Why Questions: Why Exchange? Why Scotland?

The last day to submit my application for student exchange was today and I am happy to say I submitted all of the components needed. So, pending approval by the University of Toronto and the University of Glasgow, I am hopefully going to Scotland in September!

Now that the application is in, I’ve been sharing with people in my circle about the plans. I seem to be getting a lot of why questions — why exchange, and more importantly, why Scotland? Thought I’d tackle both in one post and hopefully shed light to anyone who is considering an exchange opportunity as well.

1. Why Exchange?
Studies in international education point out the many benefits of participating in international programs and opportunities, and I have seen it first hand myself how much of a positive impact they have on a person’s learning (and personal!) experience. Not only are there academic and career benefits, there is a lot of personal growth and development that can take place when you surround yourself in a new environment away from home. Cross-cultural learning occurs when interacting in a new environment and with new people — it’s a great way to learn more about the history and culture of other countries, but it also gives a chance for you to share what you know from your culture and experiences. It’s also a great reminder that there is so much more in the world to see/discover/explore/learn about.

There are many international programs and opportunities students can choose from if they wish to go abroad. I have friends who are studying postgrad or professional degrees, partaking in language programs, and conducting research abroad. I also have friends who are working abroad or teaching English abroad.

I chose to participate in student exchange because I’ve always dreamed of living abroad on my own and exploring places I have never been to. A student exchange allows me to do just that while also study courses that can count towards my degree back at OISE. I am excited by the idea and the challenge of travelling and living independently. I also fear I may not get another chance to do something like this once I have more commitments tying me back, so this feels like the right time to do it.

How a student exchange works is also an added bonus since the structure is in place to allow me to both live and study abroad for a set period of time. U of T and its partner institutions have built partnerships for postsecondary students to essentially switch places — this means I would be studying at the host university (University of Glasgow) with other students there, participate in their student life programs, have access to their student services, all while paying the home university (University of Toronto) tuition fees instead of international fees. A student from the University of Glasgow can then come to the University of Toronto to study and he/she pays their home institution tuition fees.

One thing to note: a student can only participate in an exchange program to a particular institution if there is an exchange agreement in place between the two institutions.

2. Why Scotland? Why Glasgow?
After much thought and deliberation between many different countries and institutions I was considering, it essentially came down to a personal decision. When I made the decision to go on an exchange, I thought about why I wanted to go and how far I was wiling to stretch my boundaries. I also spoke to my professors in my classes for their thoughts on where to consider going and started my research from there.

I knew I wanted to go on an exchange for a full academic year (September – April/May). As someone who has never traveled outside of the continent, let alone be away for an extended period of time, I knew I would prefer to be at a place I felt comfortable living in for a long period of time. However, I also wanted to settle in an area where I can accessibly explore different places in short periods of time so I can fit in travel in between studies. Europe became the more ideal place to look further.

After speaking to my professors about studying abroad, they directed me to academic journals in the field of adult education that are outside of Canada. They advised me that the UK is doing a lot of research in adult education and suggested to look at the schools there. I started to like this idea since I’ve always dreamed of living in London, England (despite never being there before). However, I also knew I wanted a more culturally different experience, so I held off on jumping to London right away.

I then looked at which UK schools U of T has an exchange agreement with and looked at each institution’s website. I read about the programs and courses offered, their support services for exchange/international students, and the student life experience. I also read the profiles of the professors there and about their research. I also did some preliminary reading on the country and location and got in touch with students who had gone on exchange to the schools I was considering.

I ultimately chose the University of Glasgow because I was interested in their Adult and Continuing Education program and thought the courses offered would be a good fit with my Adult Education and Community Development program at OISE (I was quite excited when I read some of the course descriptions). Scotland is also a country full of rich culture and history and beautiful scenery. However, I am a city girl and Glasgow also happens to be the biggest city in Scotland, so I am excited to immerse myself with the beautiful nature and still be close by urban life. I’ll also be able to accessibly travel around and visit other cities in the UK and the rest of Europe (I’ve been told endlessly about cost-effective train and plane tickets there). One bonus is that Glasgow is known for its arts scene (particularly in music) which makes me very very happy. I’ve also been made aware that Glasgow may not be the safest city to be in, but I acknowledge that and hope to learn more about the city and how to keep myself healthy and safe.

If you are considering participating in a student exchange, my advice would be:

• Think about the reasons why you want to study abroad and what your goals are/what you hope to accomplish. This will help you narrow down the opportunities offered. Also consider if going on an exchange is financially feasible and if there are any scholarships/bursaries offered to help with expenses. You may be paying home institution fees, but you’ll likely be responsible for living and travel expenses.
• Check your institution’s international and study abroad opportunities and see if/what exchange agreements they have with other institutions. For those at the University of Toronto: the Centre for International Experience’s Exchange Program page is a great resource.
• Check if you are eligible to study abroad on a student exchange. For example, as a U of T graduate student from the department School of Graduate Studies I am eligible to apply to the specific institutions that have agreements set for graduate students. There may also be other eligibility requirements like minimum GPA and year of study.
• Learn about the types of exchange opportunities offered: one semester, academic year, full year, summer, research, etc.
• Find out the steps to apply, what documents you need, and the deadline to apply by. As a graduate student at U of T, both my department of studies (OISE) and the School of Graduate Studies have to approve me studying abroad for coursework before CIE can consider my application.
• Attend information sessions and exchange fairs offered to learn more about how exchange works, the process, and meet students who have gone on exchange to learn about their experiences.
• If student exchange isn’t for you (and it’s totally okay if it isn’t), then consider looking into other international opportunities that are available.