Elizabeth B., Bachelor of Business/Creative Industries
University College Dublin, Ireland (Semester 1, 2017)
If I could give any advice it would be to take advantage of every opportunity, and learn to say ‘yes’ to everything, especially things that are out of your comfort zone. This
is where some of my best experiences began, including exchange. This
means travelling with people you may not know very well, and doing trips that you may not normally think of doing. For me one of the best things was going over
with a very loose plan! Don’t be afraid to have very little planned before you leave, including a return date because I was able to travel with friends I met on exchange afterwards, and I was glad that I did not have a huge amount that I had committed to prior to leaving.
While in Ireland I tried my best to learn (a very small) amount of Gaelic through some of my Irish friends, which is an incredibly hard language to learn. It was
fascinating learning about the Irish culture, and really getting to know some Irish people, and where they come from. While it can be difficult to meet Irish students while abroad, I was fortunate to meet quite a few Irish students through my external accommodation. I also found doing social sport was a good way to meet Irish students. I was a part of the social netball team while in Ireland, and was fascinated to find out that Netball is not a widely known sport in Ireland. There was only one team on campus and half the team consisted of Australian or New Zealand exchange students. I was incredibly lucky to be able to completely immerse myself in Irish culture, and experience life living and
studying in another country, which gave me a completely different experience to what I would have got being a tourist. Reflecting on my time in Ireland, while I visited some pretty incredible places, I wish I had focused a bit more of my travels around Ireland, and attempted to visit more pubs. I only went on four trips around Ireland, which meant there was a lot of the country I didn’t see such as the cliffs of Moher. I will definitely have to make a trip back to Ireland soon!
Finally, I would definitely recommend going on exchange to anyone considering it. It is a once in a lifetime experience, and you will grow so much, meet some incredible people and experience some life-changing events and opportunities. While I am nearing the end of my degree, this trip has made me realise my potential and has made me eager to plan my next trip!
