UQ Program: Bachelor of Engineering/Commerce
I'm going to be frank and honest. The only reason I undertook an exchange was because most of my friends had just graduated and I badly needed a holiday. After doing four years of an Engineering/Commerce degree with another year and a half to go, I needed a change. I can't say I knew anything about the city of Exeter or the University beforehand but here however, I really lucked out. Not only was the Exeter business school one of the best in the country but I was also able to meet people from all around the world.
Although cliche, the best aspect of the exchange was all the different people I have met and now become friends with. Exeter has a large exchange program and as such I now have friends in America, Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Austria. It was amazing experiencing all the different cultures as it's not often you are able to celebrate Australia Day, American Thanksgiving, Swedish Midsummer and Spanish Carnivale in the space of five months. I now also have many more places where I can crash in my future travels.
Unfortunately/fortunately some study did also occur. I'm not going to lie and say this was my favourite but experiencing new and different lecturing styles was both interesting and highly beneficial. The novelty of listening to one of my lecturers with an Oxford English accent alone was priceless. Now that exams are over however I am able to do what I originally intended in the first place, ie travel. Having knocked over Ireland and Scotland in April, I am currently doing a month long sojourn around Central and Eastern Europe. In summary, I got out of my exchange what I wanted and without even helping it, got so much more.