What People Say After Exchange

I asked Cindy Howe (cindy@engmail.uwaterloo.ca) to contact students who have been on exchange and solicit “tweet-size” comments on their experiences. Because I’m going away to drum up more exchange opportunities, we didn’t have time to get many replies. So here are all four of the responses that came in half a day:
1. “I went to Nanyang Tech. Inst. in Singapore for my exchange. Overall, it was a splendid experience. In my opinion, exchange is enjoyable by everyone no matter what kind of personality you have. When you go to another country and find yourself in a totally different environment, and experience a completely different culture, you get to be yourself in a completely different way. I feel that I would not have enjoyed my stay in Singapore as much as I did being a student. This is because University life is a totally different lifestyle and it brings to you many conveniences such as meeting locals of the same age group and other foreign students who are there for the very same reason you are.
If you love travelling, then exchange is definitely a must for you! If you select Singapore as your destination or any other country in that region, it is very convenient for you to visit several of the nearby countries. Weather is wonderful almost all year round, except that certain exotic places may not operate during monsoon seasons. And watch out for the Tsunami!
I recommend that you are well aware of the course contents before your exchange and that you obtain approvals for all of your courses beforehand. Don’t forget to obtain a bank draft from here which can be deposited into a bank in your country of choice. Do not travel alone! If you are travelling alone then make sure you don’t reach the country too late. This way you can make friends from the very start and plan out your travels. It is highly recommended that you master the art of bargaining when you go out shopping… it also helps to travel with a local of the country you are visiting.” (Muhammad Hemad Khan 4B EE)
2. “There are two types of people in this world: Ones that like to stay home and ones that explore.” and “Don’t stay in Waterloo in between October to June – exchange is your only hope.” (Albert Chen 4A SyDe)
3. “Going on exchange gives you the chance to experience a new lifestyle in another country, and adds a lot of perspective to the factors that drive you and your environment, especially when you return to Waterloo. It’s a great way to meet a lot of fun people and build international connections. Even more importantly, you might get to learn a new language, and find some of the so many amazing opportunities in your future that are just waiting to be found.” (Lee Anne Belcourt, 4A EE)
4. “It is definitely a great opportunity where you learn about another culture, walk the grounds of history and encounter it in real life, meet people from around the world who will inspire, motivate and change you and you’ll come back home totally energized! Not only that, but you also get to eat things you have never eaten before (uh-roasted beetles in Cambodia anyone?), do things that you never imagined yourself doing (Scuba Diving the reefs of Andaman Sea in Thailand? Trekking the rainforest of Borneo?), step out of your comfort zone and experience the local culture.
One the most amazing experiences I had was when I was traveling solo in Melaka, Malaysia. I was at a restaurant and wasn’t sure what to have for breakfast and this man saw me sort of confused. He comes over explaining to me all their different kinds of food. And then he invites me join him and his family for breakfast! There was a big family as they had relatives dining with them that day. They were the kindest people I ever met… totally welcomed me in and in the end refused to let me pay. He insisted that it’ll be his treat. It was definitely the best meal I ever had. So incredibly kind to welcome strangers! 🙂
I highly suggest that you think of what YOU want to get out of this exchange and not where your friends are going. While on exchange, the greatest opportunity is to meet people from various different countries, getting to know the locals and experiencing life as the locals do. If you are constantly with your friends, would that give you the opportunity to really live the new life?” (Poroshat Damavandi 4A EnvE)
These aren’t all exactly “tweet size”, and I had hoped for more, but, with only a few hours to reply, we got a pretty good response. These comments have some good advice in them. If your interest has been piqued, get in touch with Cindy Howe, go to the Engineering Exchange Website www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~exchange, and start planning your adventure on Exchange!