My Exchange at Queen Mary University of London – Law
The 360 International Exchange Programme was by far the best decision I have made at university. I did my semester abroad at Queen Mary University of London, studying law electives. The papers I did were unique to QMUL such as Cultural Diversity and the Law & Law in Asia, as well as a Family Law module. The teaching at QMUL was quite different to Auckland University with more seminar-style and discussion based classes. This was an adjustment at first as I am used to more traditional lecture styles, but I found throughout the semester I enjoyed this style of teaching and was able to get very in depth with the topics though class discussions.
QMUL has a beautiful campus with everything nearby. There is a small grocery store, cafe, gym and campus store all super close and very convenient. A good place for meals is at the Curve, where you can get fresh, hot meals for around 8 pounds! The QMUL library is one of the best places to study with lots of group areas as well as individual silent areas and a number of computer labs. Accommodation at QMUL ranges from newer buildings to older buildings – it is recommended to apply as early as you can for the newer buildings! My hall was a slightly older one but it came with its own bathroom which was a huge benefit as well as a kitchen shared between 5 people in the flat. Overall, the accommodation is quite nice, and most halls are right on campus, making everything super convenient.
London is a beautiful city and the centrality is unmatched. There is so much to do during the day as well as a great night life – we were never bored! However, London is extremely expensive! Small things such as coffee and snacks are almost double the price when compared to Auckland, and groceries and shopping in general is noticeably more expensive. Despite this, with good planning and budgeting, you are definitely able to make it work. Transport in london can also get expensive however there are ways to maximise travel through schemes such as the Oyster student card, Railcard and travelling during off-peak times.
One of the best things about London is the accessibility to other countries in Europe. We used Skyscanner a lot to find cheap flights to nearby destinations to travel during weekends and days off. We managed to visit Spain, Italy, Ireland and Holland! Other than planes, there are also a number of trains and other ways to travel around super easily and can be relatively affordable.
London was an amazing place to do my semester abroad; particularly for a law degree because the UK has a similar legal system to NZ so all the knowledge is very applicable back home. I would highly recommend choosing London to do your study abroad, but make sure you budget enough and some more as London can get expensive very quickly!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Most of my law classes were seminar-style and discussion-based – this was a change from the traditional lecture style I am used to but I found it was super useful to get an in-depth understanding of topics at hand. Also, I had lots of exchange students from around the world in my classes so it was a very unique experience hearing about different, global perspectives.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
The recreation centre at QMUL is a really good facility – the best thing about getting a membership is that you can sign up for any fitness class and they range from spin class to vinyasa yoga to HIIT workouts!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
– Budget very generously for London and have a good backup savings amount! London charges you for everything and can get very expensive fast
– Use Skyscanner to find cheap tickets to nearby destinations for weekend trips – sometimes you can get return tickets for just 20 pounds
– Get to know other exchange students and send people messages to catch up over coffee or a drink! This is the best way to make friends across the world
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 was lucky enough to be fully supported by my parents during my exchange. Over 4 months, I spent around $35,000-$40,000, including all travel, accommodation, food, transport, shopping, etc. However, I think you could definitely make it work with less – my plane tickets to and from London were very expensive as I bought them last minute & I also had to pay a lot for excess baggage!
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
– Be open. On exchange you come across so many different people, opportunities and experiences. It is so important to be open to everything and give it a chance; a semester abroad is the chance to experience things you never would have otherwise!
– Stay up to date with your studies, but give yourself plenty of time to travel and partake in other experiences! It takes a couple weeks to balance, but once you have somewhat of a routine, make sure you’re having lots of fun alongside meeting study commitments.
– In Europe, especially, be careful with your belongings. Such a different environment to NZ – it is super easy to have things stolen.