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
Read more Exchange and Study Abroad student stories

 

Reuben at a lake in Canada
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