Essential considerations before deciding to go on exchange
Exchange is an amazing experience that will make you grow in every way possible – before deciding to go, it can however be good to consider these things:
- Academic Alignment: Ensure that you find an institution that matches your academic goals. Would be a shame if you had to take courses that do not matches your interests.
- Financial Preparation: Create a detailed budget covering tuition (if any), accommodation, living expenses etc. In this way you get a good idea of how money it requires and if you are willing to use that amount. It is also a good idea to research which scholarships you can apply for. In this way you can see if it will be possible for you to get any.
- Culture and Country: Decide which culture you would like to be a part of and where you think it could be exciting to spend a semester. Do you want to go to a country that is like the one you grew up in or do you want to experience a whole new culture?
- Legal Considerations: Familiarize yourself with the requirements for the countries you are considering – sometimes it can be a complicated process to apply for visas etc – and decide if the amount of time it will take is worth it or if you would rather go to a country where the paperwork is less demanding.
- Goals: Think about why you want to go. Is it because you want to learn a new language – because you want to challenge yourself academically – because you want to explore a new culture or something else? This can maybe help you choose where to go.
It can also be an idea to look at the websites of the universities. Often they have written a bit about life in the country in which the university is located. See for example Copenhagen Business Schools site:
https://www.cbs.dk/en/study/internationals/life-in-copenhagen
I hope this post helped you to get closer to deciding if you want to go on exchange or not. If you have decided to go, see this checklist: https://caroline23.tblog.o2switch.site/wp-admin/post.php?post=199&action=edit
