My Exchange at The Glasgow School of Art
Overall, my exchange has been life-changing. I was pushed outside my comfort zone in many ways, learned to rely on myself and became my own best friend. While it was confusing and a lot of work before leaving for the exchange, the 360 program was very helpful along the way and quick to help out when I was overseas, and it was all worth it once I got to Glasgow.
Upon arriving in Glasgow, I was honestly underwhelmed as I had just travelled around the whole of Europe. Still, after I took the time to explore the different areas and find unique coffee shops and bars, I began to feel grateful. Glasgow is a great student city with an excellent pub culture and music and art scene. I have never seen so much great live music in my life. The people in Glasgow are super friendly and welcoming, making friends easy. After exploring Glasgow it would be highly recommended to explore the rest of Scotland. If you are under the age of 22, you can get a young scotts card and get all bus travel free. I believe Glasgow is a great place to live as a student as it is basically catered for students, but the rest of Scotland has so much beautiful scenery to offer. You cannot go to Scotland without seeing the Isle of Skye. I recommend taking a bus tour.
Accommodation in Glasgow is difficult. I wished I had tried to find my own accommodation in a flat, but there was a massive shortage, and the university halls were the easiest option. Where you live depends on the experience you want and the halls you get. Being in the uni halls is a great chance to meet more people, and I didn’t make the most of this, so it hindered my overall experience. I was in the Margret Mcdonald halls, which had a nice outdoor social area but otherwise was very closed off from other flats. The halls were overall nice and had good maintenance, but I don’t think I would have survived in them more than one semester. On the positive side, they hosted their own hall activities, another way to meet people and see the city. No one will be in the accommodation until the week before uni starts, so something to think about if you get there early like I did.
During the fresher’s week, there were lots of activities. Screen printing workshops, yoga, vintage store tour, a club night, queer karaoke… They also had clubs to join. The best choice I made was to join a club. This allowed me to meet different types of people outside of the other exchange people I had become friends with. I joined the football club, which led to many fun nights at the pub watching the football. I wish I had joined more clubs as I found myself with a lot of free time.
The exchange program at the Glasgow School of Art was very strong, and I had a lot of support from the exchange team in Glasgow. They organised events to meet the other exchange students; these people became my closest friends, and we went on many adventures together. Most of my friends came from the halls and other exchange students.
The university itself was a refreshing change from UoA. It was a proper art school. Everyone there was inspirational, and the buildings were fun. The product design program I was on worked a lot in the physical realm as opposed to the technological one I was used to. I appreciated the new skills I learned from this and found my tutors approachable and helpful. The workload felt like it was less than at home at UoA, but that was only because you were expected to be in the studio working every day of the week. So, even though it felt like I was doing less work, I was probably doing more. The studio environment was also amazing and something I had never experienced, as we had our own desks and spaces. Overall, I enjoyed the way they taught product design and the way the studio was held. The people in the course were also friendly, and every year, they have an exchange group as part of their program, so they knew how to support us.
The cost of living was mostly fine, but the exchange rate from NZD to the pound was a bit painful. And a lot of money was spent on alcohol because it is very dark and cold here in the winter, and a lot of people meet at the pubs. This was definitely one of the challenges. The lack of sunlight and ocean. Seasonal depression is no joke, and it was important to make a routine to get outside and exercise. Coming from New Zealand and loving the ocean, I found this the harshest change. I have not felt the sun on my bones in months. While I struggled with the lack of ocean initially, there is plenty of nature around Glasgow. And the sunlight, there is no fix, but making plans with friends and finding good food places, markets and music venues helped keep life more exciting.
Highlights of the exchange:
- Meeting new people
- living in a different culture
- learning to live outside the comfort zone
- the art school experience and being surrounded by creatives
- travelling inside and outside of the country
Challenges of the exchange:
- The cold and dark weather
- Having too much free time
Advice:
Just do it! It’s the best experience anyone could ask for. It’s never as much money as you think it will be and budgeting is possible. Yes, it is scary, but you are never alone, and it’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was an overall anxious person who was very much a homebody, and this was the best adventure I could’ve asked for.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
- studio environment
- having my own desk space
- the work is hands-on and less technologically based
- the coursework was less grades focused and more focused on doing work you are passionate about
- the tutors were approachable and helpful and had a lot to learn from them
- there were lots of workshops available to learn and improve skills
- felt like a real art school as opposed to an academic school
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
In autumn, summer or spring, go to the highlands of Scotland. Isle of Skye, in particular. This was a highlight from my experience. It is a MUST do when you are in Scotland. Explore Edinburgh and go to the Christmas markets. In Glasgow, indulge in the music scene. There is free jazz on Wednesday nights at the Butterfly and Pig. King Tut’s is a famous music venue. There are plenty of club night venues. Do a Sub Crawl. Waxy O’Connors is the most fantastic pub, and find other Irish pubs with live music. The art school is in the city centre, so GET OUT of the centre to find Glasgow’s real and more exciting parts. The West End has the large and magnificent University of Glasgow, which is a must-see. It feels like Harry Potter, and there are many other cool bars and cafes in this area. And travel over the river to the South Side that has more music, bars and cafes. While you are in the UK, get outside of Scotland and see England and Wales, there is a direct train from Glasgow to London that takes 4.5 hours.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Make the most of the good weather while you have it, and explore the rest of Scotland (specifically the highlands) while you can
- Join clubs and get involved in groups
- Say yes to everything! But make sure to create a routine for yourself
- (extra tip) downloading a dating app like hinge is a great way to meet people when you first arrive and to find locals to show you around.
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 got a student loan while I was on exchange, which really saved me. I am unsure of how much money I spent, and I have definitely struggled with budgeting and not spending money. Unfortunately, I have no good tips other than to make sure you get that student loan.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
I learned that I am more resilient than I think I am. I have gained a broader worldview than I had before and have met many different types of people. I learnt a lot not only about the culture of the place of my exchange but also of the other students ‘ cultures I am on exchange with. It’s harder than I thought it would be to move halfway across the world, and it’s not easy to settle down when I know I am always leaving. But overall, I have grown as a person and learned to ask for what I want because I am the only person here to look after myself. I would recommend the exchange from UoA product design to Glasgow School of Art product design if you feel confused about what you want to do in the future; after this exchange, I have discovered which design I want to study in the future and have a clearer plan for my life.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
Before arriving in Glasgow for my exchange, I took two and a half months to backpack around Europe between the semesters. This was the most insane experience but also very difficult. I didn’t anticipate how exhausted I would be, so when I arrived in Glasgow, I didn’t have as much energy or curiosity to do all the fresher events. But in saying that, I would recommend everyone to take some time before or after their exchange to travel. It’s never as much money as you think it is going to be, and it is possible to travel on a budget. While it is possible to travel during your semester on the exchange, you will not have the time to see other countries fully, so I cannot recommend going enough before. After the exchange, you may also be too tired and ready to go home. I did some solo traveling and travelled with new exchange friends outside of my country during the semester, but only for weekends. But during the semester is the perfect time to day weekend trips to see the rest of the country.