Personal Development
I gained a lot from my experience, including lifelong friends and being able to travel to places around Europe that I had not seen before. Most importantly however I gained confidence in myself to be able to adapt to new situations and environments alone, without the support of someone else I know there as well. This gave me independence that I do not believe I had before, and also gave me the confidence to be able to try more new things with the knowledge that I would be able to adapt.
Professional Development
From this experience I learned how to adapt to new situations and how to function in a completely new environment. I was able to talk to people from different backgrounds, although initially challenging to get used to differences in behaviour and beliefs, and learn about their ways of thinking and their cultures. These skills are especially important for me professionally as a future doctor as being able to adapt to situations and respecting and working with people with different belief systems to you is essential in the healthcare field when you are exposed to a number of different things and people.
Accommodation
I chose to live off campus in a private student housing centre. I had my own studio with a kitchen and bathroom. I enjoyed having my own space and I would advise students who prioritise that to look into accommodation options well in advance as these places do get booked quite quickly or may not offer half year leases. However, it is a bit harder to connect with people when living by yourself, and would be a lot easier to do so when in university dorms or shared housing.
Advice/Top Tips
The main piece of advice I would give to other students is to find a good group of friends early on who are similar to you as this will help feelings of loneliness. I found it easier to make friends with other exchange students from different countries as they wanted to travel as well and were in the same situation as me. Don't be afraid to try new things and interact and learn about the locals, try to integrate yourself during your time there and you will enjoy it.
