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