Are you a UBC undergrad thinking about going on a student exchange? It can be a daunting decision. You might wonder, what's it like spending a year or a semester in another country? How can you prepare? And how do you handle it when things go sideways? We talked with a group of UBC Global Ambassadors who studied abroad with a Go Global program. They spoke with us candidly, sharing their personal impressions, fears and misgivings, best memories, top tips and advice. (This story is part of a series of Global Exchange Insider interviews.)
Meet Amy Melhus, a 22-year-old from Langley, BC. She is a 5th-year undergraduate in the UBC Faculty of Forestry’s Natural Resource Conservation—Global Perspectives program.
Exploring Lake Como! I would highly recommend a trip to one of the many lakes in Northern Italy (photo: Amy Melhus)
Before you go
Why did you pick Università degli Studi di Padova for your exchange? How did you hear about it?
When I was younger, I visited Italy on a school trip. From my first visit, I always knew I would want to go back. Being in Forestry, the options for schools with courses that directly translate to my degree were limited. However, I had saved up my electives knowing that I would likely have the opportunity to go on exchange to take courses related to the culture of that country. I found the Università degli Studi di Padova through the Go Global website. I noticed that they had a large selection of courses offered in English, as well as offering beginner Italian classes for exchange students. I had never heard of Padova before, but after further research, I found out about the amazing community there for exchange students through the ESN program. From then on, I was hooked on the idea of Northern Italy and Padova!
When I arrived in Padova in 2022, they were celebrating the 800-year anniversary of the uni opening! It is one of the oldest in the world still in operation. This is a campus courtyard (photo: Amy Melhus)
What was the application process like? Any tips?
I found the application process to be pretty straightforward. The hardest part was deciding how I wanted to rank my choices for schools. When I was doing my application, I had a lot of outside influences from others playing a role in my decision-making process. This added extra stress to my plate at the time. The most important advice I can give on deciding on your school is to follow your gut! You know yourself better than anyone else. Be as genuine as possible in your personal reflection to ensure that you can be matched to a school that aligns with your values. Have faith in the process and know that Go Global will match you to the school that is best fit for you.
How did you prepare? Anything to be aware of? (travel, cultural differences, classes, etc.)
I tried to learn a bit of Italian to help me out in my day-to-day life. I did this through Duolingo and by taking the Italian 101 class at UBC. I found this very useful and felt as if people really appreciated any effort you could put into speaking their language. I also wanted to prepare myself to be comfortable being alone. I tried my best to go out to restaurants and cafés by myself while I was still in Vancouver to prepare for my journey and the potential of solo travel. I found this helped me a lot to get out of my comfort zone, so it was less scary to go out on adventures by myself once I arrived in Italy.
The main church in Padova. The inside is full of medieval frescos that we learned about in my medieval art class! (photo: Amy Melhus)
What worries did you have beforehand? How did you overcome the anxiety?
Before going on my exchange, I had never been away from home for an extended period of time. I was terrified of leaving home and going somewhere new where I knew nobody and couldn’t speak the language. Every aspect of what was to come was something I feared. What would my dorm be like? How would I make friends? Would I be able to make it without speaking Italian? What would my classes be like? I had every classic fear that I am sure most people experience when they are moving somewhere new.
I was fortunate enough that my parents arrived in Italy just a few days after me and helped me to get settled into my new home. Having them with me created a sense of comfort that I so desperately needed at the time. But when they left, all my fears came creeping back in. Luckily, my dorm situation turned out great. I found where all my classes were and realized it would all be alright when I made my first friend, a French girl with a kind smile, whom I owe a lot to for being there for me throughout my exchange journey and beyond.
Knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I was so fortunate to be selected for allowed me little time to sit inside and worry. I tried to approach every single opportunity with an open mind and an open heart. This approach made it easier to meet some lovely, likeminded people and enjoy my experience to its fullest.
During the experience
How was the overall experience? What did you learn?
My time in Italy was truly life-changing. When I arrived not knowing anyone, I was completely overwhelmed and so unsure of what to expect. As time went on, and I started to meet more people, I became more and more comfortable and confident in myself. I learned to embrace the awkward moments, the alone time and take every experience as it came. I grew so much as an individual. I went from someone who had never been on an airplane alone before to solo travelling through Switzerland and France for a week and a half within just a couple months.
Of course, not every moment of my exchange was perfect. I experienced homesickness and definitely felt lonely from time to time. However, these memories are easily overshadowed by good ones when I look back on my time in Padova.
When I was on exchange, I experienced extreme homesickness. It was hard for me to see my family doing all these things together back home while I was on the other side of the world away from all of them. To try and make myself feel more at home, I made my dorm as cozy as possible with mementos from home. I spent a lot of time on FaceTime with my family and a lot more time outside in the sunshine surrounded by friends or reading a book. These were things that eased homesickness. I was fortunate enough that my best friends from UBC were also studying abroad in Europe at the same time, so we were able to travel and meet up, or just chat with each other in the same time zone.
Trying to buy some clementines in Padova, Italy with my limited Italian (photo: Amy Melhus)
“I was terrified of leaving home and going somewhere new where I knew nobody and couldn’t speak the language. Every aspect of what was to come was something I feared. What would my dorm be like? How would I make friends? Would I be able to make it without speaking Italian? What would my classes be like? I had every classic fear that I am sure most people experience when they are moving somewhere new.”
If you could change something or do it differently, what would you change or do?
I would have pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone more at the start of my exchange. I skipped out on a couple of the welcome week events in my first semester because I didn’t know anyone else who was going. If I could go back, I would have gone to all of these events, even just on my own, to make some more friends at the start. I would also have focused on learning even more Italian. By the end of my exchange, my language proficiency was okay, but not great. I wish I would have put more effort into learning the language to have the confidence to speak conversationally with people in my local grocery store.
How were the academics?
The academic situation in Padova was completely different to anything I had ever experienced at UBC. Coming from a university where your grade is usually made up of assignments and tests throughout the semester, I was absolutely shocked to learn my grades were going to be based entirely on one oral exam at the end of the semester. This allowed me more time throughout the semester to travel and see new places, but come exam time, I had to be ready to focus and study hard in order to impress my professors. I found that most professors were very accepting and kind during the exams, so after I had the first one under my belt, it was a lot easier.
How was the social aspect?
Padova has an amazing Exchange Student Network that planned many events, trips and activities for students to meet and see more of the country. They had a variety of activities within the first week that created many opportunities to meet other exchange students that you might not have gotten to meet in your classes. Padova is home to lots of medieval art that people come from all corners of the globe to see. It was a surreal experience to be learning about a fresco in my Medieval Art class and then getting to walk down the street and see it in person! I was also fortunate to be able to travel lots throughout my exchange. Padova is well connected by train and less than an hour from a major airport making it easy to see the rest of Italy and Europe. I got to visit places I always dreamed of visiting. Memories of these trips are some that I will never forget.
The infamous Cappuccino Ginseng. If you're ever in Italy, try it!! Trust me! (photo: Amy Melhus)
I was able to arrange my schedule to have class only three days a week. On days when I had a class, you would find me cycling to class and then into the city to my favourite café, Steampower, to meet friends. We would sip on a cappuccino-ginseng and chat about what we would do in the upcoming week. Lunch would often be enjoyed on the steps in the main square of the city before heading off to our afternoon classes. After class, I’d often be in Prato della Valle or Giardini dell’Arena, two of my favourite parks: reading a book, having a gelato or a spritz and laughing with friends. When in Italy! On days when I did not have classes, I tended to hop on the train to explore other places not knowing what we would stumble upon that day. I did not know when I would have the chance to be back in Europe, so I tried to make the most of it, and visit as many places as I could.
The Padova clock tower that I often sat beside on the steps eating three-euro fresh pasta (photo: Amy Melhus)
After the experience
Would you recommend this experience to others? What can they look forward to?
I would 100% recommend an exchange to anyone who can fit it into their degree. If I could go again, I would do it in a heartbeat. Getting to live in a new place and experience a new culture is something you will never regret!
One of my favourite memories happened by accident. My good friend and I decided to take a spontaneous day trip to a city we had found on a list of must-see places in Northern Italy called Cittadella. It was close by and a beautiful day, so we thought, why not? When we arrived in Cittadella, we found out that the Italian cheese awards were happening that day. We were overjoyed! That was one of the best days of my exchange. Sipping wine, eating free cheese and basking in the Northern Italian sun.
One of the tables of cheese from the 2023 Italian Cheese Awards! (photo: Amy Melhus)
What was the impact on your academic and personal development?
Before I went on exchange, I was feeling very burnt out with my university experience at UBC and knew I was in need of a change. When I returned to Vancouver, I had a newfound appreciation for my degree path and my university here. It allowed me time away to fall back in love with my academics.
As cheesy as it sounds, I do not think I would be the person I am now if I did not go on my exchange. This experience was truly lifechanging. It brought me a new outlook on life. I learned how to be patient and just go with the flow. I met new people who had a dramatic influence on the person I am today, and I know they will be in my life forever. I have so much love for my time in Padova and cannot wait for the day that I can go back!
When my older sister came to visit me, we took a trip down to the south of Italy and got the chance to visit Pompeii, a childhood dream of ours (photo: Amy Melhus)
Read more Go Global student stories.