Hi guys,
The last eight months have been very hectic; moving to a different country, travelling parts of North America and the US, adjusting to life back in Scotland and working during the Edinburgh Festival.
Going on an exchange was definitely an experience that I will not forget. I’ve made friends from all over the world; the US, Germany, Canada, England and Sweden! Here are five things that I learned by going on exchange!
1. Independence is the new you
Being on exchange, allowed me to come out of my comfort zone, make new friends, travel to places that I never thought I’d go to. I had to look out for myself because no one else was going to do it. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping and on top of that university work, really did show me what I was capable of doing for myself.
2. Culture shock is a real thing
For Cathy and I, it was definitely a culture shock. It was the little things like going into the grocery store and not being able to find things you would normally buy (comfort food) and the transportation system was also very different. We went during winter season, the snow was indeed a very big factor to the fact that we were living in a different country. However, in time we got used to buying the Canadian version of our groceries and using the bus system.
It was quite funny to us when we ended up in the ‘International Aisle’ and thought “Oh my God, they have things from back home!” When in reality, they were priced at something ridiculous because they were imported goods….
3. Look for opportunities
At Brock University, there was the chance to go to Walt Disney World as part of an educational learning trip. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I would definitely recommend taking part in the International Trips; we went on a Maple Syrup Tour, went to an Ice Hockey Game, watched the NBA basketball games on TV (Love Toronto Raptors) and even took a trip to Niagara Falls. It helped me make friends that were also doing an exchange. #internationalcrew
4. You’ll learn to get over things
There are many challenges to living abroad, one of which may be having to deal with a difficult flatmate or a team mate in a group project may not be pulling their weight. After studying abroad, you realise you are tougher and can put up with a lot of s***. You realise that in a few years, arguing or getting stressed over little things won’t even matter so why bother getting worked up about it?
5. Appreciate the world a bit more
I can say that I definitely caught the travel bug. Cathy and I travelled to many places and after we came back, we were really struggling to stay put! When studying abroad, take the opportunities to travel and see the world, by travelling you learn a great deal about yourself and about the different cultures in the world. You also create so many memories and will have a lot of funny stories to tell your family.
Those are the five things that I learned about being on exchange! If you have the chance, I would definitely do it and I was lucky in the fact that I got to go on exchange with my best friend!
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Life of R 