Personal Development
I developed my confidence to handle unfamiliar situations. There were many times throughout my exchange semester where I had to go to an event without knowing anyone, make friends completely from scratch and move into accommodation with new people. All of these experiences taught me that I do have the ability to handle myself in unfamiliar situations.
Highlight
The highlight of my experience was the community I found in the University of Edinburgh Touch Rugby League Club. I made friends with lots of local students and had a great activity and social events to occupy my time.
Advice/Top Tips
Push yourself at the very start of your exchange semester to meet as many people as possible and join clubs - it will make the rest of your experience so much better!
Budget
Exchange is likely to cost more than you expect. Overall, I would have spent around $30k. This included $4k for flights, $8k in accomodation, and then the rest was made up of living costs and travel throughout the semester.
I used the funding as a contribution to the flights to and from exchange.
