A year prior to his enrolment to IISMA, Elkholy was already certain that he wanted to participate in this program. In order to succeed, this English Literature student of Batch 2021 had prepared himself by doing various preparations. Elkholy participated in ATF 2023, ISKA 2023 and some other organisations to gain more experiences in order to increase his chances of passing the first stage of selection. After passing the preliminary stage, Elkholy continued to prepare for the interview session by doing mock-up interviews. His efforts paid off because he was accepted as an IISMA Awardee at University of Leeds.
After going through a preparatory stage encompassing academic, financial, social, and technical aspects called IISMA Pre-Departure Series, Elkholy departed to University of Leeds on 16th of September. Upon arriving first at Manchester airport, Elkholy was warmly welcomed by a representative from University of Leeds. Prior to his departure, Elkholy had already received so many emails and newsletters from the university—which really proved to be a great source of information to help him settle in during his first weeks in Leeds. In addition to that, the university also gave two weeks of orientation filled with welcoming activities which really prepared Elkholy to start his academic lectures when week three came.
During his study period at Leeds, Elkholy was enrolled in four different modules. This was in accordance with the arrangement done by IISMA and the Study Abroad Team. These modules were Introduction to Psychology, Psychology in the Media, Challenges in Transport and Mobility and Natural Hazards. Elkholy intentionally chose modules that are not directly related to English Literature or one specific field, because he wanted to learn something entirely new. The efficacious teaching methods and well-structured assessments boosted Elkholy’s academic journey experience. Overall, Elkholy felt that he has been well enlightened of academic life at the world-renowned University of Leeds—an opportunity he would forever cherish.
Apart from academic obligations, Elkholy also experienced new cultural exposure during his stay. It was easy to spot many castles and historical landmarks, which were still well preserved. Every city Elkholy visited had an art gallery and a museum housing their own individual contribution to the country’s history. Elkholy did not only learn new cultures from visiting historical sites or museums. For him, even the mundane activities of grocery shopping or interaction with locals in public transport were the greatest contributors to him learning new cultures.
Elkholy was a little bit reluctant to bid farewell to the city that had left such great impressions on him. During his journey back home, he reflected how this IISMA journey has been nothing but extraordinarily worthwhile. It gave Elkholy the chance to study outside his major in a globally renowned university, exposed him to new cultures and people, enlightened his view upon the outside world, and shed light on possible future prospects of my study. There might be difficulties along the way, but they were easily paid-off with the vast amount of new academic and global experience he gained.
(Photo credit: Elkholy)