As students prepare to study abroad, it's normal to feel apprehensive about leaving one's comfort zone to enter a new world. With our own SEP students headed to Sheffield University next month, we called upon Liverpool-native Ben Backwell to help them prepare for the journey ahead. In addition, we were joined by 2^nd-, 3^rd-, and 4^th-year students, some of whom shared with us their valuable experiences studying abroad.
　Mr Backwell led morning and afternoon workshops in which he discussed British culture, goal-setting, dealing with fears, and a language-practice tool called shadowing. Of note was the use of the KWL Chart, short for Know/Want to know/Learned. The KWL Chart is a simple yet powerful tool which allows us to identify gaps in our knowledge. It then enables us to set clear goals. Moreover, it helps us to isolate fears and to begin addressing them.
　Thank you, Mr Backwell, for preparing us for new adventures!