Wednesday, November 13, 2024
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It’s okay to not go on exchange

Every year many Dalhousie University students apply to study abroad. Influenced by their friends, social media and a plethora of articles touting the benefits of international experiences, they ask themselves: why not spend a semester travelling Europe and finding myself?

I asked myself the same question. Following my friends, I applied and was accepted for an exchange. 

Then I changed my mind. 

Today, I will tell you why it’s absolutely okay to not study abroad.

It gets pricey quick

First things first: studying abroad is expensive. Dal’s International Centre provides many resources for reducing costs, but it’s easy to get tricked into thinking that a couple of grants and the promise of paying your regular Dal tuition rates will make an exchange affordable. For most students, this is not the case. International flights, housing and essential documents like study permits can be incredibly pricey. If you hope to travel while on exchange, that can be thousands of dollars more.  

Housing is a nightmare

Finding secure, comfortable and affordable housing can be nearly impossible. Remember how hard it was to find an apartment in Halifax? Now imagine doing that search without being able to tour apartments or communicate in the same language as your landlord. Not every university with which Dal has partnerships guarantees housing to exchange students, so don’t count on being able to access student housing.

Now throw in finding a decent subtenant that won’t trash your place in Halifax or ruin your relationship with your roommates. Do you really want to end up paying rent in two countries?

You’ll have other chances to travel

A lot of students want to study abroad because of the promise of easy, affordable travel opportunities once they arrive in Europe or Asia. But five months abroad is not the be-all-end-all of travel. Plenty of young people take advantage of group trips, international work, volunteer placements and the classic two weeks of paid vacation time to see the world. Otherwise, the month-long gap between the end of fourth year and convocation is the perfect time to realize your backpacking dreams.

Applications will suck the life out of you

Dealing with the International Centre and applications is a long, frustrating and stressful process. Be prepared for months of uncertainty, a lack of communication and constantly hearing “it will work out in the end.” Figuring out transfer credits is also confusing and tedious, especially if you’re in a program with lots of required courses.

Why not stick around here?

Halifax is a pretty cool place to live! That semester abroad could instead be spent hunched over a textbook in the Killam Library, jeans soaked through from the pouring rain, slowly going insane as the tune of “Paddy Murphy” plays in the distance.

But really, you can make the most of your undergrad and have a great time in Halifax if you just try. Spend more time by the waterfront, have picnics with your friends on Citadel Hill, go out to Mooseheads games, eat donairs and lobster rolls whenever you can, get involved with student societies and dance your nights away at The Basement of the Shoe. You don’t have to fly thousands of miles to make new friends and have incredible experiences.

It’s up to you

Now it might be surprising, but I don’t want to discourage you from applying for an exchange. I know plenty of people who have had an amazing time studying abroad or are currently excitedly planning to take off from Canada in the winter term. If the idea of studying abroad appeals to you, you should do some research, talk to students who have been on exchanges and reach out to the International Centre for advice. Applications for university-wide exchanges for the 2025/26 school year open in November, and there’s no harm in applying!

However, if (like me) you are accepted for an exchange, then change your mind, there is also nothing wrong with that. You are certainly not alone — most of the people I know who applied to do an exchange this year eventually decided not to go.

You should never feel guilty for giving up hypothetical positive experiences, especially if those hypothetical experiences are tainting your current, very real, life. If the idea of going on an exchange is causing you immense stress or anxiety, or taking away from your ability to enjoy yourself or focus on your schoolwork, it might be best to move on.

Don’t waste time worrying about future regrets. The vast majority of students do not study abroad, and they’re all doing just fine. There’s plenty of self-discovery and fun to be had right here at Dal.

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