The 9 Things You Learn On Exchange

At this time last year, I was preparing for my international exchange to the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. I was busily enrolling in courses, purchasing plane tickets, arranging to get from Amsterdam to my host city, Tilburg and so much more. As I approach the one-year mark of when I departed for the Netherlands, I find myself reflecting on how exchange changed me personally. Together with eight other Waterloo students who went on an international exchange, we have prepared a list of the nine things you will learn.

1. A decent camera is one of the best investments you can make.

Nathan Yim

“It’s hard to imagine just how many great memories were made in a mere four months with people I love. Bringing a camera on exchange is a sure way to truly capture these memories and bring your experiences to life for friends and family back home. Beyond this, you may never expect the sheer beauty of the places you’ll travel to. In the end, looking back at a photo album rich with friends and travels is a treasure in its own right.” – Nathan Yim, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Winter 2015

2. Memories are more important than material items.

Kristina Overbeek

“I don’t think I ever realized how much stuff I accumulated until I went on exchange. My personality is someone who likes to be prepared and be comfortable, but I really had to get out of my comfort zone while abroad. When you are packing as much as you can into a backpack that you have to carry for three straight days because you are going to Paris, you sacrifice what you can to keep that bag light. I think I’m most grateful for that challenge because it taught me that what I was looking at was more important than what I had with me.” – Kristina Overbeek, University of Tilburg, Netherlands, Fall 2014

3. Spontaneity becomes your new middle name.

Keira Soutar

“I am someone that plans my day to a tee, hour by hour. Once abroad, I came to the quick realization that things were not always going to work out the way I had planned. I came to terms with letting my never ending schedule go and just "went with the flow." This allowed me to try things I would have never tried before, such as a spontaneous trip to Morocco. These are memories that I wouldn’t wish to change and they have inspired me to create many more.” - Keira Soutar, University College London, England, Winter 2015

4. How important cultural awareness truly is.

Daniela Lazarevic

“While abroad, I began to realize how cultural diversity and the celebration of diversity can bring together people from all walks of life. The best way to meet new people during a semester abroad is to set aside any difference that may exist and embrace the fact that no one is the same. By stepping out of my comfort zone and studying abroad in England, I was lucky enough to be able to meet international exchange students from all over the world. Even though we were not all the same and differences existed between us, we realized that we all had a common goal of taking part in an exchange program and growing as much as we possibly could.” – Daniela Lazarevic, University of Exeter, England, Fall 2014

5. That you are more capable than you know.

Rachel Acton

“Exchange taught me that I am more capable than I would have previously given myself credit for. I have always been fairly independent but the prospect of flying across the world and settling into a new country was initially intimidating to me. It turns out that travelling alone is not nearly as hard as you might imagine and you would be surprised at how quickly you adapt when you enter into a situation with no familiar faces! My exchange experience has given me confidence, not only with regards to travelling, but also in my future career and academic life.” - Rachel Acton, University of Queensland, Australia, Fall 2014

6. The value of friendship beyond borders.

Michael Palha

“I am happy to have met a wide variety of incredible people from all around the world during my exchange. There is a completely different dynamic in friendships compared to the ones made back home. You meet people in a similar situation as yours - people who have the same hunger for adventure, seeing beauty, and the courage to experience new situations because they too ventured away for a term. I am grateful for all the relationships I made, and still have, as they offered me different perspectives on the finer aspects of living life.” - Michael Palha, Université Paris Dauphine, France, Winter 2015

7. Knowing that all you need is yourself.

Alexandra Kyriakou

“What I gained abroad, was learning that wherever I go and whoever I’m around, I am still myself. Knowing that I am the constant variable in the journey was comforting. I was like a turtle carrying my home with me. But unlike a turtle, I didn’t hide in my shell - I embraced and engaged with the world around me in every way possible. I made sure I filled every minute of every day, never taking anything for granted. But when I inevitably did come across obstacles, I filtered the world through my lens allowing myself to soak in what I wanted and leave what I didn’t, and find peace with everything in between. Knowing that all I need is myself gives me the confidence to face whatever my journey has in store for me with excitement instead of fear.” - Alexandra Kyriakou, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, England, Winter 2015

8. Learning is not confined within four walls of a classroom.

Elora Bishop

“When you are studying in a different country, your new surroundings and the new culture and history, allow you to experience learning in a whole new way. Even if you’re doing something as simple as walking down the street and you stop to read a plaque on the side of a building from the 16th century, or you walk by the extravagant building where Napoleon Bonaparte’s body is buried, you can always broaden your knowledge. Talk to the locals, ask questions, read engravings and plaques and be curious. You never know what you’ll learn about yourself and the knowledge that you will gain, and the memory attached to it will stick with you even after you come home.” - Elora Bishop, Université de Nantes, France, Fall 2014 and Winter 2015.

9. How important it is to travel.

Jessica Needham

"I learned just how important travel is, not only to my own life, but as a way of better understanding my place within the world. Nothing will make you feel smaller than travelling. Seeing how people live their lives in a culture different from your own and understanding just how vast the human experience is, is incredible. I was able to spend time with the Sami reindeer herders of Northern Lappland, drink Bosnian coffee with survivors of the Bosnian genocide, and hurl overripe tomatoes through the streets amongst screaming crowds in Spain during the San Fermin Festival. Going on an exchange has certainly infected me with the travel bug.” - Jessica Needham, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, Fall 2014

What would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below. And, if you're interested in learning more about study abroad opportunities talk to one of the Global Learning Coordinators by emailing [e-mail].