Blake (Sem 1, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Virginia

It is fair to say that my exchange experience at the University of Virginia was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. When I first arrived at UoA in 2021 and heard about 360 I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do. I spent almost all of 2022 planning and deciding where to go and finally decided on UVA as I was keen on seeing the east coast of the USA, wanted to experience the American college life, and found both the area and the university itself very relevant for my interest in politics and international relations.

When I first arrived at UVA it was the middle of winter and there weren’t many other students back in Charlottesville yet so I was a bit lonely for the first few days. However the campus and Charlottesville altogether were absolutely stunning and it’s no surprise that the university is listed a UNESCO heritage site. I was staying in the International Residential College – a dorm style residence and I absolutely loved it, I made great mates with the people on my floor, my roommate became one of my best mates and there was always free food and activities going on. It was also a 5 minute walk into campus which was fantastic and the university gym and tennis courts were right across the road.

At my orientation I met all the other exchange students which was nice as we were all experiencing the same thing and understood the challenges of being on exchange. I met a group of students on exchange from Ireland who I became really close with and spent a lot of time with including travelling to Puerto Rico for spring break and also a lot of the states during the 30 day grace period of our J1 visas. The university itself was incredible and it was clear to see why it ranked the 4th best public college in the USA. I found the campus amazing with beautiful buildings, great food spots and a really cool atmosphere.

The teaching was very interesting – definitely quite different to over here but I found it very cool learning about politics in the USA and getting to understand their perspective of the world as the most powerful country in the world. It was definitely a very different perspective to what we have here in NZ. Life on campus was so fun- there was always something to do or see. Everything in Charlottesville is based around UVA and basically everything you do is tied to the university which was pretty cool and very different to UOA I thought. There’s a real sense of pride surrounding the school which was most evident at sports games.

My accommodation was a 5 minute walk from the basketball stadium where the school team plays. The hype and atmosphere at those games was like nothing I’ve ever seen and the games were always exciting. I’d definitely recommend to anyone going to UVA to get involved with the co-curriculars as there is so much on offer and it is a great way to meet people. I joined the rugby team which I absolutely loved – we played in tournaments all across the eastern states including one in Alabama which was a 12 hour drive! I also made a lot of good mates in the team and they were a great group. I also joined Outdoors at UVA which goes on hikes and adventures around Virginia – I did a few hikes in the Shenandoahs and the Blue Ridge Mountains – it was a great way to see more of the area and also sweat off some burger calories. Speaking of which, the food at both UVA and in USA is insane. The servings are huge and I have no doubt a lot of what’s on offer is terrible for you but it was always exciting trying the fast food places like In’n’out burger which you only see on TV.

I was also fortunate to do a lot of travelling during my exchange. Some of my travel highlights were the rugby tournament in Alabama, springbreak in Puerto Rico, staying with my roommate in Washington DC, staying at my mate’s house in New York and visiting Boston, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon with my Irish friends. By the end of my exchange I visited 17 states!

Although the exchange was incredible and everything I wanted it to be there were some challenges along the way. The first few weeks were quite difficult and there were times that I felt quite homesick and isolated. However I found that Americans are very genuine and welcoming. It was also great having a roommate – initially I was desperate for a single room and I was concerned about getting a bad roommate however I found that having almost constant company helped me feel less lonely and we actually became great mates. I would honestly say the biggest challenge is coming back home. By the end I did not want to leave and coming back, NZ definitely felt a lot smaller, nevertheless I’m grateful for my experience and happy to be home.

Q&A

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

I think that the politics classes I took and getting taught from the American perspective was really interesting and very rewarding. I have a keen interest in politics and international relations which was one of the key reasons I chose Virginia as it the hub of American power and politics. UVA also places emphasis on politics as its founder Thomas Jefferson, was the 3rd US President and also a lot of graduates go on to work in DC which is only a 2 hour drive away from Charlottesville. Sometimes I found that when we are taught politics over here it is more of an outside looking in approach where in the US they are obviously in the middle of everything so I found it really cool to be taught from that perspective.

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

There are so many activities I could recommend but I’ll try narrow it down to a few. At UVA the sports games are a must – I got to see basketball and lacrosse games both of which were awesome but unfortunately football season is in the fall semester so I didn’t get to see that. The atmoshere in the stadiums, the school spirit and the quality of the sport is exactly what you see in the movies – it is really exciting.

I would definitely recommend seeing Washington DC which was my favourite city that I visited. You can either take the Amtrak train from Charlottesville which takes about 2 hours and costs around $30 or drive which is also about 2 hours. There is so much to see on the East Coast and you need to make the most of it while you are there. New York is absolutely incredible and I also really liked Boston. Virginia is such a great spot as it basically right in the middle of the East Coast so you can easily go North or South down to Florida etc.

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

1. Get involved at UVA as much as you can. Joining clubs is something I’ve never done at UOA but there were so many extra-curriculars on offer and I got to experience some great opportunities as a result. Joining the rugby team was one of my best decisions as I made so many good friends and it was also a great way to travel around and see other parts of Virginia and the US altogether. The Outdoors Club was also great and I really enjoyed the day trips and hiking around Virginia which is something I wouldn’t normally do. If you can think of an extra-curricular, UVA probably has it.

2.One thing I learnt is that you just have to put yourself out there. One semester is not a long time so you can’t waste time keeping to yourself or doubting whether you should go do something. Here in Auckland, I can be a bit of a pessimist and am sometimes prone to saying no to things. However I found on exchange you just have to jump at every opportunity that comes your way. The 2 most important elements of my exchange to me were making connections/meeting new people and experiencing/travelling the USA both of which require you to step out of your comfort zone.

3. Go to the exchange orientation. I’ve heard a lot of people blow off the exchange orientation as they just repeat information you already know. However connecting with other exchange students is a really great way to make friends and settle in as everyone is going through the same thing as you. If I hadn’t gone to my orientation I would never have met my best mates from Ireland and my whole experience would have been completely different.

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?

Aside from costs like flights and accommodation which added up to about $8,000 I budgeted $5,000 USD for personal expenses and travelling. In the end I probably spent about $5,500 USD so overall I was pretty pleased with my spending. One thing I learnt is beware of food. Food is expensive in the USA and it can burn through your pocket really fast. I ate at the dining halls at UVA but when I was away for weekends etc I found I was spending so much on food. I would say the best way to spend your money and budget properly is to prioritise travel and experiences.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

I think I learnt a lot about myself on the exchange and also developed as a person in many ways. One thing I’m pretty proud of myself for is the travelling I did. I remember on the flight over to the US just being absolutely worried and stressing about making my flights, and keeping my documents safe etc. However through my travels whilst on exchange I really became more independent – if I told myself a year ago I would book flights and accommodation in Vegas with my mates all by myself I wouldn’t believe myself. One thing I learnt was not to sweat so much on the little things and that sometimes you need to just go with the flow. I can be quite an overthinker and be pedantic however on exchange I adopted the mindset that this experience is too short to spend it worrying about little things and stressing that things aren’t going how I want them to and I should just go with it. For example for springbreak we needed to catch a flight in Raleigh, NC which is a 3 hour drive away however one of my friends messed up booking the rental car so we had to take a 3 hour uber – sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan but in the end it worked out and we made our flight. I also learnt that when I was feeling down or homesick, simply being around others made me feel so much better. Usually I quite don’t mind my own company but I found that when things were a bit rough, being in the company of others was important to me.