Abby (Sem 2, 2022)

My Exchange at Monash University

My journey to Melbourne began on the 11th of July, 2022. My host university was Monash, and everything about it was amazing. The people, the atmosphere, and the campus, I loved it all. When I initially arrived at the halls, I was taken aback. Lugging around three suitcases, trying to find my halls was certainly a task. I found the first week quite challenging in terms of finding my way around, meeting new people and just being away from home. I was so homesick and cried every day, but that changed after the first week when people started moving into halls, and I made new friends. In my halls alone, there were students from many different countries. Making new friends is one of the most important things as you’ll spend most of your time with them. I’m so grateful that I met such a big, welcoming group on my second week of exchange. They made my trip much more worthwhile and fun.

Since Melbourne is so multicultural, it was easy to fit in. The city has such friendly vibes, and you will always find something new to do. It was a nice change from living in Auckland, where it’s the same old. My highlight of the exchange has to be the kangaroos! During my exchange, I saw many kangaroos and even fed one at the Australia Zoo. Crazily enough, I even saw Robert Irwin and Terri Irwin do a live show at the zoo.

Once my studies were complete, I travelled to Brisbane and Gold Coast, which were way hotter than Melbourne. One thing I’ll say is to pack your jackets and coats! I found Melbourne quite cold, mainly because of the wind. I was still wearing my puffers in October and even November. The weather can be so unpredictable; it’ll be cold one day and humid the next.

Overall, I am glad I took this opportunity and committed to this exchange. I learnt so many things while living on my own, mainly being independent and relying on myself to get things done. One piece of advice for students I’ll give is to attend events hosted by clubs on or off campus. These can be great for meeting new people and trying different things. Another key piece of advice would be to save as much money as possible beforehand or work part-time during the exchange as you’ll be spending more than you realise. I also recommend budgeting where possible.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

Since I haven’t been on campus for a while, it was a nice change to be able to study in person. I found digital marketing pretty interesting as we wrote weekly blogs and had to interact with our classmate’s blogs by commenting on them. It was a pretty interesting concept.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

Monash University halls hosted a weekly Sunday supper. I would highly recommend attending these as you interact with other students who might be studying the same papers as you. I would attend almost every other week with my friends as it was a nice downtime, and I also got to catch up with other people.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

– Budgeting

– Attending events on campus

– Living in halls as it is easier to make friends

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 hadn’t realised how much I would spend on eating out, mainly because I don’t know how to cook much. So I would say be prepared to spend more than you have accounted for. Having a part-time job should also help. However, if you are good at managing your money and spending wisely, you should be ok. But definitely keep some money aside for trips and leisure since you would want to explore the city/country.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

I heard many things about Australian people and how they can be so unwelcoming but honestly, if anything, there were so inviting, and I felt welcomed every place I went. So don’t listen to such things, and don’t judge the place until you see it for yourself.