Hannah – City University London, England
Semester 1, 2016
Bachelor of Behavioural Science / Bachelor of Justice
I had the pleasure of travelling and living in London, United Kingdom for the last six months. I was lucky enough to find accommodation with another student from QUT, Rosie. We lived in a share house in Canary Wharf and studied at City University London. The university was quite small compared to QUT, but the staff and students were a very friendly and engaging community.
Campus life
During the semester, students were campaigning for student election and it was very evident the students felt compassionately and were dedicated to improving their university experiences. My initial orientation was very informative; I had the opportunity to meet other students involved in the exchange program in the sociology department. The staff provided extensive sessions to communicate all of the essential information from using online resources to social events and counselling services. Through email I was constantly kept up to date with important information, upcoming workshops and opportunities. I was able to easily access the counselling support services when I was having difficulty transitioning in the first few months, which allowed me to develop the confidence to go travelling.
I learned social sport was a year round activity open to all new students so I joined the hockey team. This was a definite highlight of my university experience as I got the opportunity to be a part of a team and met some amazing individuals. Together we attended training and games each week, sports award dinners and Wednesday nights at city bar where each sport hosted events.
Attending city bar provided another opportunity to meet individuals and develop friendships. The campus consisted of a number of connected buildings, specific to different faculties, which were a mixture of modern and older features. The Library provided extensive study spaces and resources and the food court was a central and vibrant meeting place.
Academic life
I studied third year criminology units including youth crime, gender and crime and policing while completing Indigenous Justice externally at QUT. The classes were quite small, providing an opportunity to ask questions, communicate with other students and actively engage with the learning material. In youth crime each week focused on a different theory and the course structure involved planning a group oral presentation on a specific theory (20%) and at the end of term handing in an essay on the chosen youth crime theory (80%). I worked with two girls on the topic of sexual bullying in schools.
The style of assessment was quite different in terms of the weight attributed, and for my other two units I had 100% exams, although I had a month to prepare for the exams it was quite a stressful period. Overall I enjoyed my experience at the university and felt I participated to the best of my ability in social and academic.
I did not fully comprehend how much living in London would cost until I got over there, however I had enough savings to not stress about money, live comfortably and enjoy many travel opportunities. This should definitely be communicated to future exchange students, as I met other students who really limited their opportunities until the end before travelling because they were constantly budgeting.
Travelling through Europe
Throughout the semester I had time to travel to Iceland, Switzerland, Budapest, Prague, Vienna and Scotland. I did a few trips in England including Nottingham, Peterborough and Cambridge, although I regret not being organised enough to visit some other places. After my exams finished, my lease also finished and I begin a five-week solo travel experience across Europe.
From London I travelled to Norway before visiting Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan, Barcelona, Paris and Amsterdam. It was such an amazing experience I met lovely people in Hostels along the way and saw beautiful architecture, cities and natural landscapes.
Travelling was definitely a highlight of my trip although it was lonely at times I made use of every opportunity and I was able to meet a friend made through the exchange program on my last stop in Amsterdam.
City University was different from QUT in terms of diversity of culture; it was so refreshing to be in a country and university, embracing difference and acceptance. London is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, although I felt Australia was quite diverse, London was like nowhere I had ever been, it was so exciting to be immersed in culture, language and practices. I was able to develop cultural awareness about different cultures through my classes and interactions with other students.
My exchange experience has been a truly rewarding and memorable experience I will always cherish and would recommend it to any student at QUT.
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