Daria Pieczynska is a third year Animation student who studied abroad at California State University (CSU) in Chico, United States. Below, she’s answered some questions about her exchange experience.
Why did you decide to study on exchange?
There are so many different reasons why I was interested in this opportunity. I love travelling and exploring other cultures, but also I really wanted to develop new skills within my study area, I knew that would be very useful for me in my professional career. I strongly believe that the university experience is only what I make out of it and it is up to me to take advantages of opportunities that the university offers. For me, this was such a great option, California was always a dream place to live in and the university had a great academic offer for my course so that made it perfect for me.
How was your host university different to DMU?
CSU Chico was definitely very different to DMU. One thing that was different, that I found interesting, was having the ability to create my own class schedule. I really liked being able to do so, because I could then make the decision whether I wanted to go to campus every day, or maybe have a longer weekend and more classes on the other days. Another big difference were the academic expectations and assessments. My course at DMU is very project-based and we mostly work individually here, so having a lot of group assignments and written or practical tests was new for me. My course at Chico State was also quite big and had a lot of teachers and students, whereas at DMU, Animation is not a big course and here I know all of the teachers and students – this was impossible with the size of the course at CSU Chico.
What was your favourite city you visited and why?
I have had a chance to visit a lot of wonderful places while in California but I think I need to say that my favourite city I have visited is San Francisco. I fell in love with the architecture of this city and just in general how lively and beautiful it is. I went to SF twice during my study exchange, the first time I went there, I was very nervous because I was going completely alone – I needed to go there to vote in the Polish national election. I went to all the touristy spots in San Francisco by myself and I loved it. I was so excited to see sea lions relaxing on the Pier 39, I took pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge, went to Chinatown and also walked through many beautiful streets. I was very lucky to go there on a very sunny day. Those memories make me very happy to look back at!
How did you deal with being alone in a new country?
Being alone in a completely new place is hard, some days I would miss my family and my friends and I find that completely normal and I definitely allowed myself to feel sad at times, but it was important to me, to make new friends and build those connections while on exchange. I joined a sport club and a society to ensure I was doing everything I could to find people who had similar interests to me. I also made friends with the other exchange students that were staying in Chico, because these were the people who were going through the same thing as me so they could relate to my experiences and feelings. I ended up making a lot of friends in the US, that I am still in touch with and am planning to have them visit me in Europe or go back to Chico to see them!
Do you think studying on exchange slowed you down on the road to graduation?
This is a very interesting question, and I believe it is a common concern of students who are not sure whether they want to go abroad or not. I would never use the phrase that it “slowed me down”, it has added an extra year to my university experience but I don’t see getting a degree, as a race. At the end of the day, getting higher education is about the education side of things, and not really about a piece of paper. Getting that extra year to study more modules and gain more skills is more valuable to me than graduating as soon as possible. I think I would say that studying on exchange made my university experience more exciting and more memorable for sure, I wouldn’t say it slowed me down in any way.
What would you say to somebody considering to go on a year abroad?
I would recommend this experience to every student, however I know that this might not be the right option for everybody. I think the main thing I would advise on doing is conducting research. Look into the options available for you, think which destinations excite you, think about the costs, look into the climate there, check the university’s academic offer but also look into the student life, sports and societies. Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone – that is how we grow and learn. It is scary to move abroad by yourself, so I’d say, be scared and do it anyways!