One of the most exciting experiences of my life

I spent the third year of my degree studying at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. This was one of the most exciting experiences of my life so far, and I couldn’t recommend it any more highly.

Hamilton is known as the City of Waterfalls and has some truly outstanding areas of natural beauty, which were a joy to explore. The city is also only a one-hour bus journey away from Toronto, which is a haven for sports fans and home to a wide variety of sports including ice hockey, lacrosse and Canadian football.

Whilst at McMaster University I studied a variety of topics including natural products, polymers and quantum mechanics. Alongside this, I completed a research project with Professor Jim McNulty, synthesising electron-rich dienes and applying these methods in total syntheses of natural products. This project provided a fantastic insight into academic research and helped prepare me for my fourth year research project back in Sheffield.

After completing my studies, I spent two weeks visiting New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington DC. It was so much fun to see this part of the world, having never visited the USA before. I also got to try snowboarding for the first time!

I have thoroughly enjoyed studying at Sheffield so far and I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to study abroad.

Lewis Jones

MChem Chemistry with Study Abroad

The support offered by the university was great and it was so easy to get help with any problems that I had. As much as I loved McMaster University and Canada, it is nice to be back in Sheffield and I am excited to complete my fourth year in this friendly and thriving city.