Personal Development
I started my exchange with some friends from UQ in France where we all learnt to ski. Over the course of my exchange I went on many ski trips and I really fostered this skill, which is something I had never done before going on exchange. Learning from my Swiss peers who have been brought up skiing from a very young age was incredibly fun and something I will never forget.
Academic Development
I found the University of St Gallen incredibly academically enriching. I participated in a course which was a collaboration of several universities in Switzerland and featured lectures from a variety of prestigious universities including Yale, Stanford, Rotterdam, Zurich and Harvard. The course offered a great insight into the process undertaken by academics during their research process, and also into the outcomes of many modern legal investigations which are yet to be made public since the papers are still in the stages of refinement.
Professional Development
A specific course I enjoyed was run over the mid-semester break in a block course style by an industry professional in international law. The course was a three day intensive where the grades were significantly dependent on the quality of participation, and finished with an extensive due in the weeks after the course finished.
Funding
Given Switzerland is quite an expensive location, my costs likely exceed those of students attending different universities. A benefit of the exchange programme offered by St Gallen was that exchange students are able to sit earlier exams than local students, meaning there is no need to continue paying accommodation fees during their month long exam block. I budgeted my spend in categories including accommodation, food, and activities using excel.
The funding I received made it possible for me to engage in many activities, as well as reduced the pressure of the general costs of living in Switzerland. Skiing is a big part of the university student life in St Gallen, and obviously bears large costs. The scholarship money I put towards a ski trip hosted for exchange students by the university during the mid-semester break.
Highlight
The mid-semester ski trip was a big highlight. I also loved having other UQ students on exchange at other universities in Europe come and stay for weekends and made up some of my favourite memories of my exchange. The accessibility of hiking and many of these hikes I went on with friends were also some of my favourite memories.
Advice/Top Tips
My top tip would be it is important to stay open minded during the exchange process, and try to give yourself flexibility to welcome last minute experiences, as these are often the best ones (there is only so much you can actually plan before you arrive).
