(a.k.a. Waikato’s Global Experiences Programme)

If you’ve ever been stuck in a study crunch, seriously contemplating booking a flight halfway across the world just to escape for a while, I have good news for you. You can travel the world whilst you study with a Global Experience! I sat down with a Waikato Global Experiences ambassador, Anneka Sprangers, to hear all about her trimester abroad at Cardiff University in Wales. 

First things first, could you tell me about yourself? 

I’m born and raised in Hamilton, and I did a Bachelor of Environmental Planning at Waikato. I love traveling and exploring new places and cultures. I’ve been doing that since my exchange finished in December/January. So, I’m eight months overseas right now, it’s been a really cool experience. 

Why did you want to do an exchange? 

I wanted opportunities to have a more international perspective incorporated into my degree because I’d love to work overseas at some point. I also felt that I had achieved a lot in my course at Waikato and at the final push I was a little bit low on motivation so I thought it would be nice to challenge myself in a new academic environment and a change of scenery to get over that hump at the end. 

What was the best part of your exchange?  

It’s what a lot of people say, but I must agree, my favourite part of my travel is the people I’ve met. I’ve made friends for life from this experience across the world. It’s crazy, you go from complete strangers one day and then you’re best mates living together the next. It just really brings you together. They also empathise with you so much, all my friends were other exchange students, so we were able to help each other when we were having our down days. They were also very like-minded, wanting to go out and explore so that was definitely a highlight. Since I’ve left my exchange, I’ve stayed with some of them on my travels around Europe in some of the countries they’re from so that’s been super cool.  

What was the biggest challenge you faced?  

I think the short timeframe for me was one of my biggest challenges. I think “burning the candle at both ends” is the saying, isn’t it? I was trying to do everything because I think I went into it viewing it as a long holiday with Uni on the side. But I realised I would have to pull back on some of the things I thought I would do extracurricular-wise. Uni, cook dinner and where possible you fit everything else in, otherwise you burn out.  

Do you have any advice to people 

considering an exchange?

Read the blogs, follow the Global Experiences social media. I think you can learn so much from that. It can be really reassuring cause it’s a big experience, so it can help you manage that. Don’t overthink it too much. Trying to find the perfect destination, courses, all of that… everywhere you go it’ll be new, and it’ll be exciting so you can’t really go wrong. It’s all part of the experience, so don’t stress about things going wrong.  

Why should people try an exchange?  

It’s an amazing opportunity to live overseas with so much support. You have it from Waikato and your host university. If you move overseas in your twenties you’re all out there on your own and it can be really overwhelming but with this, you have so much help and a really good support system. It’s a good step if you want to move overseas or do anything really, even moving towns in New Zealand. You also learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of. You’re exposed to so many cultures and people and beautiful parts of the world. The list goes on.  

Interested in a Global Experience?

You can find more info on social media @waikatoglobalexperiences or www.waikato.ac.nz/study/international/global-experiences