UK - Zoe
Student: Zoe
Course: Bachelor of Psychology
Program: Trimester Exchange T1 2025
I spent the first half of 2025 at The University of Glasgow in Scotland and loved every minute of it! The vibe of the West End (where the university and student accommodation is located) is edgy, vibrant, artsy and a lot of fun. Imagine, student deals and discounts at almost any place you walk into (gym, spinning studio, cafés, subway, restaurants). West End is MADE for the optimal student experience.
Architecturally, the university itself is straight out of Harry Potter. Overall, the facilities and staff were amazing. I’d recommend taking an English/Scottish Literature/Culture unit – as an elective - when at the UofG, as this means your classes are likely to run in the old, traditional building on campus (which is beautiful).
A typical day in my life included a morning spinning session at Revolution Spin to get the blood pumping, meet a friend for coffee, walk home through the botanical gardens, quickly get myself ready for classes, enjoy ALL of my classes and then come home and eat dinner with my flatmates, play a game/watch a movie and get some rest. Occasionally I’d have an event on in the evening, like a Taylor Swift Themed Karaoke, a Cèilidh (Traditional Scottish Dancing/Music) or Bad Movie Night (a student club where they intentionally screen awful movies; the idea behind this is that you can socialise guilt-free as no one really cares for the movie!) There’s no shortage of pubs in Glasgow, and my friends and I would regularly go for a drink after classes finished for the day or go out to the student club – the Hive - on a Wednesday night!
All exchange students are housed together via the university’s student accommodation, meaning everyone is in the same boat (homesick, finding themselves in a foreign country and in desperate need of friendship). I made lifelong friendships with some of my flatmates, and we still contact each other weekly since leaving Scotland.
Using my ‘Young Scot’ card, I had unlimited, free access to bus services all over Scotland. I’ll be honest, public transport all over the UK is crazy expensive in comparison to Victoria. If you’re 21 and under, I’d highly recommend getting this card and saving yourself some money.
I went on many memorable trips in Scotland itself, such as exploring the Isle of Skye, Inverness, Loch Ness, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glencoe, and my personal favourite, the Cairngorms. I hiked Beinn Dubh – as a total beginner hiker – which overlooks the famous Loch Lomond. Blessed with sunny weather, some good company and clear views, this hike is one of best things I did on my exchange.
I also went on many short trips, including a day trip to Dublin (yes, DAY trip, catch an early morning flight and a late-night flight home only for $70!). I spent most of my Spring Break in The Netherlands – where I have family - during tulip season which was phenomenal. I had many of my exchange friends come with me and we all stayed at my Grandma’s place. We borrowed her car for a week, and road tripped around Germany and Belgium, this was really where my friendships solidified for life. I also ventured to Wales, England, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Greece! Everything is so close there, keep an eye out for budget flights!
My biggest piece of advice for Exchange is to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Invest in your friendships, focus on your wellbeing, do the hard things, explore and see the sights. My exchange challenged me in my independence, my ability to do things alone and enjoy them, exercised my networking and social skills and hear different perspectives from people all over the world. It was valuable not only to my studies, but to my broader life in general.
I’ll forever be grateful for the time I spent in Glasgow, for the people I met and the memories I made! Would recommend to anyone seeking that youthful ‘university’ experience.