Tips & advice
Thinking of studying overseas? Get advice from students who’ve been there before.
Before you leave
Be prepared
- Research the country/city and make a list of things you want to do so you don’t regret missing out on anything – Jasmine
- Make sure you have enough money! You want to have fun there, not worry about finances – Shaeden
- Do your best to learn the basics of the local language – Alice
- Check all your visa requirements in advance if you plan to travel – Chelsea
Pack smart
- Print out extra copies of all your important information so that you don’t lose one and then get into trouble if you need it later – Chelsea
- Pack appropriately for the weather and cultural standard of dress – Alice
- Pack as lightly as you can, I had to leave some things behind because I bought a lot – Chelsea
While you’re away
Explore
- Do the touristy stuff – sit in a coffee house, head to the Volksoper, but live like a local too – Cameron
- I spent heaps of time visiting museums, enjoying the sunsets in summer on Skinnarviksberget, hopping on ferries to explore the islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and eating at market halls – Saishna
- I had the opportunity to do and see so much, including setting off fireworks during Chinese New Year, hiking through a firefly forest, visiting a Buddhist temple, traveling to Macau and Mainland China and much more. There wasn’t a single moment where I was bored – Reuben
- Explore on your own as well, soak things up and contemplate them without distractions – Chelsea
Challenge yourself
- Say YES to everything and you won’t regret it. Don’t overthink what you are doing and just give everything a go – Charlotte
- Everyone is there to have a good time and meet new people, so show some initiative, put yourself out there and explore the globe while you study – Harry
- Participate as much as you can! Get to know people, take up whatever opportunities come your way, and engage with the culture and life in your new home – Jane
- Make friends with locals as well as other international students – Liam
- Meet as many people as possible and travel to as many places as your budget will allow because you will never do anything like this again – Ben
- Eat lots of local food! – Alice
- Get involved because there are so many opportunities to make friends – Zubayr
- It’s not about where you go, or what you study, Exchange is about immersing yourself in a different culture, connecting with people you would never have met otherwise and having an adventure – Talitha
Still thinking about studying overseas?
Do it!
- The Exchange program has definitely changed my life in the best possible way. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with the same thirst for adventure – Michael
- What are you waiting for? Take a risk. Believe me, it’s better to look back on life and say, “I can’t believe I did that”, than to look back and say “I wish I did that” – Rebecca
- Mature Age students can travel. You’re never too old to do an internship – Rowan
- Your study abroad experience is going to be the best thing that you have ever done. You will leave with a sense of ambition and courage like you may have never felt before – Tayla
- You’ll learn so much while going on Exchange. Not only about your host country and the wider world, but about yourself as well, and you’ll return home a changed person – Reuben
- If Exchange is something you’re considering then I cannot recommend it strongly enough – Bree
- My advice for anyone considering Exchange? Do it. Pack your bags and go – Claudia

My time away contained some of the most incredible moments in my life and I would not hesitate to do it all over again. Reuben – Exchange to Simon Fraser University, Canada