UK – Dash
Student: Dash
Course: Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts
Program: Trimester exchange T1 2024
Describe the city you were living in: the landscape, the culture, the weather etc.
Going on exchange was both my first time in Scotland and my first time travelling alone, so it sometimes felt like I had been thrown into the deep end and forced to swim. The first week was definitely the hardest. I was going from 30-degree weather in Melbourne to negative temperatures and snow in the middle of Scottish winter and I had a terrible case of jet lag. However, as I got used to the temperature change, Edinburgh was an amazing city to live in. It is quite a small city with beautiful architecture and lots of parks, so I walked around as much as possible instead of catching public transport. Edinburgh is especially beautiful in the Spring, as the Meadows (a big park in the City) are lined with cherry blossom trees which all bloom at the same time. Scottish people are so lovely and welcoming, and, once you get the hang of their accent, they could make conversation with you about just about anything.
How did you make friends and what sort of things did you do together?
I took a big risk and chose to move into private housing instead of accepting an offer to live at university accommodation. Luckily for me, the big risk came with a big reward. I moved into a 6-person share house with a group of local students from the university, and they were extremely friendly and inclusive. My housemates welcomed me into their friendship group, inviting me to dinners, parties and movie nights. Although I had prepared myself to spend the first few months of my exchange feeling lonely and missing home, having a friendship group automatically built-in to my new home has meant that this was never something I had to worry about.
What is the one big thing you will always remember from your experience? Or one big lesson that you learnt?
My main takeaway from exchange was learning how to be comfortable doing things alone. I am a very social person, and in Melbourne I would rarely do things by myself, opting to either find a friend to tag along with me or not do the activity at all. In Edinburgh, I forced myself out of my comfort zone as much as I could. I started small, going on walks and to cafes alone. I went to a festival alone which ended up being one of the highlights of my trip and then spent over 2 weeks solo travelling. In those times I made some amazing friends who I still keep in touch with now and made unforgettable memories.
How did you finance your trip? How much did your trip cost?
I ended up spending approximately $25,000 over the course of my exchange, including 2 months of travel around Europe after I finished university for the semester. I have worked part-time throughout my whole degree, so already had some savings before I went away. I also received Youth Allowance payments from Centrelink for the duration of the semester, and was able to qualify for a $7921 OS-HELP Loan from the government to assist with the expenses of overseas study, which will add to my HECS debt.