Medina HAJDAREVIC

University of Melbourne, Australia
Exchange to University of Nottingham Ningbo, China

My mother once told me that when she arrived in Australia in the 1990s from Bosnia, the experience of adjusting to Melbourne was like being a child again: you didn’t have enough vocabulary to express yourself and you had no sense of direction, all you could do was walk. Not until I went on exchange to the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, did I truly understand what she meant.

In those first few weeks in Ningbo, I distinctly remember questioning why I had ever decided to go on exchange. Usually a confident person, I felt extremely confronted by the language barrier, the unbearable humidity and my lack of familiarity with what would be my home for the next six months. Although I had studied Mandarin for a year and a half prior to leaving for the exchange, I struggled to understand the Ningbo-version of Chinese; even the basic task of asking for directions became a nightmare. Needless to say, at the start of my exchange I couldn’t wait to go back home but by the end of my semester all I wanted to do was stay in this amazing Chinese city forever.

Although going on exchange presented me with challenges, like it does to most students who choose to take this journey, it was nonetheless the best choice I have made in my academic career. Studying in a different country and different language on my own forced me to open myself to new things, build relationships with people from different backgrounds and learn to adapt to changing surroundings. It also allowed me to make enduring friendships along the way with students from all across the world. It is this personal growth and friendships I have made while on exchange that have made the experience the most rewarding. Not only did I get a chance to travel across China with my new friends, eat like a local and learn to bargain like a local, I also had a chance to learn more about my strengths and weaknesses as an individual.

The experience of the exchange has provided me with a platform to explore a variety of other opportunities. It has opened my mind to what I am capable of. It has given me the confidence and ability to adapt to new environments, develop relationships with people of a variety of backgrounds and learn to trust in myself even as my surroundings change. Most importantly, the exchange at The University of Nottingham, Ningbo gave me a unique glimpse into the changing nature of Chinese society and the amazing people who make up China.

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