An Alien in America, Part 6: Final Thoughts

Take a travel-buddy: Travelling this far by yourself is an incredibly lonely experience, particularly if your flight is delayed and you are stranded at an airport. It can get a bit overwhelming, so having someone to talk to makes all the difference. Additionally, that person can help look after your belongings, as well as provide some safety when dealing with strangers.

Don't forget to study: I found the initial excitement of studying abroad wore off quickly once the semester kicked in. The course structure here at UNF is different to AUT, as there are more assessments, which in turn have a lower weighting. I laughed at my friends over at Auckland Uni who did quizzes worth 3% of their grade, so it's ironic that I now find myself in the same situation. There is literally an assessment every week (though not from the same paper), so you have to keep on top of things.

Don't be afraid to mingle: I found it annoying when some of the international students "closed ranks" with others from their home country and didn't bother getting to know others. Of course, it's completely natural and perhaps I'm just bitter that there wasn't another Kiwi I could talk to, but don't be afraid to approach people and get to know other cultures.

Costs

Studying abroad isn't cheap, so to make sure you don't under-budget, here is a list of my costs. All values are in $NZ converted from an exchange rate of US60c, except those with an asterisk which were paid in $NZ.

Like I said, it ain't cheap, but keep in mind this varies according to your destination. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to receive an AUT scholarship worth $5000 that covered nearly half my expenses, which goes to show that hard work really does pay off. Make sure you head to the Scholarships Office to see if there are any available for your destination and course.

If you're getting a student allowance currently, then you'll be pleased to hear that the good folks at Studylink will continue your payments once you're overseas. See, they're not always voracious monsters.

Thanks and final musings

Thanks to Roger Stokell, the AUT Business International Dean, as well as his counterpart at UNF, Kate Mattingly, for sorting out all my courses. I also owe much to my roommates, who have become my new family. It's always a risky proposition sharing a room with two complete strangers, but luckily they turned out to be alright guys. Despite the lack of privacy, living on campus has definitely been a highlight of this exchange. I'm definitely going to miss our smelly dorm room.

And finally, to the American people. Sure, they have their fair share of bigots and belligerents, but I'm pleased to say that everyone I've met has been nothing but kind, polite and helpful. I'll forgive them for saying my accent sounds British.

I decided to write this series to encourage more students to take part in exchange programmes. Whilst travelling by myself has been a boon for my confidence, I still wish that there was someone else here with me. New Zealand is so isolated that we become too accustomed to our way of life and afraid to venture out of our comfort zone. Granted, the rest of the world is big and scary at times, but it's also exciting and quaint.

I'd be lying if I said this trip was "life-changing", as it has simply been a great experience. Despite moaning about my flight delays and screaming children on airplanes, it has given me some interesting travel stories as well as great fodder for articles. While it's been hell trying to juggle course-work as well as my duties at debate, if I managed to convince a few people to travel, then it's been worth it. Cheers to those who have followed my series and I'll see everyone back here next year.