As an exchange student from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, packing my bags and moving my whole life 3,606 miles away was fairly significant.ย ย
ย I arrived in Canada on Aug. 30, so I have been at Wilfrid Laurier University for two months now, and I already feel like I have experienced a roller-coaster of emotions.ย ย
ย If you are thinking of studying abroad, or going on an international exchange, here are my thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly.ย ย
ย I also talked to Morgane Poilvet, an exchange student from Sciences Po Lille in the North of France, to get her opinion on moving to a country where they donโt speak her native language.ย
ย To start, going abroad is probably the most expensive thing I have ever done. Not only is it costly to fly across the globe, attain a visa, get health and travel insurance, but the actual process of making a life in a new home will require some funds.ย ย
ย I came to Canada with one big suitcase and one carry on; in that I had no bedding, toiletries, textbooks, food, decorations for my room or anything of the sort. On top of this I was moving into an unfurnished flat.ย
ย All I can suggest to overcome this is to start saving early. I had a part-time job while at university, and then over the summer I worked full time to maximise my funds. On top of this, I also received help from my parents. Studying abroad is not cheap; be prepared so that it is no longer a factor.ย
โI think it is a unique experience which allows us to learn a language, to meet people from all over the world, to discover a new culture and to learn more about ourselves.โย
ย My British accent has sometimes proven difficult for people to understand, and often, expressions and exclamations are completely different. If you are considering studying abroad, you may have to encounter a language that isnโt your own, and Poilvet experienced the difficulties that this can bring.ย
ย โIn the first few weeks, maybe the biggest difficulty was to adapt to a new environment and to understand people who donโt speak my native languageโ, Poilvet said.ย ย
ย โAt first, I did not understand everything, especially when people were talking to each other very fastโ.ย
ย Perhaps the difficulties encountered by Poilvet and many other exchange students will result in the most rewarding part of their exchange โ the opportunity to learn and perfect another language.ย ย
ย โI made progress and now I do not consider the language barrier to be a problem. I still do not speak very well but I can understand almost everything, so I really feel more comfortableโ, Poilvet said.ย
ย One of the things that enticed me into studying abroad was the opportunity to travel to new places. Before coming to Canada, I had never been to North America, and so far I have spent a few weekends in Toronto, which I love.ย
ย In two weekโs time, Poilvet and myself will travel to Montreal, and over reading week, Poilvet spent the week in Chicago.ย ย
ย If you are considering an exchange in Europe, you will find that trains and buses will allow you to get from city to city in a matter of hours.ย
ย If you are interested in studying abroad, International Education Week will take place from Nov. 13-18 on Laurierโs Waterloo and Brantford campuses, with events and activities happening each day.ย
ย On Monday, Nov. 13, the International Opportunities Fair will take place in the Concourse, where information on each of Laurierโs sixty-five partner universities will be displayed.ย ย
ย โI would advise all students to go study abroadโ, Poilvet said.ย ย
ย โI think it is a unique experience which allows us to learn a language, to meet people from all over the world, to discover a new culture and to learn more about ourselves.โย
ย You can keep up to date with the schedule for International Education Week as more events are confirmed by going to students.wlu.ca/international-at-home.ย ย
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