By: Ayla Montgomerie

Shwmae from Cardiff! I have now been in Cardiff for nearly three months, and it has honestly changed my perspective on life. Since arriving, I have accidentally reunited with Sarah, another Waikato student whom I hadn’t seen since 2018, and I have also made friends with international students from Australia, Canada, and the United States, which has given me an additional list of culture shocks I did not expect from coming to the UK. 

Student life

I live in Gordon Hall, which is a Cardiff University accommodation for around 90 students, where I have a single room with an ensuite, and part-catered meals, which entail provided dinner Monday to Friday at one of the many university dining halls. I don’t have to figure out what to eat each night, and I get to spend time with the new friends I have made. I don’t think I have ever been this social before, constantly meeting up with someone to go to the gym, taking a 15-minute walk to the main shopping area, or studying in one of the many study spaces on campus. Cardiff itself is around double the population of Hamilton, but is still a super accessible and walkable city, offering anything a student may need from shops to transport to experiences. Plus, it even has its own castle in the city centre!

Travel + experiences!

With my uni timetable, I basically have a four-day weekend every weekend, where I take the opportunity to do something, whether that’s travelling, socialising, or trying something new. I have participated in ‘Give It A Go’ organised trips led by the Cardiff Students’ Union, to the historic university town of Cambridge, the ancient city of Bath (home to the Roman Baths, and film locations for Bridgerton), or attempting the Pen Y Fan (the highest peak in South Wales) in torrential rain and wind. My weekends have also consisted of taking a bus to London, or a flight to Belfast, or just exploring Cardiff, like the National Museum of Cardiff, learning to ice skate, or taking a short train to the coastal Barry Island.

Being in the UK has given me so many travel opportunities. I have just returned from a three-week trip around Europe visiting France, Monaco, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland. I was lucky enough to spend half the trip travelling with other international students, which was so much fun. For the other half, I went solo, which is something I would have never thought I was capable of doing prior to this exchange. I love how connected Europe is, allowing me to reach another country in less than a couple of hours via a short flight, train, or bus ride. There were obstacles, such as cancelled trains mid-journey, that led to being stranded in a random town in France, but in the end, it all worked out. I had some of the best weeks of my life trying new foods, visiting new places, and feeling so grateful for this opportunity.

This exchange has exceeded my expectations, and I have already done so many things I would have never been able to do, learn, or experience if I hadn’t come to Cardiff. It almost feels like ‘travel with a side of uni’, but every single aspect has been so rewarding. It has changed my perspective on life, making me question how I can return to my old life with the experiences I have had.