In university, many young adults begin thinking about what they want to do after graduation and the traits they might need that will give them an edge on the job hunt.
Independence, confidence, leadership, self-awareness, objectivity, flexibility: there are many ways to develop these traits, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Dal’s International Centre offers students the opportunity to go on a study exchange with a partnering university or to study abroad with another university of choice. Moving to a different country can help students round out their personal and professional portfolios.
Some of the countries you can visit on exchange from Dal include England, Australia, Iceland, Japan and Mexico — more than 70 programs and total. (For the full list of exchange programs, check out the International Centre website.)
Students connecting students
“It was the best experience of my life. I changed a lot as a person. I matured a lot,” says Jessica Hutchinson, a fourth-year Kinesiology student who participated in an exchange with Umeå University in Sweden last year.
Hutchinson explains that she was shy when she began university, but the excitement of being out of her comfort zone during two semesters in Europe allowed her to “relax” and see opportunities that weren’t so obvious before.
Now she’s the outbound exchange student assistant in the International Centre, where she supports students prepping for their very own exchange adventure and leads a weekly general information session for students interested in an exchange program.
Clarke Foster, a fourth-year international development and political science student, also spent a year as an exchange student — a semester at Gothenburg University in Sweden, and another at Kyungpook National University in South Korea. His exchanges only strengthened his desire to pursue a graduate degree in global affairs with a focus on conflict resolution.
“There’s a big American military presence in Korea and they have the North/South Korea thing going on, which is very interesting from a conflict resolution kind of perspective,” says Foster.
Foster works in the International Centre now as well. He’s the inbound exchange student assistant, and he makes sure that students visiting Dalhousie on exchange feel supported.
As the two students reminisce about their travels, one thing is clear: living and studying in another country can really put life into perspective. From coping with culture clashes to reflecting on their values and beliefs, Hutchinson and Foster both grew as individuals over the course of that year, and even picked up another language or two.
“I was living in a house with tons of Italians, Spanish people, Dutch people, and a couple of Japanese people. I actually learned more Spanish than Swedish in Sweden,” laughs Foster, as he explains his living situation with several other exchange students. “I was gone for a year, now I have friends all over the world.”
While the comforts of home are appealing (Hutchinson speaks of dreaming about Tim Hortons coffee while she was away), the exchange experience is a different kind of learning. It’s a holistic approach, so to speak, because students are continuing their academics while being exposed to new cultures, languages, values and independence.
The “Buddy” system
The International Centre recognizes the value of exchange programs and studying abroad, so they’ve brought Foster and Hutchinson on board to help coordinate with all students, arriving and departing.
“There’s definitely excitement, definitely nervousness… Which is a good thing because it means you’re going out of your comfort zone, you’re taking a chance,” says Hutchinson as she describes the typical emotions of exchange students as they prepare to leave home. “We’re here to help them through every piece of it.”
“A lot of exchange students hang out with each other, that’s a very typical thing to do while on exchange anywhere in the world,” says Foster. “But they can come to us with anything. I understand that weird problems can come up at weird hours and you just don’t know what to do, and it’s a standard thing that you can’t easily talk to someone about because they just think you should know.”
The International Centre offers orientation sessions for inbound students and pre-departure sessions for outbound students. Additionally, students visiting Dalhousie can be paired up with a “buddy” — a current Dal student who will show them the ropes about life in Nova Scotia and life at Dal.
Essentially, the buddies are familiar faces for students, whom, in Hutchinson’s opinion, are keen to be immersed from day one. “They’re very eager to meet people,” she says. (Learn how to become a Buddy.)
Any Dalhousie student can apply to become a buddy for a visiting student. Partnering universities usually have a buddy program too, for those Dal students who are jetting off for their year abroad.
Interested students should explore the International Centre’s website to learn more about the exchange programs offered, eligibility, application details and more. There is also a drop-in general information session (led by Hutchinson) every Friday afternoon at the International Centre from 12:30-1:30pm.
“Dal students should do an exchange," says Foster. "I can’t believe how amazing this program at Dal is."
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