In 2005/6 I spent seven months at Leiden University in the Netherlands. I had not thought about studying abroad until my second year, when I read about an Erasmus Exchange meeting on a notice board. I went along to see what it was all about, although at that point I had little intention of actually applying. I thought it would be a good thing to have on my CV, but was concerned that it would be too difficult to adjust to another university, never mind another country.

It was not until I saw the list of courses that Leiden offered to its exchange students that I thought about going. They had everything on there from Ancient Egyptian law to Space law. As a law student, you are quickly encouraged to think about areas you would eventually like to specialise in or practice in, so that you can pick subjects in 3rd and 4th year that will reflect your interests and intentions. I had not yet found one of these areas, so I thought I would try something different. I applied and was given a place for two semesters.

I became very attached to the University and made some very good friends from all over the world. I enjoyed the variety of all of my classes, particularly an introductory course to Air and Space Law. It is such a specialised area that I had never come across it before. The course involved everything from the commercial aviation industry to the question of property rights on the moon. I discovered that Leiden University is one of two places in the world that you can do a Masters in this subject, and immediately inquired about admissions requirements. I needed a Bachelors degree in law (LLB).  So, I considered going back to Leiden after my fourth year, but decided that I just couldn’t wait. Somehow, I managed to convince the Professor of the IIASL Leiden (International Institute of Air and Space Law) to let me do the course after the summer, on the condition that I would not officially graduate until I had completed my LLB. Thankfully I was granted a year out from my UK University of Dundee. I knew this was a risk because if I did not manage to complete my course or failed to graduate from Dundee the following year, I would never graduate from Leiden, despite having completed the course. I was also worried about managing a post-graduate course after only three years of university. The LLM was really hard, and I discovered how little I knew about international law and politics. My class was full of industry professionals and practicing lawyers, so I ended up working harder than I thought possible.

I had the opportunity to take part in a Space Law Moot court competition with another member of my class. This turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had, as we won the European rounds and got to go to India for the finals, held during the 2007 International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad.

We had to arrange an internship as part of the course. I did this at a company called ISISpace who develop and build micro-satellites for commercial launch. This was a real insight into space industry, and into the world of entrepreneurial aerospace engineers, who speak a completely different language (other than Dutch). I did an extra internship in London for a specialist aviation law firm and experienced the fast paced, high-stakes atmosphere of a commercial firm in The City. Exciting but Terrifying.

After completing the course, I decided that I would love to work in either the air or space industry. Through people I had met in Leiden, I discovered an opportunity to work as a legal advisor to the Joint Aviation Authorities, a European organisation based in Holland. I went for an interview and fitted the bill. I will move back as soon as I finish my final course and dissertation in Dundee.

None of this would have happened if I had not done the exchange. The Erasmus experience broadened my knowledge of my subject and gave me valuable confidence to just go out and do things. There is no doubt that doing an exchange will improve a CV, but there are so many other kinds of opportunities that present themselves when you are there.  I had a great time, and I highly recommend it!

Download a pdf of this case study here