My Exchange at The University of Manchester
The 360 international exchange programme was hands down the best experience of my life! I loved my first few days in Manchester and felt right at home straight away. It was definitely a lot of paperwork but it was so worth it. Obviously it was nerve-racking to move across the world for a few months but after settling in and making friends I had the best time ever! The University of Manchester (UoM) was great academically and socially. My accommodation was quite old as it was the cheapest option. Orientation was good. I think Auckland’s was a lot more organised however, Manchester provided the flat bonding activities.
The cost of living was far better than Auckland. I was spending around $30 on groceries whilst I now spend $80 in NZ and things like rent were far better.
The highlight of my exchange was travelling Europe and using Manchester as my home base. The biggest challenge on exchange was homesickness and the fear I wasn’t going to make any friends at the start.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the exchange to everyone! I would advise to make as many real friendships as you can within the first few days both with other exchange/international students and also with local/domestic students. I would do this again if I could, however I am now graduated.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
I feel like the academics were quite similar to Auckland but it was amazing seeing a whole new campus and making amazing friends along the way.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Honestly Manchester is far more social than Auckland uni so its a lot easier to make some amazing solid friendships. Just go to as many events as you can in the first few days and try make deep friendships through exploring your new home.
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 about 12,000 for my exchange. I am quite a small spender so that was definitely enough for me but I think to be safe I’d recommend budgeting 15-20k for this as you could also do a Europe trip before during or after your exchange and you want to make sure you have enough money for that.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
I traveled before, during, and after my trip. I went to heaps of countries throughout Europe!
Final Comments
I would recommend this exchange to everyone! Its definitely a life changing experience!