My Exchange at The University of Glasgow
I always knew bout 360, but my friends really pushed me to go for it as they were about to embark on their own exchange journeys.
When I first arrived to the city of Glasgow I was nervous as this was the first time I was solo travelling. I was nervous to meet my flat mates but excited for the journey ahead.
When I arrived for orientation, I was in awe of the University building. It looked like I had stepped into Hogwarts. I made other exchange friends that day and explored campus with them. I felt less very excited for the adventure ahead after this.
I stayed in a flat off campus, about a 10 min train away, with 3 Scottish girls. I found this online, I wanted to see if I could find cheaper accommodation than the actual accommodation on campus, I was offered a spot in the uni halls but declined after I found this flat. The girls were lovely, and I ended up becoming very close with all of them. This also meant I had a group of local friends right off the bat.
The host city was so vibrant and full of culture, there were free art galleries, pubs every three feet, a range of food spots, and museums, the night life was vibrant, the weekends brought the barrow markets where you got to meet the locals, there was band playing every night, comedy shows that had student discounts as well as plays. It provided a good city life even when the weather was terrible. The people were all super friendly. This city is perfect for a student and huge step up from Auckland.
The orientation at the University was good for the first day, but as the week went on, there was not too much happening for the exchange students, but by then, we had made friends and started to go to more of the student union-based events.
The teaching style was the same as the University of Auckland, the only difference was the grading scheme. The courses I took were interesting, although 2 of them were not my original choice so i didn’t get academically everything I intended to hopefully learn but still took a lot out of it.
The cost of living was a balance between being more affordable a less, with a few things being the same. Groceries were cheaper, takeaways more expensive, rent similar, public transport more expensive, bars cheaper, eating out the same. So it was affordable.
I was a part of the student theatre group and landed a lead role in a play that was in a competition to enter the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Unfortunately, we came second, but it was a great experience, and I made many friends. I also joined the dinner with a stranger society which was really cool and fun.
Life on campus was more vibrant, with more going on during the day and many events at night. The rugby games would be played in massive halls on the weekends, there was a billiards room, fencing in the common areas, thrift store, bake sales, drag bingo, and constant events with the union.
As a vegetarian there were more options for me, the food was pretty much the dame otherwise, other then Haggis.
Highlights of the exchange was the people I met , I’ve made lifelong friends that now live across the world, the trips I took to Dublin, London and Morocco with exchange friends I met. Exploring Scotland, seeing a highland cow, the Scottish culture. The Scottish friends I made mainly my Flatmates.
Challenges would be not having my family around, the random days of homesickness, feeling a constant pressure to do something because i was anew country, this pressure I put on myself.
Advice would be don’t put pressure on this experience, don’t come in with many expectations, but come in with an open mind. Don’t compare everything to back home, you came to this country to be immersed in a new culture not bring all of New Zealand with you overseas, but also don’t be ashamed of where you come from. There will be stupid questions asked but don’t take offence. Be prepared to be asked to the Haka for everyone. Enjoy every moment but also enjoy the chill days too. Don’t get too swept up in study and good grades as you might miss the enjoyment right in front of you.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The academic highlights was definitely the course content at UoA do not offer these courses. I was opened to a new way of performing for a purpose and cause. The teaching style was more open to discussion. The grading was not as strict which put less pressure on the process of my assignments. There was a range of lecturers from around Europe who had a lot of insight into my topics.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I would recommend Ceilidh dancing, going to the student union events, taking part in at least one club. Dinner with a stranger was a highlight as I made a few friends like-minded to myself through this. Watch the local sports.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Tip 1: Join the student union, you can get good discounts on events
Tip 2: don’t rely on exchange events
Tip 3: don’t be too stuck on the academic side of it all
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 budgeted $550 a week, including rent.
This was enough most of the time, some weeks saw this amount not being enough.
If you are going to Europe specifically, don’t waste all your money during the week. Save more for spontaneous travel trips. Use public transport or walk.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
I realized when you travel solo, you tend to do more spontaneous activities because when you travel with people, you tend to look to them, but when you are alone, you look outwards and say yes to things you usually would be too afraid to or wouldn’t have noticed.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
I was able to explore more places then I thought I would, I was able to experience more with other exchange students.