Uni clubs, instant mates

Hamish Berry swapped AUT for Edinburgh Napier University and found mates, new adventures and confidence that travelled home with him.

Hamish Berry

Hasmish in Scotland

Why I chose my host uni:

There were a couple of reasons why I chose Edinburgh. The main reason was the sense of it being completely different while also having similar culture and characteristics of New Zealand, where the culture shock wouldn't be a big issue. The other main reason was because of the things I had seen and heard about Edinburgh, and it lives up to it. The beauty and scenery of Edinburgh and Scotland are unreal, and I can say so much better in person.

How I found applying to my host uni:

Through my process of applying there were no major issues towards the process. Most of it just took time – making sure I had everything ready and set to go when it was needed, making sure I was patient for the amazing people to do a lot of the hard applying work for me, and being nice and respectful to everyone that made the exchange happen, especially Kirsten from AUT Global.

For going to the UK there weren’t too many documents or things I needed, just a transcript of the semesters I had already completed at uni at the stage and my portfolio since I was doing a creative course while I was there.

In terms of getting into the UK, all I needed was an ETA, meaning I was allowed to do my studies and travelling for up to six months visa free, leaving out the big hassles that it could have caused.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

I didn't find the academic system too challenging in comparison to AUT. Many of the courses had similar structures to what I was used to, and everyone there speaking English made it very accessible and manageable to me.

What I gained from this experience:

In all honesty I wouldn't say there was anything too significant I gained academically other than my knowledge of other cultures around the world. But personally, I gained more than I could have asked for, being able to express myself in a fuller way through meeting new people from different walks of lives, learning new cultures and becoming mates with the most amazing people that have really changed me as a person in the best way possible.

Top tips for other students

Be confident – there are a lot of people heading on exchange at these unis who are all in the same boat as you, so go up and make a new friend
Join a club – I can only speak for my experience while in Edinburgh but the uni life that they have through their sports and social clubs offers so many opportunities to meet students there and have some fun while meeting them
Talk to as many people in your class as possible – in my main design classes I was the only international student in them, the only one who was there for only the one semester. This made me so keen to go and meet the people from the class, and they’re also keen to meet someone from a country on the other side of the world, giving help in classes and around the city, making sure life inside of uni is just as good as it is outside
Exchange rates are really hard to stay accountable for, which makes it easy to spend much more than you think. Whatever you’re planning on having to be enough, bring a little bit more. Edinburgh is a pretty expensive city and that comes with having to spend some extra money to make the time worth it