UQ Program: Bachelor of Arts
I studied at Nottingham for their 2010/2011 Autumn semester, which was my second year second semester at UQ. It certainly was very different and at times quite stressful, particularly all the planning before hand, but I don’t regret going for a second. I stayed in a village just outside of Nottingham so I got to see not only the city and university, but also some of the countryside.
I studied three philosophy courses whilst there. The philosophy department offers limited courses each semester, but this really is a good thing as everyone in your year will be in the same classes as you. I found it very easy to make friends, particularly with other exchange students. We all got to know each other quite well when waiting in line for two hours to enrol in our courses (the head of the department wanted to get to know us individually before he signed our enrolment forms!)
I won’t lie, however, the best experiences I had were travelling. Being in the East Midlands meant that we were close to almost everywhere. I got to see a West End show in London, eat the best fish and chips in Whitby, and see an entire Yorkshire town revert back to the 1940s. Not to mention trips to Paris and Venice. Though there was still some culture stock (I will never understand the appeal of curry and chips together) the overall experience was amazing.
My top five tips:
1. Don’t get too worked up over the academic side of things, or you’ll miss some great experiences. There’s always someone at Nottingham who’s willing to help if you have any problems.
2. Join a student group. It’s the easiest way to meet people and get to know some of the department staff as well.
3. Travel as much as possible. The university provides many day trips for international students and there are always some great deals in the local newspapers.
4. Buy your winter clothes there. It is very easy to find clothes that are cheap, fashionable and able to withstand the ice and snow.
5. Over budget. There will be things you’ll want to buy or places you’ll want to see that you didn’t expect. Plus it gives you peace of mind.