Harvey – University of Westminster – England
Semester 1, 2025
Bachelor of Biomedical Science / Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Hi, I’m Harvey, a penultimate-year law student at QUT, and I recently completed an exchange semester at the University of Westminster in London. I chose London partly for family reasons (my mum is from England, and I have extended family there), but also because Westminster offered law modules that matched my QUT electives, making the credit transfer process much easier.
If I could give one strong piece of advice, it would be to arrive early. I left Australia in late December, spent Christmas with family in Suffolk, celebrated New Year’s in Scotland, and had a few solo days in London before moving into my student accommodation. This slow transition helped me settle into the environment and get familiar with the city. In contrast, some of my flatmates landed in the UK on move-in day and were overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all with new people, new place, and no time to adjust.
While I had been to London before, living there was a completely different experience. I stayed in an area I wouldn’t typically visit as a tourist, which gave me a more authentic feel for the city.
Academically, the system at Westminster differed from QUT:
• No exams (just coursework)
• Only three modules per semester
• One class per module per week
• Semesters were shorter
• A 40% pass mark (compared to 50% at QUT), but tougher grading overall with getting a 70% being a approximately equivalent to earning an 85%.
Overall, the teaching style was familiar but simplified. The reduced workload allowed for more flexibility, which I used to explore and travel frequently.
After the semester ended, I maximised every travel opportunity I could. I travelled around Norway with my parents, then bikepacked with my dad from Brussels to Basel, and crossed the Alps into Italy to watch the Giro d’Italia.
One ‘highlight’ (now funny in hindsight) was when our overnight train from Zurich to Amsterdam got cancelled last minute. We ended up staying awake for 40 hours, hopping between local trains and buses. One of the replacement buses even got stuck on a dirt road and shattered its back window trying to reverse through trees.
After that chaos, I wrapped up my trip island-hopping through Greece and sailing along Croatia’s coastline with friends.
Before the semester starts, don’t go overboard planning every trip. You won’t know your class schedule until you arrive, and that will shape your availability. I got lucky because my classes were only on Mondays and Tuesdays, which gave me five-day weekends every week. This allowed for spontaneous trips with new friends I met at uni and in my accommodation.
Be open as you’ll meet people from all over the world who will inspire your travels or tag along with you. Some of the best trips I took were completely unplanned.
Culturally, London isn’t too far off from Australia with the same language, similar food (minus the iconic UK meal deal), and familiar urban lifestyle. But living alone in a massive city like London teaches you a lot. It challenges your independence, forces you to problem-solve, and gives you confidence in navigating the world.
This exchange was hands down the best experience of my life. I’ve visited 23 countries and 79 cities, spent an embarrassing amount on beers, made lifelong friends, and gained more independence than I thought possible.
The biggest takeaway is I now know I want to move back to London for work someday.
If you’re thinking about going on exchange, do it. Don’t wait or hesitate because you won’t regret it and I certainly don’t.
Find out more on how you can apply: Student Exchange
