I came to Iowa State as an electrical engineer interested in music engineering, an area in which there aren't too many classes here. Luckily, I came across the study-abroad program at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, which offered courses in electronics with music. So I chose to spend my sophomore year in Glasgow, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

I quickly came to love Scotland's beautiful scenery, friendly people, and cultural opportunities. I met students from all over Europe as well as other exchange students from throughout North America. As the school year began, numerous opportunities arose to get involved on campus, so I joined both the women's basketball team and the university jazz band. In the band, I met other local trombone players who invited me to play weekly at a club in a nearby town and in musicals as they arose throughout the year. The basketball team also became a source of many close friends through our rather laid-back, once-a-week practices and subsequent trips to the pub! One of the more exciting aspects of the basketball team was playing in the British Universities Sports Association tournament at the end of the year, where we placed 5th in all of Britain.

I also really enjoyed the classes I took, which covered hot topics such as acoustics and studio techniques, digital systems, and theology in contention. The courses in Glasgow focused on many practical applications of concepts learned and grading was based on a few tests/projects instead of daily homework, leaving me with plenty of time to explore the city! The campus is located near the Kelvin River and Kelvingrove Park, with several interesting museums nearby. I also walked to the city centre regularly to take advantage of the great shopping and musical performances, but if I was feeling lazy, the Underground (a.k.a. Clockwork Orange) was always a cheap and convenient option as well.

Another great element of the University of Glasgow was its vacation policy—three weeks off over Christmas and four weeks off for spring break! This gave me time to travel to the southern coast of France, Paris, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and England. An international co-ed basketball tournament took us to a town outside of Amsterdam, and on the weekends I made it to Ireland as well as northern Scotland.

I truly had a phenomenal year while I was in Glasgow and made friends around the world with whom I still keep in touch today. Studying abroad gave me the self-confidence to know I could spend a year in a different country where I knew almost no one and not only live to tell about it but have an incredible time! I've already made two trips back to Scotland since the conclusion of my study-abroad experience there and will surely return again in the near future. For anyone who's ready for a change of scenery from Iowa, I definitely recommend going on an international experience and having the chance to explore the world!

I believe my experience will also help me in my career. Engineering companies are becoming increasingly global, and employees who have an understanding of different cultures and a willingness to learn about them are highly valued today. I hope to use this background as a base for an eventual overseas job.

Who would have thought that I would be able to study music engineering and explore Scotland's coral beaches all in the same week?

My year abroad allowed me to study music engineering, play on the University of Glasgow basketball team, explore Europe, and still graduate in four years!