Host University
University of Ljubljana
Host Country
Slovenia
Date
SP2, 2019
Degree
Bachelor of Business (Tourism and Event Management)
Why did you choose your host university?
I chose my host university as it was UniSA’s newest partner university and I wanted to put myself out of my comfort zone and study in a country I had no idea about.
What was the university like?
The university system was very easy to get used to, however was less technology savvy than UniSA, and most professors and teachers had their own personal processes how they wanted to you to submit work. Lectures also weren’t recorded so it was pretty important to go, however they did provide you with the lecture slides on the learn online website. In the economics faculty majority of my classes were very much group work orientated, with only small individual tasks.
What did you gain from your exchange experience and has it changed the way you think or altered your approach to life?
Exchange was the best experience of my life and has made me so much more open to different perspectives and learning, as there is always so much more to learn. I think overall it has broken down my personal stubborn barriers and just made me an overall more warm hearted and light hearted person as I have met the most amazing people.
What accommodation options were available to you? How affordable was accommodation and would you recommend the same option to others?
Accommodation was pretty great as we had the option to live in dormitories, which I am pretty sure are the cheapest in Europe! In saying that the amenities and facilities are lacking and aren’t always the greatest! But it does make more for one of the best experiences of my life. I would recommend this option to others because it’s a lot cheaper and you will make more friends and meet more people as the area I lived in stemmed all social actions.
Describe your travel experiences; did you travel locally or to neighbouring countries?
I did a lot of travel whilst on exchange and after my exchange! Slovenia is such a great country as there are many desirable neighbouring countries that my friends and I would often visit via bus on weekends! This is where I have had some of my best experiences. From this point I have visited over 17 countries in Europe just during this exchange period and many more destinations within.
Describe how you adjusted to life in a different country and how you met new people.
It honestly wasn’t too hard to adjust as everyone was in the same boat so you kind of got used to it all together! The easiest way I met some of my closest friends was during my orientation day and we happened to live in the same Dorm! But I definitely made my best and most cherished friends towards the end once I became more comfortable and confident and was out of my comfort zone.
Can you see any benefits from this exchange to your future career?
Absolutely! I have worked with so many different people from so many different nationalities and that’s extremely important in todays society.
What advice would you give to a student who was hesitant or considering joining the exchange program?
Honestly just do it! You might be nervous at first and honestly its not all sunshine and rainbows! But by far it will change your whole life.
Top tips
Even if you are nervous try to be super involved and willing to try new things in the beginning so you can find out what and who you do an don’t like from the get go, so you can get yourself fitting into a comfortable routine and have a good group of friends that fit your values and challenge you to be the best version of yourself!
Also don’t expect it to be easy and happy all the time, because there are bad times and days, but they are even more rewarding when you get through them and overall are character building experiences.
