UK – Sasha
Student: Sasha
Course: Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of International Studies
Program: Trimester exchange
Describe a normal day in your life overseas: your university, your work placement or your study tour?
On exchange, I would often wake up, cook breakfast and go for a run in the morning before class. After class, I always had coffee and lunch with a friend. I also joined the athletics club. They had training in the afternoons, so after lunch I would head to the Sportspark and train. In the evenings, my friends and I gathered at the UEA Student Bar and partook in the many activities the bar had to offer, such as karaoke or pub quiz. At the end of the night, after the bar closes, we would all collectively make a trip to our local Tesco, grab some food and hang out at someone’s flat.
How did you make friends and what sort of things did you do together?
I thought this was going to be the hardest part of my exchange. I spent so long worrying about how I was going to make friends. At UEA though, there are no shortage of ‘welcome’ activities and student clubs, which allowed me to meet new exchange students like me. We had a Whatsapp group chat where we coordinated plans together – from exploring Norwich, going on weekend trips, or even a pub crawl! We also had dinners at my student flat where everyone would bring a dish of their own. It was a great friend group, and I am eternally grateful I got to meet people like them.
What is the one big thing you will always remember from your experience? Or one big lesson that you learnt?
The one thing I remember from my experience is the academic cross-cultural interactions I had whilst studying abroad. This was particularly important to me because I was studying international law – specifically, international human rights law and multiculturalism. Hearing stories from people from different backgrounds on the other side of the world really shaped my understanding of law and policy, and how these interact with one another on a global scale to create different experiences of the world. I was constantly confronted with my privilege, and how I could use this to help others.
Was there some aspect of your trip that was different to your expectations?
Looking at the Deakin abroad website, I expected UEA to be a university with similar resources and facilities as Deakin. I did not expect UEA to have its own student bar, a nightclub, four coffee shops, a supermarket and laundry facilities. It was almost like a little town within the university itself. The local town was also only a 20-minute bus ride from campus. Not to mention, Norwich itself was beautiful beyond words – medieval architecture, delicious food and drink options, excellent cost of living, accessible public transport and a very safe nightlife. I am grateful to have experienced the university and the town beyond a visit.