by Yolanda Mortimer

Hi my name is Yolanda, I am currently on an exchange at the University of Cardiff. I’m already into my second week of classes and am really loving it so far. It has been strange to set up in a completely new country where I don’t know anyone but it has been super easy to make friends in my classes, and the pre-semester workshops that my University provides have been amazing at finding new people. It has been great to get to know other international students and to know that I’m not alone here. Many others are in the same boat as me and I have a great support system in place if I need any help. 

Since arriving here I have joined the Netball club and have had the amazing experience of getting into the top team here at the Uni, it has already helped me to make so many friends and it is also an amazing way to see the country as we travel all around for our games. Tomorrow we are heading to Exeter to play their University team and I am very excited about that. It is also an amazing way to stay active and get you out of the house. I am someone who knows how tempting it is to stay in bed all day or only go from classes back to home, with your headphones on while talking to nobody. But with a sport, it forces you to be active and give it a go. I have already met some amazing people who I know are going to be great friends. It is also a great opportunity to perhaps have experiences you would otherwise not get over in New Zealand and it’s always good to maybe give something a go that you’ve never done before.  

A big thing I would have to suggest to anyone thinking of doing an exchange is to be up for anything and to be aware that not everything is going to go to plan. I decided to go travelling for a month before coming to Cardiff and it was a great way to experience other cultures and really get to know how other people live. I decided to go with the flow more than some people would have liked (sorry mum and dad) but in the end, that was what worked for me. I decided I wanted another night in Amsterdam because I fell in love with the lifestyle over there. It was simply amazing, and whilst it might not work for some, it definitely worked for me. 

The other part of this suggestion segment is that I would always recommend taking it easy when something doesn’t go to plan. The English Border control almost didn’t let me in the country (And I was born there!!). It always pays to stay calm and relaxed in stressful situations so you can think clearly about how you’re going to fix them. 

Whilst I miss my mum and my dad and sister (and my cat and dog), this exchange isn’t something I would change for the world. I talk to my parents almost every day and I attempt to talk to my animals over the phone whenever I can. The experience of widening your perspective of the world is priceless and something that I would recommend to anyone. Don’t be afraid of new experiences, go into them head first and you might just find that on the other side is something beautiful.