Jasmine Stewart-Apps - Exchange Alumni Testimonial

What motivated you to participate in an overseas experience?

I am learning a language, so I wanted the language and cultural exposure. Additionally, I had never been abroad which was a big motivator for me. It is not often you have the opportunity to go live in a new country for four months.

What was the highlight of your Exchange?

I really enjoyed just the daily life of walking on the streets in Shanghai and exploring, meeting new people and practicing my Mandarin. I really liked gong shopping at the markets. However, I think the most memorable part was doing short trip to Beijing between my studies. Visiting the Great Wall and Forbidden City was just unforgettable. Shanghai is a very modern and international city, but I think if you visit China, you can’t miss visiting some of the traditional cultural sights.

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

I had a rough first month in Shanghai, not so much meeting people or making friends, but my stomach! Since I had never been abroad and Chinese cuisine is very different to Australian, it took me a long time to adapt. It turned out okay since before I went, I made sure to book a doctor’s appointment and get my necessary vaccinations – and the doctor warned me and gave me a travel pack including some medicine that helped. So, I didn’t end up needing to go to the doctor/ hospital in China.

What was your biggest takeaway from your experience?

My biggest take away from the experience is that even if you are nervous and the process doesn’t go smoothly at first don’t give up. I felt myself quite an adaptable person to change before I left for Shanghai, and I was still challenged by the experience. But every challenge was rewarded by a phenomenal experience.

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

My advice generally would be to go for it! If you want to go to China, don’t be scared off by western perceptions of the country, it is incredibly safe and fun. If you aren’t studying Mandarin, I found the exchange program puts you in an “international bubble” so it’s more accessible than you might feel. There were many people I met from around the world who had minimal knowledge about China who enjoyed their experience.

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

I learnt a lot about how China functions as a society. I learnt heaps about their way of life including using Alipay and WeChat for payments, their delivery culture where you can order something online, and it be delivered in half and hour. The consumerism is Shanghai is insane. Additionally, China was not as organised as I initially thought they would be, and their processes tend to be a bit chaotic and last minute which caused me a lot of stress initially.

What is something that would entice you to travel back to China?

I really want to go back to China again, I don’t feel like the four months was enough! As stated before, because of the nature of the exchange program I didn’t make many Chinese friends which is a goal of mine for next time. I was so overwhelmed with the whole experience I didn’t focus on that, and additionally I would like to experience living in an apartment not the student dorms.

How did participating in an Exchange influence your personal growth?

I felt I grew a lot as a person during that time. I was studying in China, so I was prepared to those cultural differences. However, I learnt a lot about myself from my experience meeting people from all over the world. I met people from Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Chile, Columbia, Cambodia, America, Egypt, Singapore, Thailand and Spain. It was my first interactions with these people, who I truly knew very little about culturally who challenged my assumptions and exposed my own biases. I’ve never felt more Australian than my time in China.

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

Going to Shanghai has made me what to go back for a longer period, I want to go to a smaller tiered city in Central China. I really enjoyed the difference in the way of life. Additionally, meeting a girl who worked in diplomacy in Japan made that apart of my career aspirations, as well as possibly working in trade between Australia and China.