Alex Lazar

Why did you choose your host university?

I chose my host university mainly because of its great location. All my life I had appreciated English culture from afar, from football to music and lifestyle. I have spent most of my life living in Australia, and was keen to experience life in London and get to know what life is like on the other side of the world.

What was the university like?

The university was not drastically different to UniSA. Some classes took a similar Lecture and tutorial format, and others had only a single tutorial each week.

The assessments were not overly demanding or time consuming, and the lecturers generally modified them to accommodate the international students (some were more helpful than others). I did not need to do any exams – the assessments were largely essay or test based.

There were plenty of online student resources for research and the library at the business campus (Kingston Hill) was stocked with lots of useful books including the prescribed textbooks. I did not need to buy any textbooks.

What did you gain from your exchange experience and has it changed the way you think or altered your approach to life?

The experience was life changing. I was forced to live in a completely different environment than I am used to and learned a lot about living by myself and adapting in a new country. It altered my perception of people in Europe, the way of life in England, as well as my goals and aspirations in life.

After seeing England and a few other European countries, I am more motivated than ever to continue travelling and see as much of the world as possible.

What accommodation options were available to you?  How affordable was accommodation and would you recommend the same option to others?

I had the choice of either staying in the University’s Halls of Residence or finding my own accommodation. I decided to find private lodging and found something suitable pretty quickly through the Uni’s Accommodation website.

I would recommend lodging if you can find something suitable in a good location. The Halls of Residence had mixed reviews from the people I spoke to.

Whichever option you choose, accommodation in Kingston is not cheap and will be a major expense (£120-180 per week).

Describe your travel experiences; did you travel locally or to neighbouring countries? 

I went to London multiple times per week and travelled around to the south coast of England throughout the trip, visiting Brighton, Cambridge, Bath and Bristol. I also took a 5 day trip to Paris in the middle of the semester. After the semester finished, I went on a 4 week trip through continental Europe, visiting France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Poland.

Describe how you adjusted to life in a different country and how you met new people.

I was thrown into the deep end as I did not know anyone else studying at Kingston. I was fortunate to meet lots of great people at the initial introductory event for international students and they became my friends throughout the exchange.

The fellow international students helped me to adjust to life in a new country – we shared lots of experiences together and discussed everything we found strange or interesting about living in England.

Can you see any benefits from this exchange to your future career?

Definitely. I hope that the experience I gained in living overseas will be an asset throughout my career.

What advice would you give to a student who was hesitant or considering joining the exchange program?

I would tell them to take the plunge and do it. Being able to continue studying and not delay graduating while enjoying such an invaluable experience is so great.