Tessa (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at Dartmouth College

My semester exchange to Dartmouth College was everything I dreamed and more! I admit, I was a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived in the United States – everything was bigger, louder, and more intimidating. But as soon as I arrived to my exchange school I fell in love.

The campus was tiny and in the middle of the woods, so it felt like we were isolated from the rest of the world. This gave the campus a very tight-knit feeling, and I was surprised to have people recognise me after only a few days. As with many universities in the United States, I had to share my room with a roommate. I was pretty apprehensive about this before I arrived, but it ended up being such a great thing. My roommate was so cool, and it was great to have someone to walk to the dining hall with for breakfast or debrief the day with in the evenings.

The university had an orientation week for first-year students, and an orientation day for exchange students. We were there for both, and while the first-year orientation wasn’t super relevant it was a good chance to explore the university and its surroundings. The exchange student orientation was helpful, but came on the day before classes started which wasn’t ideal.

I didn’t intend to prioritise my classes while abroad as I wanted to focus on immersing myself in the culture and experiences. But the classes actually ended up being a highlight! They were super interesting and taught in a very different way to Auckland, so it was a great academic experience.

The cost of living was quite challenging in the United States. The exchange rate sucked while I was there which made everything worse. But the university had a housing and meal plan so I knew what the costs would be before I arrived.

One of the most incredible things about Dartmouth was the extracurriculars! Even though I was only there for one term, I was able to get involved in so many different things and make meaningful connections with students at the university. I joined the Dartmouth Rockapellas, one of the acapella groups on campus, performed at football games with the Dartmouth College Dance Team, and explored New England with the Dartmouth Outings Club. All of these extracurriculars transformed my experience, helping me to step into another world rather than viewing it from the outside.

Q&A

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

Dartmouth has really small class sizes, which meant I got to know most of my classmates and all of my professors knew me by name!

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

The Dartmouth Outings Club is the oldest Outings Club in the United States, as was so easy to get involved with! I also found that people were really open to exchange students, and putting yourself out there to ask about things you were interested in opened up so many opportunities.

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

1. Budget more than you think you need! The United States can be really expensive, and you want to have flexibility for opportunities that pop up
2. Book flexible flights if possible, so you can travel at the end of the exchange with people you meet
3. Try everything!

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 did a lot of travelling before and after my exchange, so I’m not sure how much money I ended up using on the exchange. But overall I stuck mostly to the budget. The biggest piece of advice I would give is to have space in your budget for unexpected things.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

The United States is actually like the movies! Acapella, cheerleading, fraternities…