Stepping outside your comfort zone is never easy, but the growth you gain from it is irreplaceable.

I always knew exchange was something I wanted to do in my undergraduate degree, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t question it. When I was in my earlier years of university, going abroad seemed unfathomable. I couldn’t comprehend how I would be able to navigate a country by myself, let alone get over any culture shock and home sickness.

But let me just tell you – it is all worth it.

You know how you always hear so much about exchange during your welcome week at SFU? Well, it’s for a reason. Exchange really is what everyone preaches it to be. It is a once in a lifetime experience with lifelong memories.

As I am currently at the midway point of my exchange semester at Vienna University of Economics and Business, I have been able to meet incredible people from across the globe, study at an amazing (and really architecturally beautiful) university, and travel to multiple countries.

It was quite a journey to get where I am today. My exchange term was cancelled three times due to COVID and I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to take part in it as I am now in my final semester of my degree. With that being said, if you’re wondering whether or not you should apply for exchange, just do it. You never know what tomorrow holds and life is too short to wonder what something could have been. The best experiences in life always seem to come from the ones that once scared us the most.