely as planned, it still worked out just fine.

Overall, I am so happy and fortunate that I was able to see all of these beautiful cities in Europe.

In each country the cultures were all so different from each other, and the people were too.

The only thing I wish was different was that my friends and family could have been with me to see what I saw.

I only have less than a month left in England before I go back to another fun-filled summer in Keene with my amazing friends before senior year. So for now, I’ll be finishing my class assignments and enjoying the little time I have left here with the amazing friends I’ve made.

If you are thinking about studying abroad, but feel too nervous, just bite-the-bullet and do it.

I was scared at first, but my experience abroad has been life-changing and I strongly encourage you to try it. It’s a once in a life time opportunity to study in a different culture. Don’t pass it up.