Testimonials
A range of testimonials and experiences of students studying on the programmes we offer in the IRP subject.
Máté Zoltán
Graduated in July 2023 from the BA in IRP programme and co-winner of the Mike Croft prize for best dissertation.
My year abroad in Den Haag (The Hague), The Netherlands:
My name is Máté Zoltán, and I am a final year International Relations and Politics student. Last year has been the highlight of my time at university as I got to spend the full year studying and living in the Netherlands. During my time in Den Haag, I joined a Dutch first-years rowing team, and we were fortunate to be able to compete at the student varsity, the biggest rowing event in a country very famous for rowing. I also took a module on the Dutch language, and I can still speak some, although without practice it is fading fast. There was also a wide range of modules on offer and I was able to get first-hand experience of working in the European Parliament and the International Criminal Court, whilst also studying modules relating to Business and Global Development.
Den Haag is a massively international city and boasts a vibrant international student community which allowed me to make friends for life from countries all around the world. With the convenient location of the Netherlands and my new friends I was able to visit all around Europe and Scandinavia during my year abroad, going as far as Thailand in the summer with my new friends and visiting many of their home countries.
Being able to make a whole new community of friends was the best part of the experience for me and I still meet up regularly with my old roommates and fellow exchange students. Going away to a new country by myself was also a massive confident boost because I proved to myself that I could make big changes like this and be completely fine.
Shane Toner
Graduated in July 2023 from the BA in IRP
My experience abroad Studying in Spain:
My experience abroad Studying in Spain for a year was ace. If you like beaches and sun do not be convinced that Spanish weather would be hot and sunny all year round, the winters in Madrid can be very much in terms of temperature like many parts of the UK. That aside I could not recommend Madrid enough. Even with cold weather you will still find yourself wandering round Madrid’s great parks, Zoos and pubs. The university that I went to was a short train ride outside of the city where there were great views along the way and on a clear day you can see “el valle de los caillidos”. The teaching in the university is a different experience to the one that I am acclimated to in Britain. Nevertheless it was good to be in smaller classes as the learning is more concentrated there is also a huge variety of modules that can accommodate everyone. In the winter I went to Valldesqui, a town outside Madrid that has a huge mountain range and in the winter has snow. Spain is the last place I thought that I would go skiing but it was a cool day literally and metaphorically. One mistake I did make was finding an apartment that was very far out from the city centre. I would recommend the Sol region as it is the centre of the city close to all the bars, restaurants and shops and the commute may be a lot shorter. This experience benefited my degree as it meant that I could improve my writing, presenting and communication skills in a different setting meaning that I found my final year a lot easier.