WCP Women Who Travel - Pt. 1: My Experience on Exchange at the University of Manchester

A reflection on the social, academic and administrative components of my semester abroad.

Balancing a large suitcase and two backpacks, my semester exchange began as I disembarked the train from London to Manchester. I would spend the next 4 months studying at the University of Manchester, making lifelong memories and meeting amazing people.

One of my standout experiences from this university program was the dynamics of living in student accommodation. I found that by living in student halls, I was able to get involved in student life with ease and foster strong connections with my flatmates. We even found time amongst our differing schedules for a flat Christmas dinner attended by all 10 flatmates! For any University students who are familiar with the long PTV commute to and from campus, I cannot recommend an exchange semester enough. Living independently and alongside other university students was a fantastic social experience and trial of independence. 

Alongside flatmates, many exchange experiences will be accompanied by an accessible network of other visiting students. At the University of Manchester, a large social event was held in the orientation week to encourage exchange students to mingle with each other prior to classes starting, supported by an exchange student society. At this event I was acquainted with people from a diverse range of backgrounds as well as many fellow Aussies from both University of Melbourne and other Australian universities. As an example, two people I met at this event I later attended the women’s Manchester football ‘derby’ with them. Experiences like this have assured me that a semester abroad is a fantastic social opportunity for students. Although entering a new overseas world with no prior contacts can be an intimidating prospect for many, you will find that being an exchange student already creates common ground with many others who are also eager to make connections and discover a new country.  

Another highlight for me was the opportunity to immerse myself in new cultures. While England shares many cultural similarities with Australia, I still found myself in awe of the pub and football culture. From trying my first pint of Guinness to attending my first European football match at Etihad Stadium, there is no shortage of new and enjoyable activities for exchange students. In addition, many exchange students are known for their shared wanderlust. Living in Europe, I had access to travel that was tantalising for the isolated Australian. Whether it be a solo day trip to Edinburgh or a weekend friends’ trip to Dublin, Ryanair is ready to be the best friend of all those who are eager - provided you meet their notorious luggage allowance! 

In the administrative realm, multiple aspects of the University of Melbourne program worked to make my exchange experience academically accessible. I would encourage any future exchange students to consider their eligibility in applying for the University’s ‘Mobility Awards’ which can provide some financial assistance for the program. In terms of subject selection, the Melbourne breadth model provided me a high degree of flexibility in securing subject enrolment overseas. Moreover, these subjects will be treated on a pass/fail basis. An advantage of this is that I felt confident to enrol in a subject of which I had no prior knowledge and was also outside of my degree, Introduction to Programming. In this way, a semester abroad can also provide the opportunity to explore new subjects, learning methods and areas of study comfortably. 

I heard before departing on my exchange that ‘nobody ever regrets an exchange semester’. After my experience, I cannot prove that exchange is always amazing for everyone, but I can say that mine was. I will never regret this overseas experience and I will forever encourage anyone interested to give it a go.