3 Tips To Make Exchange A Blast

3 minute read to help you start your exchange off on the right note.

While exchange may still seem far off for some, for others it’s just a couple short months away. Regardless of where you stand, we have some tips you’ll want to take advantage of to make your exchange the best it can be!

Our first piece of advice: pump the breaks on the planning! It may be counterintuitive, but bear with us for a minute. From submitting your exchange decision matrix to the moment you receive your exchange destination email, exchange might be all you can think about. You’ll know everything is falling into place when your Facebook feed becomes flooded with cover photos showcasing the stunning cities everyone will be moving to in just a few short months. It might be tempting to immediately start planning trips with friends in nearby cities, but we would encourage you to hold off for a few reasons.

"Have fun! Don't try to plan all your trips in advance, be spontaneous." - Adrienne Cote, Fourth Year Commerce Student at Queen's University

1. Forget about the calendar

Let’s be real, we’re commerce students. Unfortunately, many of us fit the Type A, hyper-organized faculty stereotype. While it might make sense to meticulously schedule our weeks amid meetings, midterms and conferences, exchange is meant to be spontaneous. Exchange is the perfect time to toss the calendar aside. Be prepared for some fun and last-minute trips – these will be some of the most memorable experiences on exchange. If you are a natural planner and can't help but think about your travels, focus your logistical skills on the big events: Oktoberfest, St. Paddy's and Kings Day. Flights and hostels around these events will sell out fast, so it makes sense to book these trips in advance.

2. Put your networking skills to good use

Second, the prospect of flying halfway across the world and living in an entirely new environment is extremely daunting. But rest assured, every other international student at your exchange school will be in the exact same position, and they are equally desperate to make friends! Exchange provides an amazing opportunity to make connections and meet people from around the world, so save some of your weekend trips for friends you meet while abroad! Side note, we can’t stress enough how beneficial attending your exchange school’s orientation activities can be. They provide an excellent opportunity to meet other international students early on. While making new friends might force you outside of your comfort zone, it is important to be outgoing! Whether your connections last the extent of exchange or build the foundation for lifelong friendships, meeting people abroad can make the cultural transition significantly smoother. In the wise words of Troy Bolton, we’re all in this together, and having some friends to help navigate your new environment will be invaluable.

3. "Growth Mindset"

As Commerce students we have all come to know and love this term. But before you stop reading and vow never to visit our site again, let's rephrase. We encourage you to keep an open mind heading into exchange. You're likely going to be travelling in a city or country you’ve never been to before, so approach the experience with a flexible and receptive attitude. The people you will meet during your travels have unique life experiences and cultural perspectives to share, so embrace it. Looking back on his time in Madrid, in-house travel guru, Eric, remembers going for drinks with an exchange student from Lebanon. “He taught me all about the rich history of Lebanon and how the wars in the 70’s and 80’s affected his family.” Most of your learning on exchange will happen outside of the classroom, which is one of the greatest parts about travelling abroad.

"Go on exchange with realistic expectations and an open mind and heart. You will meet people who teach you so much, provide perspectives and change your life; and you'll be able to do the same for them." - Katherine Lei, Fourth Year Commerce Student at Queen's University

Written by Eric