I recommend going on exchange becasuse...

So many reasons! 1 - school where I went was a bit easier, which allowed for a lot of traveling and enjoying learning. 2- when else do you get to just take your life and put it elsewhere in the world! 3- other people doing exchange were so lovely, I made amazing friends! 4- different food, different culture, getting outside of your comfort zone! 5- Getting to call a new place home for a semester is such a joy and privilege!

Going on exchange challenged me because…

Colombia and Barranquilla specifically were very different than Canada (sometimes you had to taxi when you would have wanted to walk, public toilets were very different, etc.). This was an adjustment, but it was a manageable challenge.

The most unexpected part about exchange was...

How quickly you get used to life elsewhere. How quickly it was normal to have a guy sell fresh mangos outside my apartment and how normal it was to go scuba diving on the weekend. I had to remember how lucky and privileged this was all the time to remember this isn't the usual. It was really amazing in that way!

A tip I would give to students applying for exchange is…

Don't just go where everyone else is going. I was the only student going to Colombia and only one of like 3-5 students going to South America and it went AMAZINGLY. I know most people go to Europe and certain parts of Asia, but really, go where you want to go and really research the places. Concordia has so many options, choose a school/country that speaks to YOU.