Blossoms and hands-on learning

From cherry blossoms in spring to hands-on confectionery labs, Fiona Luo loved her semester at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales.

Fiona Luo

Why I chose my host uni:

Prior to this experience, I didn't know much about Cardiff or Wales as a whole. However, I was open to going pretty much anywhere and had always wanted to study in the UK. Upon doing my research on the available universities and cities, Cardiff seemed like the perfect place as a small student-focused city with a rich heritage and heaps of greenery.

I also knew I wanted to travel Europe, so the UK was an awesome place to be for ease of travel. Even just day trips by coach to Bath or Oxford weren't too far from Cardiff, and those ended up being some highlights of my experience.

How I found applying to my host uni:

Applying to Cardiff Met was pretty straightforward through using their online application portal. The application did require a personal statement and an optional reference letter, though this wasn't too intense. I found the course approval process a little bit more lengthy as Cardiff Met doesn't display which semester different courses run across, so these have to be sent through email. For me, the courses offered at Cardiff Met weren't all similar to the ones I would be taking at AUT, so this required me to shuffle my study plan around a bit.

As I was going for less than six months on a NZ passport, all that was required was a simple Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application which was £16 – however, you won't be allowed to work while you're there. Make sure you've got a travel authorisation for any countries that you're transiting through, especially on the way back if the airline happens to change your flight last minute.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

I found the academic experience quite different at Cardiff Met. Class sizes for my degree were quite a lot smaller with around 6-15 people – this is nice as you get to know your classmates more easily and connect better with the lecturers as well. I actually found that the workload was less than at home as I was only taking three courses/modules in Cardiff.

There was a little bit of catching up to do as some classes required previous knowledge from courses that my classmates had already done, and these were things that I hadn't learnt as the first-year course content at home was different – however, it was a good opportunity to learn new things that I wouldn't have known otherwise and I feel it's given me a slight preview into my current courses.

What I gained from this experience:

Going on exchange challenged me to adapt to a new learning environment as it forced me absorb a lot of new information quickly, in terms of both the academic content and system. I also had some really awesome industry-related experiences like attending an Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) networking event, visiting a chocolate factory, and working in a team to develop and present a food product to a supplier. These all gave me so much insight into my degree and helped me to consider what kind of career I want in the future.

Personally, I grew so much from the experience. As someone lives at home when in Auckland, it was amazing to be fully independent – it’s such a good feeling to know you can be self-sufficient and have the ability to take care of yourself! It helped me to get comfortable doing things certain things alone, whether that was going to the bookstore or trying a new café or restaurant, when in the past doing these things alone would’ve made me self-conscious. Being in a new place really challenged me to make new friends (which isn’t always easy for me since I’m quite introverted) but it’s helped me become more comfortable in new environments with new people.