5 key takeaways from my academic exchange 1 year on

By Emily Smith, University of Toronto (Scarborough), Canada

• Stronger sense of self efficacy. There’s a special kind of confidence that comes from knowing I survived in a foreign country for 4 months without any kind of support system. I now have a much stronger sense of competence in my ability to support myself
• Approach to my studies – UTSC courses had a greater focus on development of skills, not just learning information but applying I now have a better appreciation for and hold development of skills in higher regard than I once did, viewing university as a place for doing more than simply learning information by rote memorisation
• Relationship with lecturers – no longer so hesitant to ask for help or participate in lectures. A major change I’ve made since returning from Canada is now I always sit near the front of the lecture theatre so I can both ask and answer questions in a more comfortable way (ie not needing to shout across the room!)
• Appreciation for culture – nothing truly highlights one’s own cultural expectations and influences like spending time in a culture different to that of your own. Not only will I aspire to keep with me some of that easy settler Canadian friendliness, but also internalise lessons learned from the Indigenous individuals I spoke to about taking time to learn about and celebrate my Singaporean heritage, as well as learning British history to better understand the privilege I’ve been born into.
• Renewed sense of wanderlust! I definitely want to travel more in the future – and this experience has also solidified a belief that in order to truly learn from and internalise these lessons from a foreign culture you need to stay there relatively long term.