I will write about my experience on exchange in Jönköping, Sweden in the hopes that I inspire or convince whoever reads this to consider doing an exchange or something similar in their life. I only have up to 500 words, so it will be short.
Hands down, this was the best decision I have ever made and one of the greatest experiences I have had. Key things I take away from my experience are the life-long friends I made, the amount of culture I learned about, the travel opportunities and the future benefits this could add to my career.
The difference about making friends while on exchange is that all other exchange students are fairly open minded, friendly and were willing to take a risk to be there. Making friends is really easy because people are there to do the same thing. I made really close friends during the first semester and was invited to visit my friends in their home countries, it was such an amazing experience. I learned a lot more about their cultures and how it differs from my own by staying with their families and doing activities different from regular tourists. I have kept in contact with them and expect to return the favour one day.
I travelled quite a bit over the time I was here. In Europe transportation is very easy across and between countries. I spent a lot of my money but it was worth it. You get a lot of rewarding experience from travelling mostly from the culture and history you learn by being there. You also develop skills like budgeting, planning schedules and arranging transportation.
By doing my exchange I extended the completion time of my degree. Now this might not be what some students want to do but it is worth it. At graduation everyone will relatively all have similar things on their resume and will have the same education; it will be hard to say you are better than everyone else or that you are different when you look for a job. With the experience of an exchange you study in another country and learn differently from their education system, it also speaks to the kind of person you are. Many people may be afraid to leave home, you show that you were brave enough to venture somewhere far away to learn and experience new things. It proves you are adaptable to change and over all you mature in ways you would not at home. I can say with confidence that my exchange has helped me mature and become a much stronger person.
I hope this short piece has given you a little insight into studying abroad and helped you to see how it can be beneficial to your life in multiple ways. Again, it was the best decision I have ever made and I am very happy and fortunate I was able to partake in such an experience.
💥REGISTER NOW!💥 Registration link is in @canstudyconsult bio. ——————————————————— FREE INFO SESSION with Camosun College located in British Columbia, Canada! ——————————————————— Join us this Friday, May 8th at 7 PM EST (6PM Jamaica time), for an opportunity to speak directly with a representative from Camosun College @camosunintl ! We can’t take you to the college so we’re bringing the college to you! ——————————————————— He will be discussing: - Canada’s response to COVID-19 - Job opportunities in Victoria, BC (lowest unemployment rate in Canada) - Advantages to live in Victoria (best weather in canada, affordable cost of living) - Advantages of studying at Camosun College (largest public college in BC) - Programs available to international students at Camosun College ____________________________________________ #camosun #britishcolumbia #victoria #studyincanada #liveincanada #workincanada #earningpower #securethebag #education #internationaleducation (at ScholarshipJamaica.com) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3OAuJBmP6/?igshid=onkxy52vki9s
REGISTER NOW! Registration link is in @canstudyconsult bio. ——————————————————— FREE INFO SESSION with Camosun College located in British Columbia, Canada! ——————————————————— Join us this Friday, May 8th at 7 PM EST (6PM Jamaica time), for an opportunity to speak directly with a representative from Camosun College @camosuncollege! We can’t take you to the college so we’re bringing the college to you! ——————————————————— He will be discussing: - Canada’s response to COVID-19 - Job opportunities in Victoria, BC (lowest unemployment rate in Canada) - Advantages to live in Victoria (best weather in canada, affordable cost of living) - Advantages of studying at Camosun College (largest public college in BC) - Programs available to international students at Camosun College ____________________________________________ #camosun #britishcolumbia #victoria #studyincanada #liveincanada #workincanada #earningpower #securethebag #education #internationaleducation #studyabroad #studyinjamaica #scholarshipjamaica (at ScholarshipJamaica.com) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3BjrjBbip/?igshid=1xvrqukzgy4g8
FREE INFO SESSION with Camosun College located in British Columbia, Canada! ———————————————————————— Join @canstudyconsult this Friday, May 8th at 7 PM EST (6PM Jamaica time), for an opportunity to speak directly with a representative from Camosun College @camosunintl ! We can’t take you to the college so we’re bringing the college to you! ———————————————————————— He will be discussing: - Canada’s response to COVID-19 - Job opportunities in Victoria, BC (lowest unemployment rate in #Canada) - Advantages if living in Victoria (best weather in canada, affordable cost of living) - Advantages of studying at Camosun College (largest public college in BC) - Programs available to international students at #Camosun College ———————————————————————— Registration details will be released tonight at 8PM EST (7PM Jamaica Time) so look out as spots will be limited. ____________________________________________ #camosun #britishcolumbia #victoria #studyincanada #liveincanada #workincanada #earningpower #securethebag #education #internationaleducation #canstudy #studyincanada https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0MSnyh0Hg/?igshid=1li5j4lsrrnof
My name is Malcolm! I just finished the second year of the nursing degree program at Camosun College. Going into the nursing program, I didn’t think I’d have any chance to travel over the following four years. The summers would be too short, and I’d need to use that time off from school to work and support myself. So, when the chance to travel for school came up, and I had a couple other friends who were interested, I jumped at the opportunity.
Nursing in New Zealand was an eye-opening experience – while everything on the surface seemed similar, a lot of their practices were different, and forced me to engage and learn in new ways. I came away with a lot of new ideas about what my nursing practice should look like, and feel I grew a lot in my time there. Beyond the nursing experience, my friends and I had time to explore New Zealand a bit. We took advantage of our weekends, to do things in and around Wellington, where we were based. We also had a chance to do a longer trip, and a few of us were able to stay on for a couple weeks after the practicum ended. I made friends there I know I want to visit in the future and got just enough of a taste of New Zealand that I know I have to return and see more of it. After just 6 weeks, it already felt like a second home.
-Malcolm Mackenzie, 2019 New Zealand Nursing Field School
One of the most stressful parts of studying abroad is ensuring your finances are in order. I will be providing some tips and tricks that I’ve learned while abroad to help you out.
First, budgeting is going to be your best friend when it comes to financial piece of mind. Your budget should be done before your trip, and your budget should be checked by tracking your spending as you go. I recommend leaving wiggle room in your budget as expenses come up, and it is difficult to plan down to the penny.
The second thing to consider is foreign currency fees. Most credit cards will charge you 2% when you are billed in a foreign currency. This can add up quickly as you’re travelling. I recommend applying for a credit card called the Home Trust Visa. This card’s main selling point is that it has no foreign currency charge. By using this card instead of cash when you can, you will avoid ATM fees and other card’s mark up. Unfortunately, you will need cash sometimes. My recommendation to avoid fees when obtaining cash is twofold. Before your trip, shop around for the best exchange rate on your desired currency. While abroad, one way to pay less in ATM fees is to consider opening a Scotiabank account. Scotiabank has partner banks across the globe that will waive their ATM fees when using Scotia’s debit card. These are a few ways that can help reduce your stress and save you some money while studying abroad.
