Kate Hotton

“The year abroad at Harvard is a good opportunity to spend some time living in another country. 

In terms of the work then it’s more like being a PhD student or researcher, rather than a typical university student

"Boston is a nice city and there’s time to explore other areas on the East Coast such as New York, Washington and Cape Cod.

"In terms of the work, it’s more like being a PhD student or researcher, rather than a typical university student. So that can be a little off-putting, but it’s really useful if you need help deciding whether or not to do a PhD.

Unique experience
“It’s also a chance to become an expert in a topic, which is a nice responsibility to have and good practice for later studies and work opportunities. Similarly, it is also a great talking point in job interviews. I've subsequently decided to go into the defence industry rather than do a PhD, although I'll still be using the research and coding skills that I developed during the year abroad.”