Jessica Cox

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Going on exchange resulted in the best year of my life so far.

Before I left for McGill University in Montreal, Canada, I was unbelievably unprepared – enough so that at times it seemed it was just sheer luck and good will carrying me through. Although it was my fault that I didn’t do enough research it felt like there was so much out there it was impossible to know where to start!

So, this list of tips is here to help with some problems that might arise during your time abroad, as well as things you may not have thought about. Learn from my mistakes and my enthusiasm and if you’re on the fence – JUST DO IT ! You won’t regret it!

• Note: I studied Biomedicine at an English-speaking university in French Canada, so while some of these tips will be relevant to that situation only, I’ve tried to make the lessons as broad as possible.

Keep on top of what you need

The Edinburgh Office are willing to help but there can be hold ups in processing documents. Don’t be scared if things take a long time, but do keep in touch and see how stuff is going. Stuff like learning agreements, risk assessments, NEED TO BE DONE and done on time!

Your insurance will cover it if things go wrong!

My flat got broken into and robbed in the first 3 weeks, and while I was obviously freaked out, the insurance allowed me to buy a new laptop. However, the money did take its sweet time to come through so it’s good to have some backup money if you need a hand and you’re far from home.

Send a lot of emails before you go

No shade, but the Edinburgh Exchange Office will not necessarily know what courses you should take, how to find housing, hidden costs, etc., etc. Actually, your host university probably won’t know what to do with you either as an exchange student – so if you want to make things easier for yourself do not be afraid to ask for help. The earlier the better to avoid stress!

Figure out your funding way in advance

The Canadian dollar was pretty weak compared to the pound so my student loan went a long way. This is certainly not the case everywhere though. If you think you’ll need extra cash to simply live, there is money available through the University as well as other exchange scholarships, which you can find online.

As a side note, if you’re using student finance talk to them beforehand so they know you’ve moved. As a second side note, opening a bank account in your new home and figuring out a good money exchange system is also a good idea.

Understand the learning/teaching style as soon as possible

For example, Canadian universities focus more on a continuous academic push throughout the year than a final exam (although it depends on the course.) In my case, with constant midterms, coursework, and attendance grades coming into play, I had to change how I studied to stay on top of it. Take courses you otherwise couldn’t. On a whim I picked anthropology and women’s rights classes as well as blagging my way into a master’s level neuroscience seminar – all of which turned out to be the most interesting and engaging classes in my time there.

The critical thinking skills and opportunity for new perspectives actually completely changed the focus of my dissertation project and really deepened what I got from the year. Basically, it’s a pass/fail year, so try and learn as broadly as you can if you have the chance.

Try and get a handle on the politics of the area – but most of all be prepared to listen

The rest of the world sees Trudeau’s Canada as a golden land. However, speaking to Canadians and doing some reading gave me a whole different perspective, especially on the systematic abhorrent treatment of Canadian Indigenous peoples. Keeping quiet, going to local student activism meetings, and being involved with journalism gave me a perspective about Canada which you can’t get from outside.

Learn the language if you can

This is self explanatory but I recommend breaking out of the student bubble and engaging with the community of your host city as much as possible. Students, bless us, generally represent an extremely specific portion of any population with sometimes insular views. Doing extra-curricular activities is essential, but I would argue interacting with the place itself, outside of uni, is even more so if you want a genuine experience.

Travel!

New York is only nine hours away from Montreal, and cost next to nothing when I took a rideshare with a lovely Russian grandma. Boston is close too. Quebec is all gorgeous waterfalls and maple syrup.

To avoid thinking you missed out, take weekends out, take day trips out, use your reading week to mosey around and get as much as you can from your new country!

Go ahead and say yes

OK, I hope that’s informative enough. Go in with an open mind and be prepared to be overwhelmed for a couple of months, until it all suddenly clicks into place and it’s your home. Again, if you’re deciding now, I urge you to go ahead and say yes. There’s no other time that you can travel like this with the security and support of your university.  

I wish you luck and get travelling!

General exchange guidelines for Biomedical Sciences students