Many Exeter students choose to fly the nest and study abroad in their third year – here’s three of our writers reflecting on their experiences.
Leiden City, The Netherlands – by Anvi Deshpande
Approaching my third year at university, going back should have been a return to normalcy. But this time was different, instead of taking the familiar train into St David’s station, I was taking a Eurostar and crossing the borders of France and Belgium for a new start in The Netherlands.
Soon enough, I had completely fallen in love with Leiden City. It’s like a little Amsterdam, with charming buildings and tinkling church bells. At night, students and non-students alike all flock to the warm glow of light-up bars scattered down the canals to enjoy a glass of orange wine or a locally made beer. Recently, my favourite pastime has been the Saturday market where I pick up all my essentials for the week like fresh bread, vegetables and cheese as well as a cheeky bouquet for my room. Cycling is an everyday joy, as my primary mode of transport, and I now couldn’t imagine walking 20 minutes to my classes like I would do in Exeter.
But I have to say that the best part of my year abroad so far has been getting to know fellow international students- people from South Africa, Belgium, and America to name a few- who all have their own fascinating stories and ways of viewing the world. It’s easy to make friends with people who are all on their year-abroad adventure and want to live it up in a new city. The orientation week was the best decision I made to meet new people, and I bonded with my group (shoutout 49-ers!) closely and they remain my central friend group.
“Cycling is an everyday joy, as my primary mode of transport, and I now couldn’t imagine walking 20 minutes to my classes like I would do in Exeter.”
One drawback would be adjusting to the different education styles here which, in my opinion, is more intense than Exeter. Interestingly, the term is divided into two ‘blocks’ meaning you would have completed two or three classes by the time Halloween comes around. Leiden, refreshingly, enforces more accountability for learning than Exeter, ensuring that participation is incorporated as part of your grade as well as 2-hour minimum classes to fully immerse yourself in the lecture, which, as an International Relations student, is incredibly beneficial to reduce awkward pauses in seminars! I am so lucky to be studying in the Hague, a hub for international relations and home to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Everything I’ve been learning has been and I can’t wait to soak up everything the Netherlands has to offer. One month in and I couldn’t recommend doing a year abroad at Leiden University enough!
Aotearoa, New Zealand – by Emily Sara Rizzo (Online Arts & Lit Editor)
Kia ora everyone, and welcome to my chronicles of Aotearoa New Zealand. If this were a captain’s log then I’d happily tell you my sails are full of wind as I sail to places I never knew existed, but this is Exeposé, and I’d much rather rant about my experience on this side of the world than think of more boring marine metaphors.
I often struggle when people ask me “Why New Zealand?” – I wish I had a story about wanting to get lost in nature, or revelling in Kiwi culture, but I don’t. I simply chose the furthest place from home I could possibly go, and proceeded to live in denial about actually spending a year here until my plane touched down in Auckland – the country’s biggest city.
Of course, I did have to do some due research before completing an application, which mainly served to convince me New Zealand wouldn’t be much of a culture shock: English is one of the national languages, the social atmosphere was apparently quite like an English one, as was the university system. Apart from the tiny detail of the eighteen thousand kilometres separating Auckland from Exeter, I wasn’t expecting the change to be too much of a challenge.
“I simply chose the furthest place from home I could possibly go, and proceeded to live in denial about actually spending a year here until my plane touched down in Auckland – the country’s biggest city.”
And, honestly, though the jetlag and the homesickness was a struggle, it could have been much more of a shock than it was. The stereotype of Kiwis being completely harmless and kind is luckily based in reality, and the culture is as welcoming as it can be. The biggest shock was maybe the actual physical space I had dived into; maybe a country bumpkin like me is just lost in the traffic of a big city, but Auckland and its sprawling suburbs seem to be a weird clash between European and American style buildings, roads and influences.
And on top of all that, the essentially Kiwi ferns, palms and the brightest flowers you’ll come across. In fact, Aotearoa’s nature is what pulls most people in, and for a good reason too; mountains and lakes and forests and beaches will take your breath away and make for the best Insta photo dump anyone can aspire to.
Of course, I have only been here three months, and I know I’ll have so much more to say before the experience draws to an end, but for now I am reporting back to base with nothing but appreciation and awe. All I have to say is, if you’re uhming and ahing about going abroad, absolutely do it! And if you’re eyeing up New Zealand, get your hiking boots on and lather the sun cream on because there is nothing stopping you but yourself! That’s all from me for now, but as my Kiwi adventures continue I can say moving abroad is one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. More to come soon hopefully, but for now, back to the Exeposérs in the studio.
Tampa, Florida, USA – Jasmine Payne
Studying abroad in Tampa is like stepping into a postcard — think sunshine that feels like liquid gold, white powdery beaches and palm-lined streets.
Between weekend trips to Disney, red solo cup-filled Frat parties and dodging resident alligators on campus, life as a student at the University of South Florida was filled with the highest of highs and a few lows that felt like free fall.
Let’s start with the obvious — the weather is unbeatable! Say goodbye to bulky North Face puffers and hello to Crocs year-round. And with the Gulf of Mexico just a short drive away, beach tanning breaks between study sessions is a real thing.
On the flip side, Tampa’s summer humidity? Not so great. Prepare for a sweaty walk to class during peak heat months. AC will become your new best friend.
Next: Travel, travel, travel. Weekend trips to dream destinations are a reality when you’re studying in the USA. Imagine cramming an entire bucket list into a semester. New Orleans? Puerto Rico? Pennsylvania? Washington DC? New York? Completed it mate. Not to mention Florida’s own built-in holiday spots — Orlando for your theme-park fix, or Miami for the perfect spring break.
“Next: Travel, travel, travel. Weekend trips to dream destinations are a reality when you’re studying in the USA. Imagine cramming an entire bucket list into a semester.”
However, it’s not all (quite literally) filled with sunshine and roses. Homesickness and culture shock can sometimes be overwhelming. I had assumed that American and British culture closely aligned… after all, we speak the same language, right? Wrong! British sarcasm? Often met with blank stares. And don’t even get me started on American slang — “you’re excused” was a popular one, and not in comically-timed reference to the Zoolander meme. It’s like navigating a whole new social dictionary. But hey, awkward moments make for the best stories later, and you’ll be laughing about them long after you’ve figured it all out.
The verdict: studying abroad is absolutely worth every high and low. The independence and unforgettable experiences of living in the Sunshine State far outweigh any temporary setbacks. So, if you find yourself saying “y’all” unironically, playing pickleball like a pro, and making regular stops to Dairy Queen for those delicious Blizzards, you’ll know your time in Florida has truly changed you! In the end, the real low was having to say goodbye.
