In our next GMEB Student Success Story, we hear from King’s student Danielle Lirio who studied in Montreal as part of her Law degree.
I’m currently an undergraduate law student, and I spent my third year studying abroad, at McGill university in Montreal, Canada.
I had chosen to study in Canada with regard to my degree. Canada also uses a common law system, which would align itself with the English common law system thereby making Canada an interesting comparative study in law. Quebec, in addition to the common law, uses the civil law which is something entirely foreign to me, so this exposure of other legal systems would broaden my legal perspective. Furthermore, I was interested in the particular subjects the university offered. Canada’s Indigenous population in especially prevalent in their society, and coming from the UK, this is something completely foreign to me as a student. Having only seen the complex dialogue surrounding Indigenous cultures and the law, particularly in Environmental law, to experience it and learning about it from people of Indigenous backgrounds is definitely an meaningful opportunity during my study abroad.
I applied to the GMEB because, in addition to the costs related to being an international student, I wanted to take advantage of the location and travel to nearby cities. I have an interest in the international arena and so I want to travel a lot in order to broaden my perspective of the world. Travelling is an opportunity to expose myself to other cultures and meet all types of people which I think is imperative when wanting to enter the international arena in terms of career prospects.
As such, I have so far been on a trip to New York, USA having taken advantage of the relatively close proximity. It is an amazing city with so many sights to see, ranging from art to food as well as history! With the bursary, I was very lucky to see a broadway show! I had studied Arthur Miller while I was in school before, and so seeing an Arthur Miller play was remarkable! (Definitely recommend seeing A Death of a Salesman on broadway!)
During the warmer months, I also wanted to experience more of the natural beauty and culture here in Canada. With the bursary, I took a trip to Mont Tremblant. With the beautiful scenery and the waterfalls on the mountain, I walked around the city trying Canadian delicacies. I was most excited for trying maple syrup!
Beyond my personal interest in travelling, I used the bursary to mitigate the cold weather. I had to invest in thermal clothing, as I had never experienced such low temperatures before! While the snow is extremely fun (and very photogenic), it is imperative to cover up! Snow boots are a must have!
