By: Rose Crosbie

Since September, I have been studying in the lively city of Liverpool. The city borders the Irish Sea, cloaked in Victorian red brick and neoclassical architecture. Liverpool originally emerged as a busy commercial port, and nowadays it’s best known for its vibrant music scene (being the birthplace of the Beatles) and its spirited football culture.

Upon arriving, I was struck by just how many exchange students I met from all corners of the world. Although I’m the only student from Waikato University here this semester, I quickly connected with many other international students studying law too. Whilst the academic structures are slightly different here, I think that navigating new and unfamiliar systems is an opportunity to strengthen your adaptability and resilience. I’ve found that the shared foundation of the common law legal system means that a lot of the case law we study over here is also used in NZ and vice versa. One of my papers is based on Comparative Law, which has taught me a lot about the intersections, contrasts, and relationships between legal systems across the globe.

The University of Liverpool’s campus has an excellent layout: most of the buildings are within easy walking distance, meaning public transport is rarely necessary. This is also the same throughout the city. My proximity to Europe has meant that travelling to another country can be as little as a £17 flight away. Before the semester began, I spent two weeks travelling around Europe, which I absolutely recommend, as it allowed me to visit so many places without the looming of assignment deadlines. From walking beneath golden-framed masterpieces to swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the most amazing parts of this exchange has been going from seeing such profound artistic illustrations of philosophy to then studying the legal principles that relate back to them.

My advice to anyone who is considering whether to embark on a global exchange is to follow your gut feeling and go to the place you feel most drawn to. It’s also important to trust the process. You might miss a train, get a little lost, catch like three colds and on the one occasion you forgot your jacket, it will probably pour with rain. But what you’ll remember the most is the lifelong friends, the conversations that made you see something you didn’t notice before, the stories people will tell you, the places you’ll visit and the way the autumn leaves fall on the pavement as you walk to class.