Leo (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at University College London

I found out about the 360 International exchange through various mediums from people talking about it, to the TV screens around campus that were advertising it, I had been exposed to this exchange programme for a while before applying. My first impression when I arrived in London was that it is a busy city. Coming out of the train station at St Pancras and just the bustling nature of the station was already a little overwhelming. When I got to my accommodation, it was super busy, and I had a lot of luggage. The people there were super lovely and there were uni welcome crew members there to help assist which was super nice, especially since I had no one else to help me when I got to London.

The uni student accommodation I had gotten was a bit smaller than I expected when I arrived. However, it was still a good space at the end of the day. I had an ensuite room which I feel makes it more convenient when needing to use the bathroom and gives you more privacy. The accommodation was divided into flats, with each flat having 6-8 rooms and a shared kitchen space. My flat had 8 rooms (so 7 flatmates plus me) who were all on exchange with everyone except one person studying at UCL for just one semester.

Orientation week was busy at UCL and I got to see all the clubs there were at the uni. To my surprise, there were fewer clubs than I expected, but still a great assortment. I signed up for a few but ended up not participating in as many events as I would like, at most attending two or three events. I feel that if you are there for the whole year, the clubs are more helpful and worth your while especially since many do have fees to them and one semester just isn’t really enough time to enjoy the clubs. I really enjoyed London as I am a big arts person when it comes to media and London has tons of it from the West End shows, film events, etc.

Travelling around Central London was also quite convenient as I lived only a 20 minutes walk away from campus and there were bus stops and the tube service very close to where I lived, allowing for easy access. Cost of living in London is definitely more expensive than Auckland. Especially when it comes to transport, eating out and just going out to in general. Grocery shopping isn’t as bad, but I definitely recommend if you’re in London to shop at Lidl or Aldi. They have the best prices out of all the supermarkets by a long shot.

Highlights of my exchange include the people I met in my flat who I got quite close to with some and also the resources available in my studied fields. I didn’t have too many challenges on the exchange, making new friends was a bit harder especially for second year or third year classes where everyone knows each other already and you’re only there for one semester. However, I did make some friends in class the best you can. Moving out was also a bit tough just trying to get everything sorted by yourself. I think going on exchange is such an amazing opportunity and to make the most of it. There is so much to see, explore, people to meet and more that you should not hold yourself back and try as many things as you can. 

Q&A

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

Some of the highlights of my academic experience would include being able to try out experiments in the laboratory for my social neuroscience paper, learning through physical models at the Grant Museum for my ecology paper and having a lecture and tour at the British Library for my information paper. 

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

In terms of activities at the university, UCL does have a diverse range of clubs that you can join. I ended up not joining as many as I hoped to but if you are there for the whole year, I think it’s a great place to connect with others. As for activities in London, I definitely recommend checking out a West End show. It’s super cool and entertaining and many of them are excellent. 

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

Tip #1: If you are able to, try and find accommodation that is with other people going to your host university. This helps you to have other people that you know at uni but also be able to relate and go through things together

Tip #2: As much as it’s hard with costs, try and find a place in London that is relatively closer to the uni and Central London. I had at one point looked at living in Tottenham Hale which isn’t too far via the tube but just adds up in time and travel if where you stay isn’t as convenient to Central London.

Tip #3: Make sure to explore your campus before the first week of uni. It might seem obvious but make sure you know where everything is from your classes, to libraries, printers, studying spots, food spots, etc.

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 budgeted roughly £150 per week for my exchange (excluding accommodation fees, which were paid all at once). This budget included food, transport, laundry and other travel activity and spendings that weren’t essential. This amount was definitely enough when it came to the essentials. I spent roughly £100 each week on the essentials and it was just up to me how much I spent doing other activities and spending on clothes, etc. When it comes to budgeting, I would recommend figuring out the best priced places for shopping groceries and how much transport cost to understand how much you should budget.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

One of the most significant takeaways I took from this experience is how independent I am and the freedom and joy in this independence. Back in Auckland, I live at home so I’ve never lived by myself before. So during this experience, I really found myself comfortable doing stuff by myself, whether it was solo travelling across Europe, cooking for myself in my flat or just exploring London by myself. I feel much more confident to experience things by myself and not being reliant on others.

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

I travelled quite a bit prior to and after my studies around Europe. I would recommend if you do decide to travel around Europe during your exchange to plan as well ahead as possible when it comes to flights, accommodation and days spent in each location. That way you can make the most of your travels and not stress about them before you leave, especially if you’re trying to plan travel during your the semester.