Stories from around the world

Going on exchange to South Korea has been the highlight of my time studying at UWA. I was immersed in an entirely new country and culture for a semester which opened my mind to what’s really out there in the world. Meeting friends from all over and going through the exchange experience together was the best part for me. We shared so many memories, from eating tonnes of Korean food, to shopping all over Seoul, going on spontaneous adventures and staying up late playing card games. Studying abroad may sound daunting and it can be at times (especially when you’re forced to communicate in another language), but I guarantee it will be the greatest part of your student experience. Don’t be afraid; just go for it. You’ll wish you could relive it all over again.

Exchange was without a doubt the best experience I’ve had both at university and on a personal level. It was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that provided me with irreplaceable skills and rewards. The highlight of my exchange experience was meeting new people from all over the globe, particularly my group of friends who I am still in contact with, despite us all living in different parts of the world.

The prospect of living out of home for an extended period of time, as well as being away from my friends and family, was both daunting and exciting, but I encourage other students to step out of their comfort zones and test their limits. I achieved a greater sense of independence, improved my communication skills and opened myself up to new opportunities I wouldn’t normally have had the chance to experience at home. I joined the Cheerleading Squad, the Hiking Society, the Real Ale Society and the Leeds Climbing Club. Fully immersing myself in the student life on campus made me feel part of the community. It was a great way to meet locals and made the experience much more authentic.

I spent my exchange semester at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), a university town about two hours south of Chicago.

For me, the personal highlight was experiencing campus culture in a university town. This is a concept not really found anywhere in Australia, so it was very warming to live in a community where everything is aimed at campus life and the student population. Life at UIUC was the quintessential college experience for me; living in a dorm, weekend trips and spring break. But most importantly, wrapped around all these experiences was a newfound group of friends, heralding from every corner of the globe to share them with. Exchange was a hugely formative experience for me and stands out as a true highlight of my time at UWA.

The most rewarding aspect of studying abroad was the life skills I gained. I’m a much more confident and independent person. It’s very liberating to live on your own in a foreign city. Being able to meet people from all over the world was definitely an amazing part of the experience and I’ve made some really good friends along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the classes Vrije University offered and I learnt things I would never get the opportunity to back home. As a History of Art student, I took a course where we went to a different museum every week and had the opportunity to speak to the curators. This is valuable information I will take into my career.

I was forced to push my boundaries and I only have positive memories because of this. I would recommend going on exchange to everyone as it’s a great opportunity to get to know yourself. I didn’t meet anyone on exchange who regretted their decision.

Words can’t explain how amazing exchange was. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was extremely rewarding to meet so many new people who will be friends for life. Burlington is very picturesque and laidback. It’s a great college town. If Vermont isn’t your first choice, I recommend it because it was a truly incredible experience.

The highlight of my experience of exchanging in a foreign country is being able to widen my exposure a different culture that is has a vast different to that in Australia. It also provided me an excellent platform to learn another language along the way as well as to get to know more people from different walks of life.