UQ Program: Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery & Science
Going on an exchange program with UQ Abroad is definitely an opportunity not to be missed, no matter where you are going. As for myself, I chose the University of Glasgow. Immediately upon setting foot in Glasgow on a cold January morning – it was a wild and windy change from the warm Australian summer I had just left behind.
Glasgow certainly has a reputation for being a rough city, and in some aspects it definitely is (don’t wear your Celtic jersey and sing loudly at Rangers fans on a game day. You will almost certainly be violently dealt with.) But as long as you have commonsense, don’t go to dark areas alone, etc, you’ll be fine. That being said – the nightlife is extremely fun especially down Sauchiehall Street. Drinks are also generally cheaper than in Aus.
Geographically, Glasgow is a perfect place to explore Scotland as many cheap trains and buses leave from Glasgow up to the rest of Scotland, as well as down to England. London is just over 4 hours away by train and 9 hours by bus. If you are travelling by train, get a 18-25 Railcard, you’ll make back the difference with just one return trip to London.
Classes wise, you may be a little disappointed to find out that there is no lectopia equivalent, so yes, you have to pull yourself together every morning and go to school, even if it is a dark winter morning. However on the brighter side, classes are generally easier as there is hardly any coursework and more emphasis is placed on the final exams – which gives you great flexibility to make travel plans during semester! Term ends by Easter, and it’s one long month of free-time until exams in May – so that is when most students make the big Eurotrip.
I could continue raving about my travel experiences there – from the Scottish Highlands, to quintessential England including the city life of London and the great West Country, to France and Spain, but instead I’ll just leave you here with some tips.
1. Book your train journeys early (3 months is the earliest) as prices go up exponentially the later you book.
2. Try a fried Mars bar at the University Café (it’s an old-style diner just 10 minutes walk from the Uni of Glasgow). Pleasure experienced is directly proportional to damage done to health. It is quite literally, out of this planet.
3. Join the International Students Society (ISS) – they organise trips all over Scotland and Northern England for you every weekend, and are reasonably priced. Great help if you are a newcomer as it takes the hassle of planning away. Good chance to meet fellow exchange students – I made many friends there. However once you learn how to organise your own trips, do it yourself. It’s cheaper, and more flexible.
4. Get a good raincoat and waterproof shoes - it rains in Glasgow every other day. You can buy these cheap and good at Mountain Warehouse. (It’s a chain.)
5. Take at least one trip through the Glencoe region in Scotland. It is simply breathtaking – and it’s where Braveheart, Harry Potter, James Bond, and Trainspotting were flimed; just to name a few. If going by car, drive up past Loch Lomond and continue on the A82.