My Exchange at The University of Stony Brook
I was extremely happy with my 360 International Exchange, and it was one of the absolute best parts of my University experience.
However, my first impressions upon arrival were definitely that of fear. The exchange students were asked to arrive a bit earlier than everyone else, which meant that the campus was a ghost town and none of my apartment flatmates were there. In these first few days with no way to meet any other exchange students it was lonely for sure. But, after our first exchange orientation day I quickly met some of the best friends I’ve ever had and I can’t think of a bday day beyond that. It was reassuring to hear that most of us had had a rough couple of first days too.
The accomodation was great, and it was amazing to live in an apartment setting where I could cook my own food rather than live in the halls with a dining hall pass. The exchange was already quite expensive, so being able to make cheap meals and save on the dining pass was great.
I enjoyed the courses a lot. For myself, the computer science courses were challenging but very well taught. Admittedly, I do wish the assignments there were a bit more practical like they are here.
The United States is great place to do your exchange, with so many cities to visit in the downtime (weekends or public holidays). I was lucky enough to visit San Fransisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Toronto, and even London across the pond on an extended break. And of course, my host Stony Brook University is a one hour train away from New York City, so that was a constant weekend trip.
I loved my exchange experience greatly and I would recommend any person who has the means to go does it!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
One of the prime highlights was having a Computer Science lecturer who was lauded for his publications internationally. He authored one of the industry leading texts for universities and his example problems in his book have been marked as some of the best technical job interview prep there is. This was invaluable experience and was a pleasure to be taught by.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I loved going to the American Football games. The energy and festivities they put on for the game is so unique.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Get involved with lots of clubs and activties
Get in touch with as many of the other exchange students as you can, travelling the USA on the public holidays as a group is so much fun.
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 had around $18,000 saved for the exchange which covered all of my accommodation, food, and extensive travelling around the USA, Canada and even to London. For me this was just enough!
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
The experience from being overseas is unmatched. I had travelled to other countries before but truly settling in to a life routine at the host university, making so many new friends, is a one of a kind opportunity before graduating of testing if you want to live overseas when older. I never though I’d be able to leave New Zealand prior to this but it is amazing how much of a life you can build from scratch elsewhere.