UQ Program: Bachelor of Psychological Science
I am an undergraduate Bachelor of Psychological Science student, who went on exchange during second semester of my third year. I was granted my first choice of the University of California, San Diego. The application procedure was long, drawn out and tedious, but worth it in the end.
I had saved most of my general electives to be completed whilst on exchange, and that granted me a lot of flexibility with regards to the courses I could take. I took classes that UQ did not offer, such as Ballet and Contemporary Dance, and had such a good time! Work was given over a more weekly basis. It was a lot more, but easier to complete since it was bite sized. I chose to take courses with lighter workloads as I wanted to maximize my travel opportunities.
The only downside to living in San Diego would be the inconvenience of not having a car, as their public transport system was hard to access. However, buying a car from craigslist, as I had found out from friends, was a great deal as the car could be sold off 6 months later at about the same price.
I made use of the opportunity of studying in the US to explore places such as Hollywood, New York, Miami, and even the Bahamas. My favourite experience was swimming with the dolphins in Bahamas. People are friendly everywhere and welcoming. I lived on campus at International House, and travelled mostly with the new friends I made. It was hard to leave at the end because everyone felt like family at the end of exchange.
Altogether, the exchange cost roughly $18,000 US dollars, including scholarship money I had received. The top tip that I would give to students travelling to the US would be to go at the start of school year- Fall for UCSD. I went during the Winter quarter, which was not ideal because most of the other exchange students had already been there for an entire quarter and had formed groups. San Diego is also really close to Mexico, so expect a lot of Mexican food. Most of all, have lots of fun and take a lot of photos because truly, this would be one of the best experiences of your life.