Personal Development
I gained friends from many different countries, backgrounds and academic disciplines. I was able to explore parts of Europe on my easter break and take weekend trips away to the coast or the country to experience different parts of the UK. I tried an array of foods on these travels I'd never eaten before and enjoyed the ease of walkable cities. I lost my passport and had to navigate places without an internet connection which improved upon my resilience, problem solving and communication.
Professional Development
I had to adapt to a new environment, step out of my comfort zone and make connections with new people to ensure I not only achieved success academically but also interpersonally in my time overseas. I believe improving on my ability to adapt to new situations, communicate with people from an array of different countries and backgrounds, plan my journeys and make new connections has contributed to my professional development and future employability. I know how to ensure minor setbacks don't get me down and make decisions that take into account an array of different perspectives. The resilience, patience, communication and planning skills I developed will continue to be used in my future studies and work life.
Costs:
Leading up to the experience I worked and kept myself on a tight budget, so I was able to save as much money as possible. There are a range of accommodation options for students, and you can pay through instalments or all at once. My parents did assist me with accommodation costs. Travel was where I personally spent the most, I kept to the cheaper options with accommodation and transport, although I learnt that paying a bit more for a faster train journey can definitely be worth it. Travelling in groups is a great way to save money and also ensure your own safety. The experience of travel is often priceless, and time on exchange goes super-fast so I'd recommend allocating a good amount of your budget outside of necessities to travel if you can.
Accomodation:
The host university informed me of accommodation options, and I explored them on their website. You can take virtual tours and read descriptions on each of the options. I lived in a refurbished Victorian era building, there were about 90 people in my accommodation, not all in the one building. I lived in the main building with a spacious room, with a double bed. Most exchange students in my building (Ellerslie) had the spacious rooms, but the later you apply the less likely you are. The other rooms are still great, but certainly smaller and some with only single beds. There were great common area spaces with a movie room, pool table, couches, study spaces etc. Ellerslie is located in the university, with the cafeteria a brief 5-minute walk away. Some other accommodations are larger, and thus there may be more social events put on. However, there is a student committee at every residence responsible for social events. Some kitchen areas were lacking but the main kitchen was a great space.
Advice/Top Tips
Research your options and your subjects thoroughly
Apply for accommodation early
Sort out any medication needs well before leaving
Travel
Put yourself out there and talk to new people
