My experience
It was not possible for me to undertake a full semester abroad in my program, so a short term exchange seemed like the perfect opportunity to have fun but also learn in the long summer holidays.
How has the experience changed you?
I feel as though I am much more confident in myself, and my abilities to navigate new places. I feel as though personally this experience has given me better social skills when talking to people from very different places. The course I undertook touched on several sensitive topics such as race relations, immigration and how many things are portrayed in the media, and even though it was not directly linked to my study area, I believe I have learnt so much about the world around me, and have a much better understanding and appreciation for what others go through.
Favourite memory
The first evening at the university the other students and I were taken out for a lovely meal by the CIS coordinators. This was my favourite memory because several of us stayed out afterwards and really bonded over the shared experience of being very far from home, but we had a lot in common.
Top tips
Go into every activity with an open mind. Make the most of being in a different country, even when you do get tired (it will happen) try to remind yourself that you're only there for a short amount of time, so you really need to take advantage of it!