Iona's Exchange to Aberystwyth University | Wales
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.”
- Unknown
This is the quote that struck a nerve with me, and the
phrase that stuck in my head and convinced me that travelling to the opposite
side of the world to live for 5 months was something that I truly needed to do.
At the time I had absolutely no idea what was awaiting me, but looking back now
over all the memories I’ve made, and all the people I have met, and how I myself have
changed; I can safely say that taking that leap of faith was the best
decision I have ever made.
Aberystwyth is a tiny little town on the west coast of
Wales, and is one of the most picturesque places I have seen. From the picture
above you can see a glimpse of the castle ruins, the amazing architecture from
the Old College buildings, the pier (that holds an arcade and a nightclub), and
Constitution Hill (the place to go for the best sunset views, or to visit the
tiny bowling alley). The university is situated behind the town, at the top of a very
long, steep hill! Although the town is small, it is known as a popular
university town, and holds 52 pubs – although even with my best efforts I
didn’t manage to visit all of them.
Getting to Aberystwyth I was super worried about how I would make friends,
how I would adjust to living away from home, and how badly I would get
homesick. Luckily, it is amazingly easy to make friends there- I had 9 amazing
housemates from many different parts of the world, and with about 200 clubs and
societies and events on seemingly every week, there were so many ways to meet
people and connect with people outside of class. After the first week I felt
really settled and I can honestly say that I didn’t feel homesick at all the
whole time I was there!
My 5 months in Aber were really busy. The psychology modules I
took at Aberystwyth were so interesting, and I really enjoyed the way classes
were structured and presented. The university has a big focus on providing
international students with ways to connect with each other, and to make the
most of their experiences, and there were tons of events at the student union.
I joined the beer pong society, and psychology society which each had
fortnightly social events in town. My housemates and I were also friends
with another flat full of international students and we would often spend
weekends with them walking down into town for nights out.
I also
used Aber as a base for travel. During the semester I
explored Wales and England- London is only a 5-hour train ride
away! My proudest moment in Wales was learning to pronounce the longest
train station name in the world: llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! In the Christmas holidays
before I did my exams I spent more time in London, visited Dublin with my
housemate, and then spent a snowy New Years Eve with friends near a town
in Bavaria, Germany called Oberstdorf!
From Left: Longest place name, snowy Oberstdorf mountains, Hever Castle
near London
Before I went on exchange I found it really daunting
to be in social situations where I didn’t know everyone, to push myself out of my
comfort zone without feeling anxious, or to make decisions without consulting
my parents or friends. My time in Aberystwyth changed that. While I was there I
learned to rely on myself and become more confident and independent, and I
surprised myself with how easily I made friends and how much I managed to
achieve by myself. After the 5 months were up, I made the huge decision to move
to Cardiff (the capital city of Wales) for the rest of the year because I
honestly couldn’t bear to leave! Wales was not just a destination; it became a
home for me.
While in Cardiff I got myself a house share, worked a
bunch of different
jobs to keep myself alive and pay rent, and met even more amazing
people. During my time in Cardiff I also managed to see a little bit more
of the world, and not only explore a little more of Wales, England and
Scotland, but also traveled to New York, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Prague,
Amsterdam, Bruges, and Crete.
Over the past 15 months, I have grown and experienced so much, I almost
feel like a new person! Being back in Australia now, I have time to
reflect on all the amazing things I have managed to do, all because of that
initial decision to sign up for the exchange program. You never know what path
your life can take from just making one decision. No matter how daunting
exchange may seem, just go for it!
“Sometimes
you just have to jump out the window and grow wings on the way
down.”
- Ray Bradbury
- Iona studied abroad at Aberystwyth University in Wales, United Kingdom
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