Details

• Great Britain & N.Ireland
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 3 months

1. Preparation

I think it’s vital not to engage in any “ranking voodoo” by extracting as much data as possible from your colleagues about where they’re applying, comparing their grade averages to your own, and trying to calculate your chances. Letting that influence your ranking is a mistake. Rank programs based on what you actually want, and don’t worry about what other people are doing.

2. Accommodation

I looked into private alternatives early on (the university offered accommodation is expensive, extremely far away from city centre and, quite frankly, an eyesore), but it is difficult to find a spot in a privately owned dorm if you only want to book a single term. To sublet a room privately you often need an UK based guarantor or a UK bank account, so I would not recommend that option. None of the dorms offer anything besides furniture, so prepare to buy cooking utensils, bedding, duvet, desk lamp etc. I stayed at Causeway View, a privately owned dorm, in an en-suite, sharing my kitchen with 9 other exchange students. It was a bit crowded, but a nice alternative to the constant partying going on at the Hillhead student village. It is directly in-between city centre and university, making the trip walkable in both directions (15 mins to university, 10 minutes to city centre). There's a bus stop going to university a 1 minute walk away and the bus stop to Union Street is directly in front of the dorm.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is stunning, there's a bunch of cafes on site and both the law and regular library always had seating available when I was there. The cafeteria is a bit on the pricey and unhealthy side, but there's a little bakery on the main road of the campus where one can buy little British pastries and pies. The academic culture was a bit on the slower side, people rarely participated in class due to the lack of grading incentive and enthusiasm for the contents was shockingly low among my Scottish peers. The teaching style is very gentle and easygoing in comparison to WU, the lecturers/professors are very kind and understanding.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport was expensive (75 pounds a month for busses that arrive sparsely and not on time), but I mostly felt safe enough to walk alone at night. People are a bit loopy at times, public intoxication and display of drunkenness are commonplace (until the early morning hours), there were multiple situations where a drunk stranger approached me in a way that made me tense up a bit. There are loads of societies to join for social activities, mostly costing somewhere between 6-12 pounds. The surrounding area has more to offer, if you're into outdoor activities, there are an abundance of day trips to make in the area.

6. Testimonial

The exchange was, quite frankly, the best part of my university time overall. It was my last semester after having been at WU for six years (bachelor’s and master’s), and I profoundly enjoyed the novelty of it all. Not just how the teaching style differed or how old and beautiful the campus was, but how different culture is in the UK and how that affects every single aspect of a life I had grown used to. I’ve returned with a renewed recognition of education as the privilege that it is — not only for the academic aspect, but also for the embedded social and cultural aspects that it carries.