Lew Xin Yun - University of Waterloo

Having that comfort zone helps makes things easier to breathe, but the world outside your comfort zone can really be quite breathtaking; No matter where you are, you need both that inhale and exhale to properly taste the air there.

My name is Lew Xin Yun! My home university is Monash University’s Malaysia campus. I have been pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences, with a major in Film, Television and Screen Studies, and minors in Writing, Public Relations and Gender Studies. During Semester 1 of 2024, which was the second year, second semester of my degree program, I had the valuable opportunity of exchanging to University of Waterloo, all the way in Ontario, Canada.

I have always been enthralled by the idea of studying overseas, though slightly wary and uncertain. Travelling abroad naturally tends to be more short-term, which has always been the case for me up until that point. The prospect of studying and living abroad for a whole semester and more was not only exciting, but I also felt motivated to exchange as it felt crucial to me as a university student. I always hoped for my university experience to help me grow and learn, and studying abroad instinctively felt like a key piece of the puzzle to that.

My parents, especially my father, really helped tremendously in the planning process, passing along his wisdom and experience, but also guiding me to learn and practice each step independently. I also attended all briefings by the passionate and extremely helpful Monash Abroad Team possible. These were extremely informative and inspired me to become a volunteer for them, as I am now. I also scoured a grand array of their resources provided by them as well as external sites. Faced with anything I was unsure about, I was never afraid to ask questions to not only the team, but also my host university. All in all, do your own research, and never be afraid to ask for advice or help!

I have had my eyes set on the international exchange program since my first year, hence I took careful measures in monitoring and achieving a good academic standard, both so I’d be more assured of my abilities to adapt and study at the same time, and because it reviewing our grades was part of the application and select process. Additionally, I poured a lot of genuinity and care into crafting my letter, which I believe helped strengthen my application. The application process itself was most tedious during the planning stages, and it did take some time to fully understand the system as well as research my intended host country and university; however, beyond that, the initial application was a relatively straightforward process.

Emotionally, I spent more time preparing and processing the fact that I’d be apart from my family and friends for quite a while, which I dealt with through self-reassurance and support from said loved ones. Besides spending as much time as possible with them, me and my university friends also made plans to match up our future units together.

Complementing my degree, I mainly took arts units (which my host university and country’s academic system refers to as “courses”). Still, I was really intrigued and excited about taking units that Monash University Malaysia did not offer. Being a student of the Arts and Social Sciences, I was really keen on seeing how the arts are “done” in such a different culture, country and community. Instead of 4 units a semester, the academic system there requires students to take 5 units a semester. I took two varying levels of creative writing units, an online sexuality and gender unit, an introductory performance unit, and a musical theory unit. The performance unit was something fresh and new to me; although I had been part of my home university’s performing arts club, I have never properly acted, nor even taken theatre or performance in an academic setting. It was truly an amazing and insightful experience! I was extremely happy and satisfied with all the units I took during my exchange, as well as all the wonderful educators and fellow students I had the pleasure of meeting.

Apart from the online unit, and general readings and assignments, there were occasional pre-class and post-class tasks, however the learning content was not really delivered and received using a self-learning model where lectures are recorded to be watched outside of classes. Hence, there were slightly more class hours to attend, which I enjoyed as we had a lot of hands-on activities, and the overall classroom culture there feels mutually-devoted; The educators pour a lot of thought and care into their units, lessons and students, and students there are all in all very active in class discussions, expressing diverse opinions and contributing to the conversation.

One of many memorable cultural experiences I had was watching the Superbowl 2024 at the house of a warm Canadian family I had grown to become close to, along with my fellow friends, some of whom were locals and some were also exchange students. The lovely, amazing family hosted us with Canadian food and snacks, and explained how Canadians usually celebrate the Superbowl, as well as the basic rules of football so we could comprehend the game better. As someone who barely follows sports at all, it was my first time watching the Superbowl at all, and though we were slightly confused in the beginning, somewhere between Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey, the hyper halftime show, and the final countdown, we all got super into it and had an amazing time overall. We even learned about how Canadians would make mini maple syrup “popsicles” by pouring hot maple syrup onto the snow, then rolling it onto a chopstick – and we had a go at it ourselves!

The best way to adapt to the culture and lifestyle is to involve yourself in the culture and lifestyle. I had the great fortune of meeting a warm and welcoming Canadian family, who have been watching out for incoming exchange students for a number of years now. They were more than happy to share Canadian culture and trivia and often invited and encouraged us to enjoy Canadian activities, food, lingo, tourism and more!

My exchange experience definitely taught me the importance of planning, as well as having the adaptability to both embrace spontaneity and tackle unforeseen hurdles. Life sometimes shuffles a deck of challenges into your hands, uncaring of how tidy or messy the pile is. We have had to finish a snowy mountain trail hike that was too slippery and icy to stand upright on, navigate a whole new road system and weather condition while behind the wheel, and all sorts of other road troubles. The key was consulting each other, as well as locals or anyone with more insight and familiarity, approach things carefully, rationally, and with patience as well as understanding.

This exchange has made me more daring, but also more careful. It has allowed me to better position and see myself accomplishing bigger things, even things I have not ever considered before. Through people I have met, I see that possibility of growth and unexpected life shifts and truly witness and internally comprehend how we all have our pace. The potential of doing greater things, travelling or even moving abroad, and my future goals in general, feel more realizable.

I had so many precious moments during exchanges that it could have practically filled up a kaleidoscope – all from road-trips, my first ever musical in theatres, to our end-of-semester trip to Banff. One of many amazing places I visited in Canada was the gorgeous lakes and shores around Tobermory. The nature and scenery there was unforgettable, with the river water so clear we wanted to bring a tank of it home! Filled with awe and respect towards the beauty of nature, as well as childlike wonder and lighthearted excitement, it would be hard for me to forget exploring the area with my friends. It was from there and then on that I finally saw the appeal in hiking.

Some practical tips, first and foremost, plan early and plan as thoroughly as possible! If you are not sure of something, do not take it as a sign to put things on hold; Do your own research as much as possible, and if you find yourselves stuck in any way, ask away! This includes peers, alumni, staff, and also both your home and host institution! Another tip would be to be prepared with enough spares but also prevent overpacking! Many of the past exchangers I know, including myself, strongly advise leaving some weight in your luggage to keep space for souvenirs. Packing everything into boxes and boxes to post all the way back to your home country is not a fun experience.

When planning housing, transport of food, refer to the host institution’s website, blogs or vlogs, and take the opportunity to practice realistic estimation too! Start as early as possible for housing and be very careful to avoid being misled. If you are planning on renting a car or driving overseas, check if your license allows it or if you need to apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP), and – no matter how confident you are in your driving skills – always get car insurance when renting! I would also recommend keeping digital and printed copies of important documents and cards, which should be stored securely but also fairly accessible.