How did you decide whether or not to go on exchange?
After receiving an email about the possibilities from the International Office, I started thinking about it. I was in doubt initially because I didn’t want to incur a study delay. When this did not seem to be the case - and after some good conversations with my parents - I eventually decided to just do it.
To which country, which city, and which university did you go?
I studied at the Western University in London, in the east of Canada.
What is the best way to prepare yourself?
It’s actually mainly about just doing it! And if you go outside Europe: check what official documents such as visa, and papers you to need to provide. But besides that you really just have to book some plane tickets and pack your suitcase. The rest will follow.
What is the student life like there?
As an international student I often went places with the introduction group that I had. Via that group I got to know other students. I thought the amount of sport bars was funny. In Nijmegen you mainly have a lot of dance clubs, but in London the various pubs are filled with large television screens that showed ice hockey. There were of course clubs like we know them in the Netherlands, but they played different music.
What was the biggest cultural shock?
The amount of frat boys (a North-American student association) was quite large at campus and in the clubs. To be honest, they fully match the stereotype from the films. Another cultural shock was the role of the campus: the entire student life takes place there; eating, meeting up, classes, and parties. It took some getting used to literally everyone always being somewhere on campus. Lastly, I noticed that Canadians greet you kindly with a ‘Hey, how are you?’, even though they don’t really care how you’re doing. It’s more something they do out of politeness!
Do you have some tips for people who are considering an exchange?
I believe that an exchange is an experience that contributes something no matter what. Even in the worst case scenario you can learn something from it. If you look at it like that, there is almost no reason not to go! One practical tip is to start arranging the needed documents on time. It saved me a lot of stress later.
How did your exchange fit in with your study programme?
Within the Artificial Intelligence programme you have a lot of free electives in your third year. These free electives can also be courses from a different university in a different country. So I followed a great variety of courses that I enjoyed during my semester abroad!
Has the exchange been a good addition to your programme and/or personal development? If yes, how so?
It has brought me a lot: I really enjoyed being in nature a lot. I had the chance to see wonderful mountains, views, and nature parks. It’s also unique to get to know the culture from within. I really noticed how capitalistic and innovative Canada is. However, I did notice that this is accompanied by immense differences between people’s lives. All in all, a valuable insight into another culture!