My Exchange at The University of Manchester
The University of Auckland offered me a chance to participate in an exchange program at the University of Manchester. The exchange in Manchester has been a unique and wonderful journey that lasted four months. This report will address my experience at the host university.
The 360 International exchange program has provided students with comprehensive and detailed information about the university and uni life in the host country. I was aware of all the incidents and procedures at all times during my exchange program, and this was thanks to the 360 International exchange program.
When I first arrived in the host country, I barely knew anyone. Therefore, I booked an Airbnb for 1 week while looking for alternative accommodation. My accommodation was a house with 3 floors and 10 rooms, shared with different people. The rent was 185 pounds for a week, which is relatively higher than my rent back in Auckland.
The orientation at the University of Manchester was mostly through online meetings, introducing students to the key dates and the location of the campus.
My home university major was Biomedical Engineering. Unfortunately, the host university did not have this specialization in Engineering. Therefore, I discussed with both universities and came up with 5 different courses to cover the same content as my home university. These included Maths, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics.
The teaching style was similar to my home university; the lectures were recorded, which helps students to revise after class. There are tutorials and past exam questions to help students gain a deeper understanding and application of the course.
The cost of living was considerably higher than in Auckland, roughly two times more for me. This was primarily due to my rent and the food I consumed at restaurants.
One of the reasons I chose Manchester as my host university was due to my passion for football. So, without a doubt, I took part in several football teams: 5-a-side and 11-a-side. However, my participation in football did not meet my expectations due to the bad weather. Games were often canceled due to the poor condition of the pitch.
Life on campus was filled with various activities and study sessions. Thus, four months of study just breezed past instantly.
The food in Manchester was not as pleasant compared to Auckland or my home country. Luckily, I am not a person who has high requirements for my daily meals.
The highlight of my exchange program was my trip to Old Trafford Stadium. As a Manchester United fan, witnessing my team play in front of me was quite a unique experience.
There were several challenges during my exchange program, such as finding accommodation and discussing my courses with both universities. Fortunately, I have overcome all of them.
One piece of advice I would like to give to students thinking about coming to Manchester would be to improve your cooking skills and get your accommodation sorted before arrival.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Visit Old Trafford Stadium.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Join football teams and play Wednesday league.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Get your cooing lesson sorted, get housing, and courses selected.
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?
Roughly 10k NZD for 4 months? Not really sufficient.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Friends can help you to get away from tough times.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
I went to Barcelona and Turkey.
Final Comments
Manchester is a good place, but nothing much different than Auckland.
Tags: 2023, Engineering, Report