Sophia (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Glasgow

I found out about the 360 international programme through a friend who had done their exchange programme the year prior to the USA. Watching their semester abroad through their social media and the activities they were doing while away made me really interested in going on exchange as well. I had plans to travel in 2020 when COVID-19 hit, so I feel like doing a semester abroad was my second chance at doing that again.

My first impression when I arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, was that it looked very similar to Auckland in a lot of ways. Very green, lots of parks, and the people were so friendly and helpful with any issues or questions that I had. It was really comforting to come into such a vibrant and positive city when I was so far away from home. Running is a big hobby of mine, so living right next to a very large park and the botanic gardens was great for me as it gave me a sense of normality being able to keep up my running routine through parks as I would back home.

My accommodation was a nice set-up. I was in a flat with four other exchange students, and we all got on really well and enjoyed making meals together and just hanging out. Everyone on exchange is interested in making friends, so I found it was very easy to talk to other exchange students as we were all in a similar situation and could relate to each other. I was a 15-minute walk from the University campus, which was every day for me a very scenic walk through Kelvingrove Park. I would’ve preferred if my accommodation hosted a few more events so I could get to know the other people in my accommodation better, but that didn’t bother me too much as I got on with my flatmates well.

I really enjoyed my University courses at Glasgow. They were all extremely helpful with any questions I had, and they were all extremely passionate about what they were teaching. The course structures themselves were straightforward, I didn’t have any assignments so it was an adjustment as a lot of the work/study that I was doing was very independent and driven by the students themselves rather than by coursework/assessment. It was difficult to get in contact with the visiting students department while I was at Glasgow. There were quite a few enrolling issues with students not being in enough credits, and there were staff strikes going on during this period too. My advice would be to complete forms/instructions that the visiting students team sent out as soon as they do, to give you your best chance of having any issues sorted as quickly as possible because it may take some time.

Joining clubs was the best decision I made in terms of getting involved in student life at the University of Glasgow. They had 300+ clubs/societies, and it was the best way to meet people who weren’t just international students. I played Lacrosse and joined the Running club at the University, and I made some of my best friends through those experiences. They really value and put time and effort into the student life at the University of Glasgow, it was my favourite part of my exchange.

Alongside joining clubs and societies, travelling was the other highlight of my exchange. Within Scotland, I went to the Isle of Skye for the weekend, which was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. I also went to a few countries in Europe, being so close to Europe is definitely something worth taking advantage of and budgeting for. The biggest challenge for me was taking time for myself. I got run down a lot because I was conscious of how little time I had on my exchange, so I was trying to do everything at full speed. Scheduling in downtime and making sure you’re eating well and sleeping will make all the difference if you’re someone like me who struggles to switch off!

Q&A

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

My highlights were being able to take a more research based approach in my Psychology studies. University of Glasgow has a big emphasis on their Psychology programme focussing on research and research methods as most students go on to do postgraduate studies. This has been a really useful skill for me to translate to my own studies and future studies, and a slightly different way of learning.

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

I would recommend travelling to other parts of Scotland, especially the Isle of Skye, it was beautiful. Trying the local food such as haggis, neeps and tatties, and also attending a ceilidh which is a traditional Scottish dance.

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

My top three tips would be:

To put yourself out there and in situations to meet new people even if it seems daunting and uncomfortable

Say yes to as many opportunities as you can

Make a list and plan for the things that you want to do/try while on exchange because the experience goes by very quickly and it is easy to lose track of time!

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 budgeted for 100 GBP a week. Some weeks were more or less than this, but I think that this would be a good estimate for the area of Glasgow that I was living in.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

I think this trip challenged me to try things out by myself and show up to things without the safety net of knowing people. It’s easy when you’ve lived in the same place for a long time to get comfortable with not trying new things or talking to new people. It was also interesting learning different cultural norms, including from my different international friends that I made (we all spoke to people differently and had different cultural customs that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise). It also has made me reconsider my future options – I would love to move back to the UK for my postgraduate studies and it has made that process seem less daunting, using this exchange as a stepping stone.