Swansea university. Although the one in Cardiff was decent.

I went to the UK to get my master's because I couldn't afford one in the U.S.

Easily $120,000 here. 2 year degree.

Welsh one was $8k for 12 months. (Plus living expenses of around 35k.)

Still way less.

It was fast paced but I learned a lot. Did a lot. Wrote like 6 or 7 papers plus a thesis. 8 experiments.

I chose Swansea based on cost/benefit. They had the type of program I wanted.

I had considered scotland but worried I would have trouble with the accent. Boy... I only knew 1 Welsh person and he did not speak like most Welsh. I had a very hard time understanding native non-university Welsh people.

When I came back I applied to one university for a PhD and got in with my experience and credentials from that university. So was worth it.

Plus I'm from rural Midwest.

It felt about the same living there. Quiet. Mostly peaceful. Not too expensive.

Occasionally I would hear a group of drunk men leaving the pub, singing out my window.

I quite enjoyed this because that's not how drunk men in the US behave.

I also very much love Welsh cakes. Can't say I liked too much of the traditional cuisine. But the Welsh cakes made up for it.

I appreciated the ability and opportunity to live abroad. I was 33 when I went there. Older. So I appreciated the experience more than many young people would. And I wasn't interested in the night life or dating, so I can't complain about those.

I literally lived 5 min from the ocean. Which was amazing to me as I live about as far from an ocean as you can be in the U.S.

I rode a double decker bus to school that drove down the beach front every day.

It wasn't a perfect experience but there was plenty to admire about the country and my time there.