India (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at Queen Mary University of London

My exchange at Queen Mary University of London was an eye-opening experience. I remember hearing about semester exchanges through opportunity fairs at UoA, and I always thought it would be an amazing chance to travel and meet people from across the world. Overall, I had an incredible time getting to travel around Europe and live in London. In London there’s always something to do; be it attending an amazing show or visiting historic sights. Living near Europe I also realised how open the world is in the northern hemisphere, with flights and trains to other countries sometimes taking only an hour, in comparison to our travel times from New Zealand.

I found that England has a very similar culture to New Zealand, and of course with the lack of a language barrier, London being such a cultural melting pot, and Queen Mary being a very international university, I felt I was able to settle in quite quickly. I did notice that London is a much bigger city than Auckland, and with so much going on it could feel a bit overwhelming at times. Specifically, people in London always seem quite busy, with places to be, so it can be a bit intimidating to try to get involved with new people and make friends.

Taking advantage of open-week events early on was key for me to work past this. In particular, I found it easier to connect with other exchange students rather than local students, since we were all in the same unfamiliar situation and hence were all trying to form connections. I would recommend that any student going on exchange gets involved in international student events at their host university, joins the group chat, etc. I would also recommend trying out new hobbies through university clubs as a good way to meet local students, and potentially to try something new you’ve never gotten around to at home. When you’re settled into a comfortable routine at your home university, it’s often hard to introduce new hobbies that disrupt that schedule since you feel that “you don’t have the time”. It’s much easier to find time to try new things when everything you’re doing is a new experience. For example, I’d always wanted to try pole dancing, and joining the Pole Fitness club meant I was getting some good physical exercise each week, and it led to me meeting my closest friend while on exchange.

The academic component of my exchange was interesting as well. Overall, I found that the lecturing style was similar and lecturers were more than happy to provide assistance outside of class, but I found the assessment and teaching schedule to be substantially different from home. In my case with an Engineering degree, there was a much heavier emphasis on self-study and the end of term exam, with less hours in lectures and less continuous assessment. For example, one of my courses had two assessments worth 10% each, and the exam was worth 80%, which is a much higher weighting than any exam I have taken before at UoA. This approach challenged me to study differently to how I have in the past, and now I have this capability in my skillset.

All of these experiences meant that, while challenging to integrate into a completely foreign environment, I learnt a lot about myself, and now have more self-confidence. I’ve made some life-long connections with other exchange students, and now having had a “trial run” of living in London, I know it’s a city I would like to live in in future. I would highly recommend going on an exchange to anyone with the means to.

Q&A

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

Realising that despite being plunged into a completely different curriculum I was still able to stay afloat and succeed in my classes was a real confidence boost! Also, particularly for my engineering degree, getting to learn different software and techniques from what I would typically be learning about at home (eg simulating using StarCCM rather than ANSYS) was an unexpected bonus.

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

Make the most of the incredible history in England! Some buildings and sites date back centuries, which is crazy in comparison to anything you find in New Zealand, since we’re a relatively young country. I’d particularly recommend going to see a performance at the Globe if you go on exchange during their performing season.

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

Attend O-week events and club taster sessions, keep in touch regularly with family back home, and research all the fun things to do in London itself on weekends and days off (lots of them are free!).

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?

You will spend more than you expect in a city like London. Apart from the high cost of living, there are so many fun things you can do here that you will likely end up spending more than you anticipated. I would recommend over-estimating your budget for activities and social events, because you don’t want to limit yourself while you’re here; make the most of it!

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

I now have more faith in my abilities to adapt to and thrive in unfamiliar situations.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

One of my closest friends I made during the programme was a German exchange student, and I ended up staying with her in Germany for a few days after the end of the semester. Germany was not somewhere I had initially planned to visit on this trip, but meeting her meant that I discovered what a wonderful and friendly country it is. So make the most of the opportunity to meet new people from all walks of life, you never know where it might lead!

Final Comments

Going on exchange broadens your horizons and gives you unforgettable memories, I would recommend it to anyone!