By Eesha Patel, iBBA candidate 2020
International Exchange. An equally terrifying yet exhilarating idea that every student contemplates at least once during their undergraduate career. The possibility of spending four to six months in another country that could be halfway across the world is scary, but also opens doors to opportunities that truly are once in a lifetime.
This past Winter 2019 semester, I was able to participate in the Schulich Exchange Program at the Université Paris-Dauphine. During my amazing exchange experience, I picked up on a few tips that really helped guide me through my time abroad and wanted to share with other students who are considering making the same decision!
1. Keep an Open Mind Throughout the Entire Process
I’ll start off by admitting that my emotions were fluctuating as much as a roller coaster ride – I went from ecstatic upon hearing that I’ll be living in Paris to being absolutely terrified as I boarded that plane at Pearson Airport, to finally falling in love with a city that I will always call home. Emotions are natural: you’re moving away from everything familiar and essentially settling down all on your own in new surroundings. That’s why it’s critical to keep an open mind throughout your entire exchange experience. Even when submitting your initial application with your top choices, it is always important to be willing to apply to multiple schools and countries. Each one is amazing for its own reasons and broadening your perspectives can allow for some amazing opportunities.
2. Push Your Personal Boundaries
Exchange is a once in a lifetime experience, but it is also only what you make of it. While trying new things can be scary, exchange is also the best opportunity to push yourself and really develop as a person. For me, that meant getting over a personal fear of small spaces and crawling through the caves of Budapest! The fact that you are embarking on this journey means that you are open to change, so it’s essential that you make the best of your time abroad and really dive deep into the culture by trying new things and making friends with new people. You’ll be amazed by what you can do and this will definitely create some great exchange stories and memories.
3. Pack the Essentials!
Traveler’s Sickness: It gets to even the best of us. I’m not trying to scare you away from going on exchange, but it is important to be mentally prepared for what potentially could come. In the midst of packing all of your clothes and essentials, be sure to also take some basic medicine with you should the situation arise. Having personally gone through my fair share of coughing and sneezing, it was great to have medicine with me that I was comfortable and familiar with. Also, be sure to read previous exchange reports from students to get some helpful information and packing tips to prepare for your arrival.
4. Exchange is Not a Race
Finally, but most importantly, I want to remind you that exchange is NOT a race. We can all admit to being guilty of admiring our friends’ photos on social media and wanting to live that exact same experience. This can become even more so true on exchange, when it seems that other students are consistently traveling while you’re still learning to book your first flight. This is why it is important to remember your time abroad is not about seeing who travels to the most countries or re-living another student’s exact same experience. That’s not to say that you can’t take photos or get inspiration from your friends on where to go (don’t forget to use #schulichexchange too!), but make sure you prioritize traveling to the places you want to visit and are genuinely interested in learning more about.
Exchange was undoubtedly the four best months of my undergraduate career, and I really hope that you make this amazing decision as well. Steve Jobs once said “Stay hungry, stay foolish” and I cannot think of a better way to describe studying abroad – be present in the sights you see, the places you visit and the cultures you experience.
Leave A Comment