My Exchange at The University of Edinburgh
The 360 exchange programme was great in preparing me for the exchange and a great opportunity to meet people. It was great to meet people also going to Edinburgh as we all became great friends. I found the insurance section of the talk really beneficial as I used a lot of this information in making my own claims.
my first impression of Edinburgh was shock at how early the sun set and how cold it was. I think this combination made my jet lag a bit worse and was more difficult to adjust coming from the middle of summer to the middle of winter. Apart from this, the city is really well set up for winter and looks really beautiful at this time of year which made it really enjoyable.
My accomodation was fairly basic as I chose one of the cheapest options as I wanted more money to spend on travel during the semester breaks and summer. Because of this my flat had a lot of issues such as mould, silverfish, rats and broken amenities. What really helped me get through this was having amazing flatmates who were from the UK and used to dealing with similar issues. My flat was also really close to Uni and within walking distance to all my friends flats.
the orientation was also pretty basic as we were starting in second semester. Because of this, there was only one main exchange event where they ran us through how the uni functions. This event fulfilled everything I thought it needed to and answered all my questions. It was also where I meet many of my good friends on exchange.
I found the teaching style quite different as I was doing postgrad classes. Many of them were seminar style and required a lot more of me than I was used to. After I adjusted, it was amazing way to share information and learn from both the lecturer and the people in the class.
Edinburgh was a great city, full of young people and always had something to do. It is very relaxed and everyone is very friendly. Despite the bad weather, the city always looks beautiful.
cost of living was a lot cheaper than Auckland. I spent about half the price on groceries per week compared to home and around $150 less per week on accommodation.
during my time at the Uni I participated in bouldering at the University gym which was really fun to try a new sport. I also tried pickle ball which was a great way of meeting people.
the highlight of my exchange was definitely meeting all my friends who are from all over the globe. It was so interesting to share life experiences and differences in culture. It’s such an amazing feeling to know that wherever I go, I now always have a friend nearby.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Some of the highlights were how interesting my courses were. What drew me to Edinburgh was how amazing their anthropology department was. I took medical anthropology which I had never heard of prior and learnt so much about contagion and pandemics. I also took a class on US ethnography which was fascinating to investigate all the subcultures in the US.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I would recommend signing up for the uni gym and participating in their sports events and trying everything. I had never done bouldering and pickle ball before and found these so enjoyable.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- Save more than you think you need
- Get insurance, especially medical insurance if you can’t get full
- Try everything even if you’re not sure you’ll like it
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 around 10k which I thought was perfect for my cheap accommodation and all the travel I wanted to do.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My most significant takeaway is try everything. There were so many times I was so jet lagged or exhausted from Uni and didn’t want to go out and do things. But I found whenever I pushed through I really enjoyed everything we did and it was a great way to meet people and get out of my comfort zone.