Nicola's Exchange to Nottingham Trent University | England
My name is Nicola Bourgault and I studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University in England in Semester 2, 2019. At Murdoch University, I
am studying a Bachelor of Creative Media.
The key factors for myself choosing to study at Nottingham Trent University were...
The key factors that made me decide to go to Nottingham Trent University include: Nottingham is a great student city and had lots of great places to go in town. It is a city that is small but not too small, with a sense of community and isn’t too big that you would get lost, with a great central area and short walking distances between places. Nottingham is also a great location in regard to travel. If you want to travel to another city, it isn’t too far with very regular buses and trains. Nottingham Trent University was also a top 20 university in the UK and has a great range of units. I found the units I wanted to do and they fit well for my degree.
A little about Nottingham Trent University...
My classes were:
- Client-led Media Practice
- Victorian History
- British Cinema
I loved my tutors and classes, it was such a happy and fun environment and I loved going to class. The teaching system was very similar to Australia, however the lectures also recorded attendance. Another difference was that there was only one or two assignments for each unit. In one of my units I only had one essay which made up 100% of my grade. My unit readings were also slightly different because instead of buying a textbook or unit reader I had a documents pack provided with all the readings (which were shorter) and questions. I had nine contact hours.
A little about the city I lived in, Nottingham…
My favourite places to visit were Old Market Square, Bird and Blend Tea Co, The Pudding Pantry, Josephine’s Tea Lounge, The Pitcher and Piano Restaurant (set up inside an old church) and Annie’s Burger Shack.
The best parts of my experience…
One of the best parts about exchange was definitely meeting new people and making friends. The people I met also weren’t just from the UK but from all over the world. I made very close friends with people from France, Portugal, Hungary and Vietnam (as well as people from the UK), and also met many other international students, particularly from Spain and India. Exchange is also a really great opportunity to make contacts that can help you in your future career.
The other best part about exchange is the opportunities you get, such as travelling to places you didn’t necessarily plan on going to. It is surprising how many places you get the chance to visit and how much you can do in those places in the space of just one day.
Some of the challenges about studying abroad…
I didn’t really get homesick on exchange. There were a couple of times when I missed the Australian weather and way of life, but it just made me want to tell people about it instead. I didn’t really experience huge culture shock due to the UK and Australia being similar in a lot of ways. There were a few small things, such as the shops which differed slightly.
In the rare occasions that I did feel sad
or anxious I found that meditating really helped me relax.
A little about my accommodation whilst studying abroad…
I lived in a share flat with five other house mates. I had a nice room to myself with a large study desk and all essentials provided (bedroom and kitchen/living and internet access). To find my accommodation I simply looked for flats to rent online. When I arrived in Nottingham I also discovered that there is a huge range of different student accommodation since it is a very student-centred city. My accommodation was comfortable and all my house mates were super friendly and I became good friends with them all. I advise that students do their research and don’t leave finding accommodation to the last minute, to ensure they get accommodation which is comfortable. If you are studying at the Clifton campus, I would still advise living closer to the city rather than living on/close to that campus because in the city you are closer to restaurants and events. Buses to the campus are very frequent anyway.
Funding my exchange experience…
I used personal savings to fund my
exchange.
Whilst on exchange, I travelled to…
I was lucky enough to travel to many different cities in the UK and was also to go over to France.
There were also many programs run
by companies that offer day trips for students. I went on two day trips with my
friends that were organised by a company – one to Cambridge and one to
Manchester. I also went on trips both independently or with my friends by coach
and/or train.
In the UK, I travelled to Edinburgh
and London by bus with my friends which was a super fun experience. I also
travelled independently to Dover for a night on my way back from France and
went on a day trip to Chesterfield by myself.
Advice I would give to someone considering studying abroad…
I would advise not to be afraid to
go out and do things independently. I suggest they go and make the most of their
time there! Travelling with friends however is also incredibly fun and they’ll
make great memories. I also advise getting a travel card that they can use in
several countries in case they travel elsewhere. I think living with several
house mates is beneficial as they could make great friends with them and go out
and do things together. I also suggest making sure there is good public
transport close to where they live (especially if they don’t want to walk far
with heavy shopping).
- Nicola studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.
EMAIL: studyabroad@murdoch.edu.au
