I first heard about the British Council UK 9/11 Scholarship program during my undergrad years and started to apply to do a semester abroad but was a bit intimated and unfortunately in the end decided not to do it.  When I was getting closer to graduating from Cornell University, I started looking for jobs, but given the poor state of the economy I was having a hard time finding one.

At this point I had forgotten about the possibility of doing a UK 9/11 Scholarship study abroad program since I thought that it was only available to undergrads.  As it so happened though, I received another letter from the British Council talking about the scholarship program, but this time I noticed that it also applied to postgraduates.

I regretted in some ways not having done a semester abroad and this sounded like another chance to have that experience.  This seemed like an even better opportunity though since I could spend a whole year in the UK and study for my Master’s degree.  I finally decided to go through with the decision and applied to a few different programs relating to business and was accepted into the MSc International Management program at Oxford Brookes University.

The first week or so was a bit hectic and stressful but after that I felt much better and more settled in.  I have really been enjoying my program so far and the people in my classes, halls, and the university as a whole have been very friendly and helpful.  There is a huge international community at Oxford Brookes and it is very easy to meet new people as everyone is so friendly and outgoing.  I have made many great friends from many different countries and have been having a great time overall.  In addition, teachers and other staff at the university are very good and very helpful if there are any problems.

Finally, the city of Oxford itself is very beautiful and historic and consists of mostly a student population so it is quite lively as well.  I want to thank the British Council and everyone else who helped give me the opportunity to live and study abroad in the UK.  I would recommend anyone thinking about doing this program to definitely do it because it is a great opportunity to meet new people, experience a new culture, and get a great education.