New Beginnings in Manchester

Guest Post by: Catherine Zhou, a Senior studying Marketing at the Foster School of Business. Catherine is currently participating in the Foster Exchange Program at the University of Manchester.

My first few days in Manchester were a blur. From arriving to my dorm room at Weston Hall with nothing but a suitcase and my passport to rushing around city center in search of bedding and shampoo, it was definitely a process to get settled. I would definitely recommend going to Manchester Arndale on your first day, as it has all the main department stores to buy everything you need for your room.

However, once I started meeting other exchange students and residents in my dorm, I started to feel more at home. It’s hard to believe I’ve already been here for two weeks! AMBS (Alliance Manchester Business School) has a welcome week for its exchange students, that’s jam-packed with activities to connect you with other exchange students in the program. Through these activities, I made friends from all over to explore the city (and the rest of Europe) with.

One of my favorite activities during this week was the hike we did to Hope, a small village in the Derbyshire District that’s just a train ride away from Manchester. We got to meet a bunch of other students on the program while looking at a beautiful view, and even enjoyed a traditional English meal of meat and potatoes at a local pub.

I took this week to explore the city in my free time and did a lot of walking. The city is beautiful and there’s always something going on, especially for students, to keep you busy. I even got to go to a Manchester United football game with some of the friends that I met, which was such a fun and cool experience. 

Even with classes beginning this week, I have still had an incredible first two weeks here at Manchester, and am headed off to Dublin, Ireland for the weekend. I’ve planned a bunch of weekend trips (and one for reading week) with other exchange students I’ve met and other UW students studying abroad, and am so excited for what’s to come!