Motivation
As I am studying international relations, getting to know more about different cultures and political environments is good for my study. And I wish to make more new friends in other countries.
Personal development
I learnt that making new friends in a new country is difficult and you will always need to force yourself to get out of your comfort zone. Through this experiment, I learnt to be brave and independent, which is better for my development.
Academic development
The academic system in the UK is so different from the one in Australia, we only needed to study three courses in one semester and there were only a few assessments for each course; therefore, I learnt that self-discipline and self-motivation in the study are really important. I always had to make schedules for my studies to keep up with my studies, and this helped me to gain more self-discipline.
Professional development
I realised there are a lot of opportunities in Europe, there are a lot of international firms out there. After studying in Bristol, I developed connections with people from different countries, especially Europe. I would like to seek job opportunities in Europe through the knowledge I learnt in the UK and I connections I built there.
Costs
The cost in the UK is high, especially with the economic crisis they are having right now. And as the grant from UQ was not enough for the expenses in the UK, I had to rely on my savings. I used around 1000 pounds in the UK. My advice for exchanging in the UK is that try to make a budget for weekly use and try to cook, rather than eat outside.
Funding
I used my funding for part of my accommodation fee, however, it was not enough. I had to rely on my savings for most of my experiences in the UK.
Accommodation
I chose my accommodation through the school, so finding accommodation in Bristol was not a problem for me. However, the school does not allocate students to accommodation in semester two, and housing is very limited in Bristol. Therefore, make sure you find accommodation earlier in Bristol before you arrived there.
Highlight
I travelled to Switzerland, Paris and Barcelona. It was really great to visit more countries and learn more about different cultures.
Advice/Top tips
Get ready to get out of your comfort zone and do make sure you are familiar with the cultural differences.
