I will have officially spent one month at Nottingham Trent University on February 15^th. I have learned so much during this time and continue to take advantage of all the opportunities this school and place offers. Further, I am learning how to navigate the challenges of living abroad. 

One hesitation when it comes to exchange is finances. I am very grateful for this experience, but it would not have been made possible without OSAP and scholarship support. Even though I am attending school abroad I was able to apply for and receive OSAP funding. As an exchange student, you will pay Trent's tuition. As well, Trent offers scholarships specifically for students going abroad. I received the Edward Tremain Award for Study Abroad to aid with my financial needs. Further, Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) provides funding for students going abroad. To apply, students need to complete a pre-departure form and post-experience report. Another funding opportunity is the semester bursaries Trent offers undergraduate students. To apply, go to myTrent and under the finance tab, select undergraduate bursaries. A semester abroad can be made possible through OSAP funding and scholarships. 

When considering exchange, I highly recommend student residence. My floor in Sandby consists of only exchange students from all over the world including Spain, France, Italy, India, United States, and Canada. This has been a great opportunity to meet friends and connect with other cultures. The communal kitchen comes with its benefits and punishments. While cooking, the students from India have been very generous by sharing whatever they're making that evening. As well, I have been invited to two private homes for homemade chicken biryani. A delicious Indian dish with chicken, rice, onion, fresh ginger, and a range of spices. The cons of the communal kitchen include the mess. Unfortunately, our hall seems to be the messiest and is cleaned by staff only once a week. The students from France put up a few signs requesting students clean up after themselves, but they didn’t make much of an impact. Further, I’ve had milk and butter disappear and other students are missing produce as well. This morning we woke up to a note in black sharpy written on all four fridges asking students to “stop stealing the food” and to “fuck off.” Since then, we’ve received an email from the residence staff demanding the request be removed immediately and that it is our responsibility to communicate with one another if there is an issue. This hasn’t been the only reprimand from the residence hall staff. Two weeks ago, an ashtray was found in our common room and a general email was sent out condemning the students for smoking inside. At the very least, whoever the smoker was, could have shared. 

Another challenge of a semester abroad is navigating long-distance relationships. This is not exclusively with a romantic partner but with family and friends as well. It is intimidating to leave your home country and support system to travel across the world by yourself. Communicating with your family, friends, and partner back home is important for maintaining healthy relationships, connections, and your mental health while abroad. Social media is a great resource to post about your experiences to update friends and family back home on your time abroad. While navigating long-distance relationships with a partner, it is important to establish trust and communicate often. 

A great opportunity while on exchange is attending new university events. Recently, I went to a talk on trauma, abuse, and help-seeking. As a forensic psychology student, the topics discussed reflected my interests. I am currently taking the class Psychology of Sexual Offending which reflects some of the topics discussed during the talk. This event had presentations from multiple professors and topics included the social-identity-based model of trauma, immigration, and intergenerational trauma, barriers to help-seeking among individuals experiencing image-based sexual abuse,  healthcare, help-seeking among inside immigration removal centers, and the role of art in the recovery process. Andy Farr is an English painter and storyteller that expresses people's PTSD experiences as works of art. This is a therapeutic experience for individuals as they recount their story to Farr and have it processed in a creative way. One of my favourite pieces was called Twisted Rose. A piece of art reflecting Mac’s story who suffered childhood abuse. After therapy, he portrayed himself as “A twisted rose, growing out of the dark into the light, but still carrying the scars of his past”. 

For Valentines Day, Nottingham Trent organized a drag bingo bedlam night. It was hosted at The Level, a bar a five-minute walk away from my residence. I went with a group of five friends, most of whom I met in residence. The host, Kitty Tray, was welcoming, entertaining, and creative. My friend Ghina won a bottle of vodka and lucky for us, she doesn’t drink so she gave us the bottle to share. I am looking forward to attending more events hosted by the school and travelling to London next weekend. While considering exchange, know it’s both a challenging and rewarding experience.