My Exchange at The University of Manchester
I have recently completed an exchange semester in Manchester, England, at the University of Manchester.
I found out about the opportunity of completing an exchange semester when in high school. I have always loved to seize any opportunity to travel, so when I heard about the possibility of studying overseas, I knew I had to take it. I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity and everything it taught me.
I was born in England, but it was the first time I had returned since I moved to New Zealand at the age of 2. It was a surreal experience being able to live back here for about 4 months and immerse myself into the English experience. There were a number of similarities and differences between England and New Zealand which I wasn’t expecting; some say New Zealand feels like England 60 years ago, which I can definitely understand. The food was very British, there is no other way to describe it. While groceries were reasonably priced – 30 eggs for $10! – eating out was slightly more than here, and Dominoes/Pizza Hut is a fancy pizza place! Being in the north, Manchester has a welcoming, homey feel to it, with a lot of character and charm. The University was no different; filled with charming older buildings and green spaces, it was an amazing campus to study on.
My accommodation was definitely an experience. While I went in with a large portion of scepticism, I had an amazing experience. I had the privilege of living in Oak house (it definitely lives up to its name) with 7 other people – 5 were from England, 1 from Sweden, and 1 other exchange student from Chile. We had an amazing flat dynamic, which helped to compensate for the subpar English weather and single-glazed windows. I would highly recommend any exchange student to apply for accommodation in Fallowfield or in Oak house – it has a lively student atmosphere and always has events to participate in.
The University of Manchester had a very different teaching structure compared to the University of Auckland. UoM is predominantly known as a research university. It has a heavy flipped-classroom approach to learning. With 6 classes a semester, I only had one, 2 hour lecture per class, per week – this is less than the number of hours for 4 classes at UoA. Instead, we were expected to complete 1-2 hours of pre-lecture videos and tutorial questions. Then, in the lecture, there would be a short recap before becoming a tutorial session. This enabled the ability to ask queries and practice questions in an environment where help was available. However, if you didn’t understand the pre-lecture content, this could lead to more confusion as you cannot clarify content at the time. I believe if I had started with this flipped classroom approach from first year, I would have preferred this teaching style as it gives you more flexibility in schedule. However, it was a shock going from more full-on teaching to this approach. I am glad to have experienced this different teaching style as it allows me to find out more about how I prefer to learn.
Living in England for 6 months opened me up to a number of experiences. Being in Europe enabled me to travel to a variety of countries and scratch my travel itch. I managed to travel to around 16 different countries. This was an absolutely incredible experience and enabled me to learn more about myself but also about a number of different cultures and ways of life. I met the most incredible people, both travellers and locals, and was surrounded by breathtaking views and places. I would employ all exchange students to make the most of the travelling opportunities. It’s amazing to meet so many people and know you have friends all over the world – just going on an exchange will give you the same experience. Participating in different university events, and joining a number of clubs and societies allows you to connect with people from your exchange university and create strong bonds. It is also extremely fun to meet up with other exchange students at your exchange university as well – you are all going through a similar experience and so it is nice to know someone understands all of the emotions you will undoubtedly feel.
The people you meet are arguably the best part of completing an exchange, in my opinion. I met some of my now closest friends and have people I cannot wait to see again, on the other side of the world. Make the most of this experience and put yourself out there – no one knows you, you don’t have other expectations to live up to, you can be who you want to be. This is both one of my highlights and also a piece of advice for students looking to go on exchange.
Times will undoubtedly be hard for parts of it – there is a lot of change that happens while on an exchange, and things you have to adapt to, but have faith in yourself. I personally found my biggest challenges were the English winter, the time difference and talking to my friends at home, and also, in particular, moving back and settling back into New Zealand. I changed and grew as a person while on exchange – you meet so many people, experience so much and see so many different things that it makes New Zealand seem almost small, or that everything is the same here while you have changed so much. This can be hard to get used to and adjust back to ‘reality’. But, make the most of seeing your friends, keeping in contact with your new friends from exchange, and you can always plan a trip back over!
This is likely going to be one of the best periods of your life, so make the most of it. Don’t hold yourself back; believe in yourself and your ability to flourish; open yourself up to all.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
– Different teaching style which helps me to figure out how I learn best
– High-quality equipment and teaching facilities
– People from a lot of backgrounds so can talk to a number of lecturers to see what they do in the industry, etc.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
– Pub crawls – nothing beats an English pub
– Peak or lake district for hikes
– Pub quizzes
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
1. UoM has so many clubs!! sign up to any that interest you and just go along to events – they are the best way to meet people and you might also find something new you really enjoy!
2. England itself is gorgeous – make the most of it. Go to the pubs, have a roast, go for hikes and to the cute, old style towns, learn the history, see the sights, have a pint. English people have the best sense of humour and are lovely and warm!!
3. Make the most of the UoM spaces – there are a number of study spaces and buildings you can go into – explore them all; why not! Also go to fallowfield, go to squirrels student bar and get 3 for 10 pound green monsters!
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 approximately $12,000 for my exchange – this consisted of 2 months full-time travelling before my semester started; my semester for 4 months which also had about a month more of travel. Therefore, 3 months travel, 3 months in England. Because of all of the travel, my expenses increased but i tried to minimise these where I could by staying in hostels and making my own food.
I went over budget by approximately $3,000 so spent ~$15,000 total. Definelty budget more than what you think you’ll need. While I understand money and funds are a bigger thing for some students than others, you don’t want to say no to amazing opportunities simply because of the money – you will feel like you’ve missed out.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
The most significant takeaways are that the people around you make an experience and that the world, and travelling/living in other countries have so much to teach you. Everyone has so much to learn from everyone else and travelling is an amazing way of realising this.
Also, by putting yourself in an uncomfortable position, you learn a lot about yourself and your tendencies, responses and values. It is an eye-opening experience which can be extremely beneficial.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
As I said earlier, I travelled to ~14 countries. The main ones being Italy, Albania (the best), Montenegro, Croatia, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Iceland, Scotland, Morocco, Belgium. Each country can teach you something different and expand your horizons. They were all amazing, I love Europe – the history is amazing, the places are amazing and the culture is amazing.
Final Comments
– Make the most of the opportunity, say yes when you can
– Be lenient on yourself, a lot of change is happening and it can be overwhelming
– Connect with the people around you
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