REBECCA

World Link Volunteer For: Netherlands

International Experience: Exchange

Languages Spoken: English, French

Program of Study: Health Studies Major

I initially wanted to go on an exchange because I love pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Learning and studying in a brand new cultural context was an opportunity that excited me and one that I definitely did not want to miss out on!

One thing that surprised me about my destination was the drastic change of pace that I noticed when I arrived. It was not uncommon to be out for a meal for several hours, chatting and talking, and truly enjoying good food and company. The slower pace was something that I learned to appreciate and I have tried to incorporate part of this mentality into my busy life back in Canada!

One of the challenges I faced while on exchange was navigating through an academic system that was very different from Queen’s. Being patient and organized, in addition to talking to other Dutch and international students allowed me to problem-solve and overcome these challenges.

One of the highlights of my exchange was joining a student running club in Leiden. Being the only non-Dutch runner, my new Dutch friends helped me interpret the instructions of the Dutch coach and made me feel a part of the team. This experience allowed me to integrate into the Leiden student community and stay in shape at the same time!

If I had to bring one thing back home with me, it would be the beautiful Dutch canals! To me, these waterways represent life, community, and prosperity. Biking, having coffee dates, and attending the local food market along the winding canals were a part of my everyday life in Leiden.

I would recommend to anyone going on exchange to get involved in some way at their host university. Whether it is joining a running club or local choir, these are the experiences that will enhance your cultural understanding of the country you are visiting and it’s a great way to make friends!

      JULIA

World Link Volunteer For: Leeds, United Kingdom

International Experience: Exchange

Program of Study: History, Film and Media studies

I wanted to take a year to get out of my comfort zone, live on my own in a new city and country, make friends from all over the world and experience a different university system… while doing some travelling on the side.

What surprised me was the enormous student presence that there was in the city, as well as the large and diverse international community.

One challenge I faced was attempting to understand the Yorkshire accent, and trying not to get hit by cars driving on the other side of the road.

One of my highlights was celebrating the royal wedding on the streets of London!

If it were possible to bring one thing back home with me it would be the rolling Yorkshire hills, and English cider.

I would advise other students to take advantage of the great student union and all of the opportunities that you will have to get involved with university, and the city of Leeds. Since there is generally less class time at the university, you will have tons of time to try new things!

 JONATHON

World Link Volunteer For: Scotland

International Experience: Exchange

Languages Spoken: English, French

Program of Study: History Major, French Minor

I wanted to go on an exchange because I realized the world was much more than just Canada, and I wanted a good way to see as much of it as I could. Also, history programs are typically euro-centric, and I knew that doing a year in Europe would tie it all together nicely.

The biggest surprise about my destination was the internationality of the place – there were enormous numbers of students from all over the world in this little bubble on the Fife Coast, a rather small part of Scotland. However, as soon as you left St Andrews, it became a deeply Scottish area.

I had no problems adjusting to the new culture. It is fairly similar to ours, and I left home with the intention to become fully immersed in their culture. This was a great goal; all of my best friends were British, and I loved the culture.

One of the highlights was getting to know so many people, and the opportunities this allowed – for instance, I spent the final 3 weeks of my time in the UK on a whirlwind tour, staying exclusively with friends in Edinburgh, Manchester, Anglesey (in North Wales) and Sussex, near London, and saw the world through their perspectives.

If I could bring one thing home with me, it would be the media – British television is so much braver than ours, and the shows are just ridiculous. We always had such fun watching it. As well, it would be a great way to hear all the accents I came to know and love regularly!

My advice to Queen’s students heading to Scotland is this: Hold nothing back. Take part in every aspect of this magnificent place. The more you open yourself up to the Scottish way of life, the more you will fall in love with it. I did just this, and my only regret is that my exchange was only 1 year long!

ISABELLE

World Link Volunteer For: England, Botswana

International Experience: Studied at The Bader International Study Centre in England, Volunteered in Botswana

Program of Study: Global Development Studies Major, International Study Certificate

When I was in grade 12, Queen’s came to my high school and did a presentation on the university for interested students. Part of that presentation talked about the first year program at the Bader International Study Centre, a one year program at Herstmonceux Castle which boasts small class sizes, practical learning environments, and (of course) an international experience. Right away I knew it was absolutely perfect for me! I loved the idea of integrating classroom learning with field studies, and the opportunity of living in a castle (Hogwarts) for a year seemed like a once in a lifetime chance.

I went to Botswana with Queen’s Project on International Development, an on-campus club which focuses on both discussion about development issues and informed action through mutually beneficial partnerships with grassroots non-governmental organisations in other regions. I wanted to get the experience of working for a NGO abroad, especially on a community level, and seeing first hand how the local organisations determined their projects and initiatives. Botswana seemed like an interesting place to go, because of the contrast between its image of an “African success story” and the widespread poverty and inequality of wealth distribution.

In England, I was often surprised by little changes between my life there and my life back home in Canada. Because we think of England as a “Western” country, I really wasn’t anticipating much difference from life in Canada, so the little distinctions sometimes caught me off guard.

In Botswana, I was surprised most by how generous all of the people I met were. Although relatively I was much wealthier than my home-stay family, friends, and people I met around the country, they were all willing to give so much, help out whenever they could, and make me feel as at home as possible. It was really much more a communal environment than what I was used to.

The BISC program at Herstmonceux Castle is unique because of its small size. Although this was definitely one of the benefits, living, studying and traveling with a group of only 150 other students for a whole year could sometimes be challenging. The small group and remote campus can create a kind of “Castle bubble”. This is easy to get out of once you recognize it and do something new every now and then.

Living with a home-stay family in Botswana was definitely the biggest challenge of the trip for me. I think that at the beginning I viewed my home as a way to totally relax and sink back into my Canadian habits of living, but by doing that I wasn’t acknowledging the way that my home-stay mom was used to having things done. I had to work hard to adjust to her expectations of me as a “daughter”, but in the end gaining another family made the work completely worth it.

In both England and Botswana, I was able to travel around a lot on my free time. During both experiences I visited a number of surrounding countries. Traveling by myself or with just a couple other people really allowed me to grow and become more independent and confident. However, I think in both cases the real highlight was sinking into the societies and cultures I was surrounded by. Making friends and routines, finding my favourite restaurants and stores, and becoming part of the community allowed me to form connections and really make myself feel at home.

From England, I would bring back Trafalgar Square. It was a great place to sit and people watch, always busy with tourists and locals a like. From Botswana, I would bring back the sunsets. I have never seen the sun so big and red before; the colours were absolutely breathtaking every single time.

For Queen’s students traveling to England, and especially to the Castle for the BISC, I would say to do as much as possible while you are there. The Castle is such a beautiful place that it is easy to just spend all your time there, but there are so many things to do and see which are within an easy distance. I think you can learn just as much from seeing things and talking to new people as you can in a classroom; and ultimately, this will help you to adjust as you form your own relationships.

In the case of Botswana, I would say to try to push any preconceived notions of “Africa” out of your head. Botswana, like all other countries in Africa, has a unique culture, people, and history. Thinking about it as part of a homogenous group will only restrict you as you try to understand it. Also, be prepared to slow down. Almost everything in Botswana happens at a very slow and leisurely pace, which can at first be difficult to adjust to.

Most of all have fun! In either England or Botswana make the most of your experience. Talk to people, try new foods, do things you might not do at home.  Don’t take your time there for granted because it is almost guaranteed it will go way too fast!

      ALLY

World Link Volunteer For: Netherlands

International Experience: Exchange

Languages Spoken: English, Intermediate French and Basic Italian

Program of Study: Majoring in Psychology, thesis on Multiculturalism in the Workplace

I wanted to go on exchange because I thought it was important to take advantage of the amazing study abroad program that Queen’s offers. What could be better than living abroad and having the opportunity to meet tons of people without getting behind in school?

I was surprised by how picturesquely beautiful the Netherlands really is! You always see postcards of Amsterdam and think “it can’t possibly be that lovely”…but it is.

There were plenty of bureaucratic difficulties with setting up bank accounts and sorting out visa documents. It was quite stressful sometimes.

One of the highlights of my exchange was being able to meet so many amazing new friends and travel all over Europe and experience a new education system.

If it were possible to bring one thing back home with me it would be that everyone rode bikes as much as the Dutch do!

Advice I would give Queen’s students travelling to the Netherlands would be to avoid the residences that the school promotes! I found the most beautiful apartment with some lovely and helpful Dutch girls for much less of the cost as it would have been to live in the residence.

  REBECCA

World Link Volunteer For: Netherlands

International Experience: Lived in the Netherlands

Languages Spoken: English, Basic Spanish

Program of Study: Commerce

The primary reason why I went to The Netherlands was for my father’s job as our family was transferred with his relocation.

What surprised me most about Holland was how lassiez-faire their culture was. The Dutch enjoyed life and did not let any challenges get in their way of living. Moreover, the proximity to everything was another surprise- for weeks at time my family did not require a car as we used our bikes to travel everywhere.

Yes I did face challenges adapting to the new culture. The main issue was adapting to the new values and customs that I was brought into and how I had to adapt to The Dutch ways of doing things. Language was also a major barrier but after a year one begins to catch on to the basics of Dutch.

The main highlight was being able meet so many people from international backgrounds. I was one of the two individual’s in my class from Canada and thus I was able to learn about several other cultures, not only Holland’s culture. Additionally, being so close to many other countries was a major highlight as one could take a train for 2.5 hours and be in Paris. Thus, being so close to many other cultures expanded my perception and knowledge of the European lifestyle.

If there was one thing I would bring back from my living experience it would be the relaxed and worry free lifestyle…and cheese!

The main advice I would give for a Queen’s student going to Holland would be to go with open arms and not restrict yourself to any opportunities that are presented for you to take part in. Also, to embrace the lifestyle of the Dutch, such as use a bike as your main way of transportation and to remove all any forms of judgement that you bring with you from Queens. Most of all to enjoy the life that the Dutch have whilst you can.