What is one word to describe your study abroad experience:
"If I could do it again I would say yes in a heartbeat!"
INGRID C.
Exchange student at the University of Exeter, UK
Winter semester
Studying Bachelor of Science, majoring in Neuroscience
- What is the best thing that happened while you were studying abroad?
While on exchange, I felt like I became my own person and came into myself. I learned so much about myself, and gained independence, confidence, and new life-skills that really helped me grow. Being on exchange is such an amazing experience, not only because of just how incredible the experience is, but also because of the personal and life skills you gain - ones that I'll personally have for a lifetime!
- What was the biggest cultural adaptation you had to make?
Going from Canada to England there weren't too many adaptations I had to make. However, if there's one thing I noticed, it's that as a Canadian I was used to smiling if I passed people while walking. In England, while the people are certainly still very friendly, that's just not something that everyone does. I had to adjust that a little bit to stop getting strange looks, but it was so hard to do at first! Also, at a lot of restaurants (especially pubs), you can just seat yourself and then you go to order food with drinks at the bar - many of the places I went didn't have people come and take your order at the table. And many places include tips in a service charge that comes on the bill - if that's the case, there's no need to tip! That was just a subtle cultural difference there, but one I wish I'd known ahead of time!
- In terms of your own cultural self-awareness, were there any instances where you realized that your own behaviours, perspectives, or attitudes were different. Where did those differences stem from?
When this happened, the differences were subtle again, the UK is pretty similar to Canada culturally - most of the differences stemmed from vernacular differences where I either had to ask what something meant or had to explain the Canadian term for something. However, in my residence, I shared a floor with other exchange students who in my case were all from either Hong Kong or Japan. It was really cool because we got to share some of our own unique cultural differences, and it was super interesting to get to learn about that!
- Was there a situation where you felt your actions were culturally inappropriate? How did you adapt? How did you know these were the appropriate actions to take?
To be honest, I rarely felt this while I was away. I always tried to pay close attention to my surroundings and tried to mimic what other people were doing if I was ever unsure. When I was doing some of my travelling around Europe is when I had to do this a bit more as things varied more, but I'd say as long as you're friendly, pay attention to others, and are willing to respectfully ask questions if you're unsure, then you should be okay!
- Where was the coolest place you travelled to during your study abroad experience?
I joined the university's Expedition Society (ExSoc) and got the chance to go on an incredible 3-day hiking trip in Austria over Easter weekend! We flew to a little ski town called Filzmoos and stayed in this cute little chalet that had balconies overlooking the valley with the mountains surrounding us on either side. Over the 3 days, we hiked a couple thousand metres in elevation through the snowy alps and saw the most amazing views. The group of students I went with made it so much fun and it was just an unbelievable place to see and experience. It's not a trip I ever imagined I would get to go on, but it has such a special place in my heart from my time abroad!
- What is something that you know now, that you wish you knew before you studied abroad?
I wish I knew just how fast it would go by! Before I left, I was super nervous about being away for that long and was worried about being homesick. My time there absolutely flew by and I miss it so much! In hindsight, it almost felt too short and I would have loved to stay longer, so just soak up every minute while you're away - it's a once in lifetime experience and it'll be over before you know it!
- What was your best learning moment?
The best thing Iearned was how to be confident. I was (and still am a bit) a pretty shy and quiet person, but being away really brought me out of my shell. I gained confidence talking to new people, gained confidence sharing personal stories, gained confidence in being independent, and gained confidence in taking initiative and making decisions. When I was away, of course there were people I could rely on for help, but there were also many situations where I had to just do things alone and 'figure it out'. For example, I went on a solo trip to Dublin and booked my own travel, went on bus trips by myself, and went to a dinner party at a fancy hotel alone where I was seated with a bunch of lovely older ladies and had to harness my confidence to do all of that! Those interpersonal and self skills are something I'll take with me for the rest of my life.
- Is there an issue that you can articulate whereby you had the opportunity to view the perspective from a different worldview or cultural lens?
To be honest, I can't think of a particular issue where I experienced this, however, there were so many cool moments where I met people from all over the world who each had slightly different cultural perspectives that I got the chance to learn about and learn from. I'd say that exchange in general really does broaden your view of the world in that way!
- Who was the hardest person to leave from home? How did you deal with that?
The hardest people to leave were my parents. I'd never been away from them for more than two weeks before and we're really close. This was what I was most nervous about before leaving. While I did get homesick a couple times, I was having so much fun that I just wanted to share all my adventures with them and actually didn't think about missing home very often. One of the things that helped was that I would FaceTime with them almost every night and we would text throughout the day to stay connected. That really made me feel less alone as I knew I'd see them on the screen every day. My mom and I also made plans for her to come for a few weeks at the end of my exchange and travel around Europe together. Knowing we had a set date that she would be there made it easier on those hard days for sure.
- Who was the hardest person to leave that you met while on exchange? How did you deal with that?
Not a person, but people for me. I made a really good little group of friends there - two other Canadians and an American. We met really early on and did everything together during our time in Exeter, so when it came time for everyone to go their own ways and leave, it was definitely a hard moment. We have a group chat and stay connected with each other as much as we can. It also helps knowing that they're in the same continent as me and we can meet up again easily. While we don't talk every day anymore, I know that we'll always be there for each other and have such a special shared experience that will keep us connected for years to come. [We also all got matching permanent bracelets in Barcelona and it's nice to be able to look at that and think of them too]
- If you were to recommend exchange to your best friend, what would you say?
Absolutely do it!! It's the most incredible experience and something I will treasure for the rest of my life. You get to meet so many amazing people, visit new places, and the time as an exchange student is so special and unlike anything else. If I could do it again I would say yes in a heartbeat!
- What are your packing recommendations?
My biggest recommendation is to start to take a mental note of the things you actually use, at least a few months before you leave. It's easy to get carried away when packing and think that you'll need 7 pairs of heels or every hair tool you own. Now, if you actually use all those and feel like you have to bring them, then by all means do, but keep in mind that you have limited space in a suitcase and in your room! I'd also recommend packing with the idea that you'll likely bring home lots of trinkets too. For me that meant packing a bit less going there so I could manage an extra bag coming back, but for others it might mean just leaving some extra space. Something else I'd say, is bring a few special items from home that you can put in your room to make it feel cozy quickly. The first few days can be pretty chaotic, so having items like family photos, a few posters, some twinkle lights, and my childhood stuffed animal helped make my room feel like home in those initial days when I was still feeling nervous and a bit homesick!
- Would it be helpful to learn another language for this exchange?
No, everyone speaks English in the UK, although if you know you'll be travelling to certain other places it might be good to brush up on the basic phrases before you go!
- What role did language and communication (both verbal and non-verbal) play in fostering appreciation for a different perspective?
On exchange, you'll meet people from all over the world who may speak a different language or even if they speak the same language, may use different words to describe things. I think the best thing to do is just be willing to share but also listen - it's really cool to learn about these differences and showing that you're wanting to connect will go a long way. People will also come from lots of different backgrounds, and the same thing goes - finding common ground, figuring out ways to communicate, and making an effort to get to know their perspectives will go a long way in making strong connections with others!
- Did you live on-campus or off-campus? Would you recommend it, and why?
I lived "on-campus" but technically off-campus. I was in a university residence but it was actually located on the end of the High Street, about a 15 minute walk from campus. Initially, being off campus made me a little nervous, but I ended up really liking it. The building was right next to a small grocery store and a few restaurants which made it really easy to get food, and I could easily walk down the street to the main shopping area in town. My block in the residence building was also fully international students which made it easy to meet other people who were experiencing the same thing as I was. Finding off-campus housing for such a short time can be pretty hard, so I'd strongly recommend jumping on the residence application portal as soon as it opens so you can try and get a spot! Residence made the experience a lot easier as there were lots of other students around and it made me feel more connected to the school.
- How did you finance your study abroad experience?
I was so fortunate to have my parents help me with the major expenses like my initial flight, tuition, and housing. In addition, I had been working and saving my money for over a year which helped a lot - I was able to pay for all my travel, food, and personal expenses while in Europe. The exchange rate from CDN to GBP is not great, so I'd recommend saving as early as you can and also trying to be a frugal as possible while you're away. If you're wanting to travel, there's tons of cheap flights within Europe and lots of ways to save money on accommodations. Money was definitely tight for me at the end, but it'll come back - there's ways to save, so if you can, don't let it stop you from taking full advantage of the experience and trying new things!
- What interesting courses did you get to take while studying abroad? What was the title of the course(s)?
I took all electives so I got to take some that I never would have otherwise! One that stands out was called Forensic Anthropology. It was basically an osteology course where we learned literally every component of every bone in the human body (many of which are still stuck in memory today), and also learned about identification in the instances of mass-disasters. This included things like sex determination, ethnicity, and age - all just from bone remains! It's not something that will really help me in my career, but it was super fun and makes for a neat party trick!
- How do you see your exchange experiences benefiting your future career?
What I'll probably use the most are the communication skills I gained. I learned a lot about talking to people with lots of different backgrounds, how to have good small talk, and how to have more confidence speaking with others.
- Is there any other helpful information you would like to share with future study abroad participants?
One of the things I wish I had figured out more before leaving was a phone plan. I initially decided just to figure it out when I got there and look for temporary SIM cards, which worked for the first month, but when renewing my plan in the second month I wasn't able to do it because I didn't have a UK bank account. I would say it might be better to either get an e-SIM (that you can pay for using your home banking) or look and see if your provider has an international roaming plan. I ended up switching to that about halfway through the term there and it worked so much better for me! Other than that, have the best time ever and soak up every moment! It's a once in a lifetime experience and such a special thing!
