Dhwani (Sem 2, 2022)

My Exchange at Pennsylvania State University

I found out about 360 from other friends of mine who went on an exchange programme to USA but also through personal research and university website. Initially when I arrived I was very nervous as I was the only one from New Zealand and I was very unsure of whether I would make friends, if everyone would be nice to me, how my roommate would be etc.

I loved my accommodation, It was really good, we had clean toilets, the room was spacious, high ceilings, big windows, I really liked my dorm. The orientation at PennState was really straight forward, it was a day long thing where we got to meet everyone from staff and other exchange students and also got to go look around the campus. The teachers were very understanding and very helpful, they made me feel welcome and helped me out throughout the semester. The course work there I found it quite simple and easy.

State college was a very student town, and very out in the country side, it was very pretty and I actually enjoyed it more since it was student town, but getting out and flights were also way more expensive and except student clubs, sports and bars there wasn’t much to do. Cost of living was definitely higher than Auckland.

I took part in a dance club, ski club and american football matches, went to see them almost every weekend. Life of campus was amazing but the food was very average. Highlight of the exchange was the all the amazing people I met and challenge was the food because I was not use to eating something so bland and tasteless, also limited vegetarian options. If you are thinking about exchange, would highly recommend America and make sure to save up way more than your budget just for safety.

Q&A

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

Classes were very interactive, practical with lots of group work so a great opportunity to meet new people and building teamwork skills. Course advisors were also very helpful when deciding courses and all.

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

The college football at PennState is for sure something you cannot miss. Highly recommend the Whiteout game and tailgating.

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

• Save lots of money and way more than your budget because you will need it.

• Try new things, dont be afraid, once they find out you are an exchange student, people will be happy to help you so deffs reach out.

• Join clubs, get involved but be safe, as getting spiked is a big issue.

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?

My budget was 20,000 but because I traveled a lot more, I did go over budget.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

It was one of the best experience of my life, definitely recommend it to everyone who can, you learn a lot about yourself and other, you are able be more independent, confident, see how the world works. But most importantly you are able to realise how to live in a new place, adjust, how to go about day to day life etc.