Julia Culver - Exchange Alumni Testimonial

What was the highlight of your Exchange?

Cardiff Uni offered these ‘Give it a Go’ trips, where you pay for the group day trips you like that they offer, and a few people organise it, so you don’t have to worry about book coaches and the like, and you can go safely with other people. I went with friends, but also made friends through this – it got us out for the day and made for great experiences. 

What challenges did you face during your Exchange, and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, I really struggled with budgeting for the first half of the exchange – partially due to just adjusting the currency exchange rate and figuring out the essentials, but also figuring out balancing the cost of physical mementos and experiences. 

What motivated you to participate in an overseas experience?

I heard about it through a friend and had wanted to travel to the UK for a while. This gave me an opportunity to fulfil this dream and have something different on my resume that gave me an international perspective on my environmental degree.

What was your biggest takeaway from your experience?

Going overseas is heaps of fun, however, to fully enjoy it, you’ve got to know how to properly balance uni and travelling, otherwise you spend a lot of travelling worrying about uni, but also plan trips in advance (knowing your assignment due dates) so you don’t just mope in your room when you could be having fun. 

What new skills or knowledge did you gain from the experience?

Planning trips fully by myself while living alone overseas was a big step from just planning casual camping trips with my friends while living at home. To not only organise accommodation but coordinate check-in times with flights plus travel time was a process, especially when you were the only one to get yourself there on time, but it was so rewarding. 

What is something that would entice you to travel back to the United Kingdom?

Honestly, there was so much to explore of the UK, especially in Scotland, that are limited by accessibility to a car. 

How did participating in an Exchange influence your personal growth?

Travelling overseas by yourself really highlights the need for independence, from organising everything prior to leaving to planning trips while overseas. While there are support systems out there to help you, it is up to you to reach plan your time wisely, to make sure you don’t miss flights, to register with a GP etc. So here going overseas taught me to be more proactive and independent as well as just trying something new without any safety nets. 
 

How did this overseas experience impact your academic or career goals?

I wouldn’t say it had a direct impact on my career goals, but some of the classes and trips I did certainly added to my eagerness to see how my degree could be implied both on the on-ground level in places like Scotland. 

Do you have 1 piece of advice you would tell other students thinking about going on Exchange?

Those first few months, you’ll be figuring out how much money you’ll be spending on average, so just be careful not to get excited and overspend only to regret not having that money for cool experiences late.