Casey's Exchange to Nottingham Trent University | England
I didn’t realise how shy and insulated I had been in my life until I caught myself doing things on exchange that I never could have imagined myself doing in Australia!
Me talking with random people? No…I thought I could never do that. And yet once on exchange I connected with so many different, interesting people and had so many wonderful experiences in return.
My exchange in England was without a doubt one of the best things I have ever done in my life and I have become a different person because of it. I have developed a greater sense of confidence in myself through engaging with different people who I never would have met if I had just stayed comfy in Australia with my friends and family.
I had so many great encounters while on exchange and I believe that this was because of the sense of freedom and spontaneity you gain when living in a new environment. There’s a real sense of wanting to explore new places while on exchange as well as wanting to take advantage of every opportunity available, as there’s a feeling that it is ‘now or never!’
Nottingham is fantastic student city and it always feels as though there is something going on. There are so many lovely pubs and cafes which I found to be cheaper than Perth as there were lots of specials and student prices (if you looked for them). The public transport in the city is fantastic and the buses run until the early hours of the morning haha try doing that in Perth!
One of the best things about studying in Nottingham was the amount of trips on offer through the Student Union and City Hop Tours. Usually when I travel overseas I don’t go on prearranged trips but I found this to be a very economical way of seeing new places as well as a great opportunity to meet new friends. A great place to go was the NTU Student Lounge which was really helpful with any questions I had and kindly facilitated lots of fun meetup events with exchange students from all around the world.
While on exchange I rented a bedroom in a typical English townhouse in a suburb called “West Bridgford” which was in the best location, only 15mins by bus to Nottingham city and 15mins to the university as well as a 5min walk to West Bridgford town centre. I gained a real sense of English life while living in Nottingham as I could walk to so many places such as cafes, pubs, supermarkets, the bank, the library etc.
I found the people in England really friendly and the atmosphere at the university is awesome especially in the student pub and cafeteria. I thought my lecturers were great and provided different perspectives and expertise that I wouldn’t have experienced at Murdoch.
The connection I now feel towards England and English people will never leave me and just makes me want to travel the world even more! The amazing friends I made from around the world while on exchange was completely unanticipated. I will always keep in touch with my dear friends that I made while studying in England as it is a unique bond that we developed through being alone together in a new country.
Even though there was the occasional tricky situation such as carrying a giant backpack and suitcase by yourself while trying to work out different trains there is a real sense of accomplishment once you’ve done it.
The most unexpected thing about going on exchange to England was how much I really grew as a person. I remember feeling worried and scared about traveling alone but I have developed such a sense of confidence as an independent female traveller through going on exchange that I now feel I can go anywhere!
- Casey studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University, UK
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