My name is Yara Gawrieh and I’m a third year student at Stockholm University – Sweden, studying English literature and linguistics. Going on an exchange study to the UK at Bath Spa University in Bath was so far one of the best choices I have made in my entire 23 years life. First of all, the Creative Writing program offered at Bath Spa University was not offered for undergraduate level students at my home university and this made me super excited because I really wanted to study writing.

If you want to be a writer, it is more important than you might think that you take a writing course for many reasons: one, because you are pushed to write and to be creative; two, because you get comments and editing advise from your teachers and classmates which is extraordinarily helpful; three, because there is always someone to read what you write! Bath Spa University has a very creative atmosphere in general, and Bath city culture adds up to it with all its theatres, poetry hubs, museums, bookshops, libraries, etc… It almost feels like it’s a little city of literature and poetry, which is the perfect place for anyone who is interested in this field. Other chances you get studying at Bath Spa University is getting help to pitch your work to different magazines and editors. I got to experience writing for the university magazine ‘Milk Magazine’ as well as a few other local magazines in Bath; having my work published gave me so much encouragement and determination.

If you live on the university campus, you will get to experience the true British countryside life; waking up to a green meadow and cute little lambs is very spirit lifting and inspirational. I also met many people from different backgrounds and made new friends, which was very inspiring especially because they were interested in the same field of study as me. You will have plenty of time for tourism, and Bath city’s location is great being only one hour far from Oxford city and from Cardiff the capital of Wales, and only one hour and a half far from London, all by train. I can sum it up by saying that my exchange study period was a wonderful experience that taught me a lot and added many things to my personality as well as to my writing portfolio!

I definitely became a more independent person living far from home for the first time, and I got a good starting point in my writing career. Thank you Bath Spa University and thank you Bath!

Above:  Bath Spa University campus: Those lovely green views with the sheep are nearby university campus, and this lovely house is at Newton Farm which is very close to campus and is a great place to have brunch and to meet the little pigs.

Above: Roman Bath

Above: Pump Room

I had a lovely time at the Roman Bath where you go 2000 years back in time to the great Roman civilisation. After a tour in the Roman Bath, one can always enjoy some teatime at the Pump Rooms where Jane Austen herself used to drink tea.

Above: Favourite writing spot in Bath city centre: I always enjoyed writing under this old tree in the quaint courtyard in Bath.

Above: Jane A Day Diary: One of the things I did during my exchange period was keeping this wonderful five years diary, with quotes from Jane Austen’s novels to inspire my day. Keeping a diary while you are studying abroad is a good way to save you your memories and thoughts during the study abroad period.

Photo above: Chatsworth House in Derbyshire Being a big fan of Jane Austen was one of the reasons for me to choose to study in Bath where she wrote two of her novels, I had to make a visit to Chatsworth house which was the location for Pemberly the fictional country estate of Mr. Darcy in the Pride and Prejudice (2005) film adaptation. Chatsworth house was as magical as one would imagine it to be, and so is the sculpture of Mr. Darcy.

Photo above: Skygarden for a majestic view of London. If you study in Bath you will get many chances to visit London, being only one hour and a half far by train.