Durham Cathedral, as seen in Harry Potter

So you’re thinking about going on exchange.  Maybe you’re a first year; you just started university and want to get the most from your experience.  Maybe you’re going into your third year and think it’s too late.  Maybe you don’t really want to go on exchange but are just curious about what the big deal is.  Whatever it might be, these 9 things will definitely help you make a decision.

UBC wants you to go on exchange

UBC actually wants students to go on exchange.  You might think this is obvious, you might think this isn’t, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind before applying.  Let me give you some examples of how they support students going abroad.  First of all there are about a half-a-dozen advisors who work full time in International House who are experts on exchange programs around the world.  There’s an advisor for all the different programs that Go Global offers.  Heck, there’s even an advisor for your safety abroad.  UBC also offers financial support for student’s looking to go on exchange, from scholarships to awards.  UBC wants you to go on exchange.

Going on exchange takes independence 

Remember when you were in grade 12? When you were worrying about applying for universities and all the work associated with that?  Well going on exchange is pretty similar, except not everyone will be doing it.  Because of the independence afforded to university students, no one will be pushing you to meet deadlines.  No one will remind you that there’s an advising session you need to attend (oops, sorry Arts – didn’t mean to miss that one!).  You will be responsible for just about every part of the process, so take advantage of the support UBC offers.

Exchange is about more than just studying

This goes out to anyone who is thinking about going on exchange as a chance to broaden the scope of their education.  Good for you! That’s a great reason to want to go on exchange.  But exchange is so, so much more than that.  Exchange is the opportunity to grow as a person, to explore the world, to have fun.  Embrace opportunities as they come and don’t let your textbooks bog you down.

Exchange is about more than just having fun

If you’ve looked into going on exchange, you probably know that your grades will on exchange will transfer back as pass/fail.  Woohoo! Time to slack off right?  Not quite.  While UBC will not use those grades to calculate your average, when you apply to institutions in the future they’ll ask to see those transcripts.  Getting good grades while on exchange can show an employer that you’re adaptable and can thrive in more than one set of circumstances.

Going on exchange can be expensive

Exchange can be cheap.  You could go to a partner institution in North America, maybe something down in Oregon.  Living expenses will be low, flights there are cheap.  And there’s nothing wrong with that!  But for a lot of us, exchange expenses can quickly add up.  Flights to Europe, living expenses in large European cities, travel, and entertainment are not cheap.  Work on a budget before applying, you don’t want to end up realizing you won’t be able to afford it after paying UBC’s Go Global fee.  Even worse, you don’t want to run out of money while on exchange.

Course selection matters

This is less for going on exchange and more for right now, while you’re trying to decide if you want to go.  The courses you are taking right now will affect how easy life abroad will be.  The best thing to do while on exchange is take electives.  If you don’t have to worry about how your course credits will transfer back to UBC you can spend more time worrying about where you’ll go on your next weekend trip.  I flagrantly ignored this one and will be taking entirely requisite courses and I can tell you I’d much rather not have to worry about credits not transferring and me needing to drop one of my majors just to graduate in 5 years instead of 6.  If you aren’t sure what courses you should be taking this year, talk to your Faculty Advising.  Trust me, they know what you should be doing.

It’s never too late

While generally it is recommended that you are in your third year for your exchange, it’s entirely possible to go away in your fourth (or even fifth or sixth) year.  All it takes is a little bit of planning, realism, and commitment.  UBC requires you study at UBC for the term before you graduate, but Go Global offers many half-year exchanges.  If you are about to go into your last year, you can go away for Term 1 and be back in time for January.  The moral of the story? Go for it.  You’ve got the time.

Every part of the process is fun

So there’s a lot of things that go into getting ready for exchange.  Application after application, deadline after deadline, information session after information session.  It really is an extremely bureaucratic process.  But bureaucracy can be fun when you’re excited about the outcome.  Filling out a form is exciting when you know it’ll lead you to a new country.  Writing an application essay is an adventure if you know it’s the first step.  I haven’t left yet but it’s already been a blast.

You won’t regret it

I guess I can’t guarantee you won’t regret it, but I can come pretty close.  Fifty years down the road, you are far more likely to regret not taking the opportunity to explore the world than you are to regret going on an adventure while you were young.  Exchange is one of the few opportunities you will ever have to pick up, move to a new country for a year, then move home without completely derailing your life plan.  In fact, it can (and often does) help you move forward towards your goals.  Exchange is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Go for it.  Dive in.  You won’t regret it.