My Exchange at The University of Sheffield
In Semester 2 of 2022, I had the privilege of going on exchange to the University of Sheffield. The University of Sheffield is home to over 30,192, and it’s not hard to see why. It is a very well-respected University academically (it is ranked 96th in the world). It is also well-regarded socially. It had over 350 different clubs and societies that I could join. I joined the University of Sheffield Swimming and Waterpolo Club (UOSSWC). I went swim training 3 times a week, and attended the club’s weekly social. The social was a pub crawl along West Street (the main street in Sheffield).
There were also ‘sober socials’, including bowling, hiking, and football. I met some amazing people from the U.K. in the UOSSWC, who I still stay in contact with for life. During orientation week, the University had organised tours and events for international students arriving in Sheffield. I met others from around the world.
Sheffield is an amazing place to live too. It has a range of independent coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres, live music venues, and museums and art galleries. Sheffield is a culturally diverse city, so there are restaurants serving cuisines from around the world, including Indian, Thai, Japanese, and Turkish. Sheffield has a range of pubs, which serve traditional British fare, such as fish and chips and Sunday roasts. In my humble opinion, the Frog and Parrot is by far the best pub in Sheffield. The Nottingham House serves the best savoury pies in Sheffield though.
If you’re feeling homesick, there is also a Kiwi-inspired cafe in Sheffield called Tamper Sellers Wheel. It’s a little on the expensive side, so I only went once, but the coffee and food was amazing! In general, food in the U.K. was actually quite cheap compared to New Zealand. I did my weekly food shop at Mark’s and Spencer. They have a great selection of meat, fruit and vegetables (and ready-made meals if you’re feeling lazy).
On exchange, I took three modules: PHI125 Matters of Life and Death, SCS2009 The Sociology of Crime, and SCS3047 Protest, Movements and Social Change. Overall, the modules were very interesting, and the lecturers were great – they were very approachable, and eager to help.
During my exchange at the University of Sheffield, I stayed in University accommodation. It was a modern 4 bedroom flat, only a 5 minutes walk to campus. Each bedroom was equipped with its own en-suite, and I had access to a well-equipped gym. My flatmates were from Denmark and Germany, and they were absolutely amazing. Some of my best memories of my time in Sheffield were from just sitting and chatting in the lounge. One downside was the rent was quite expensive (especially considering the exchange rate).
On weekdays, my flatmates and I would do our best to explore Sheffield… we’d go to the local pubs for quiz night; go for walks in the beautiful Peak District National Park, then grab a pint in the local village, Bakewell; go to Peddler’s Market (a monthly street food market); and watch the Sheffield Steelers (Sheffields ice hockey team). In early December, we went to the Sheffield Christmas Markets.
On my weekends, I would try to see as much of the U.K. and Europe as possible. It is super easy to travel throughout the U.K. because they have a great railway system. I travelled to London, Edinburgh, Oxford, Brighton, the Cotswolds, and York. I was also lucky enough to travel to Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands in Europe. Sheffield doesn’t have an airport, so I would take a short train ride to Manchester Airport, which operates flights to all over Europe, and internationally. You can get really cheap airfares by flying with RyanAir or EasyJet. I flew to Barcelona for $50 NZ return.
There were so many highlights of my exchange: Travelling throughout the U.K. and Europe, exploring Sheffield, and meeting friends for life. However, there were also some challenges. When I first arrived in Sheffield, I was surprised that I felt homesick. During the first few weeks, I didn’t know anyone in Sheffield, classes hadn’t started, and neither had swimming so there was a lack of routine. This gave me time to think about my family and friends back home, so I felt very homesick. However, once I got to know my flatmates, started classes and swimming, and met people from Sheffield I had an amazing time.
Overall, the highlights far outweighed the challenges: I was homesick for the first few weeks, but I will be happy for the rest of my life remembering my time in Sheffield. To conclude, deciding to go on exchange to the University of Sheffield was one of the best decisions I have ever made, so the advice I would give to students thinking about going on exchange is: Just do it! I promise you won’t get regret it, no matter where you end up. It was a life changing experience that I will forever be grateful for.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Some of the highlights of my academic experience were the courses that I took at my host university. On exchange, I took three modules: PHI125 Matters of Life and Death, SCS2009 The Sociology of Crime, and SCS3047 Protest, Movements and Social Change. These modules were so interesting, and unlike anything I had ever studied at the University of Auckland given I am a Psych and Politics major.
Another highlight of my academic experience is that there were almost no assessments during the semester. Rather, there were 3,000 word essays or exams at the end of the semester. I much prefer this as it challenges me to remember things from all throughout the semester.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Life in the U.K. is similar to New Zealand. There are not many activities unique to the U.K. that you cannot do in New Zealand. However, while living in the U.K. I would definitely recommend going travelling throughout the U.K. and Europe. Travelling throughout New Zealand and/or to places near New Zealand is expensive, and takes a long time to get there. In comparison, in the U.K. you can hop on a plane and be in Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Paris in under 2 hours. And, you can do this cheaply with airlines such as RyanAir and EasyJet. This is definitely something that you cannot do in New Zealand, so I’d recommend doing that.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Number 1. Be prepared to be homesick. I got very homesick in my first few weeks in Sheffield because I didn’t know anybody, classes hadn’t begun, nor had extracurriculars, so I had time to miss my family and friends. During this time, try and get out and see your host university/country as much as possible to try and distract yourself.
Number 2. Budget! It is important to keep a budget while on exchange in the U.K. so that you don’t overspend.
Number 3. Take advantage of every opportunity in Sheffield/the U.K. On my weekdays I made sure to explore Sheffield… My flatmates and I would go to the local pubs for quiz night; go for walks in the beautiful Peak District National Park, then grab a pint in the local village, Bakewell; go to Peddler’s Market (a monthly street food market); and watch the Sheffield Steelers (Sheffields ice hockey team). Also, take advantage of the fact that the U.K. is so close to other countries in Europe. On my weekends I travelled to Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This is something we can only dream of doing in New Zealand.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I knew going on exchange to the U.K. was going to be expensive given the exchange rate. I paid approximately £3,000 (approx. 6,000 NZD) for my accommodation. My flights were 4,100 NZD.
I budgeted £50 (approx. 100 NZD) per week for groceries and entertainment.
I also budgeted 6,000 NZD for travel.
Overall, I budgeted about 18,100 NZD for the entire exchange. This was a lot of money, but I had been saving up for the past 3.5 year’s. And, I had never been to the U.K. nor done much travelling in Europe so I took advantage of being there and travelled. It was definitely enough money, and I ended up spending under my budget.
My advice is definitely make a budget, and stick to it! Not having a budget leads to overspending.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My most significant takeaway is that I am stronger than I think. Moving to an entirely new country completely alone is an incredibly hard thing to do. I experienced homesickness and instability but I managed to pull through and had an amazing experience afterwards. I am very proud of myself, and learn that I am incredibly strong for doing so.
Tags: 2022, Arts/Humanities, Report