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WHAT PAST EAP RECIPROCITY STUDENTS SAY ABOUT UC...

Academics

"I have enjoyed all my classes so much, and this really prompted me to work hard and do well. Now that I am back in Leeds, I have so much academic knowledge that my classmates do not have, and also, my studying skills have improved hugely, which is something I never expected. I feel that my year abroad has really helped me academically, as well as being fantastic socially, and giving me real life skills!"
Becky Hardman, University of Leeds, U.K.

"As a theoretical film student from Sweden, the gates to heaven literally opened for me once I arrived in the United States! I had been studying theoretical film for over three years and I was very eager to get some hands-on experience. Santa Barbara definitely offered this to me . . . . For two quarters, all we did was make a film, from sunrise until sunset, every weekend,
no exceptions! . . . Although there were no exams, no tests, no homework or other school related work, I have never in my life worked so hard in a class!"
Par Hampus Schildfat, Lund University, Sweden

"In one of the economics classes that I took, the professor was a Nobel prize recipient. Usually we cannot take such a class in Japan, so it was a very valuable experience for me."
Yosuke Kobayashi, Keio University, Japan

"The most rewarding aspect of Berkeley is the
Berkeley students. . . . I saw relationships going from professor and student to everyday friends within the space of a few office-hour sessions. . . . You really have to be there to realize what makes these students so outstanding."
Shih-Chi Pan, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

"I loved UCLA and its academics. It was very demanding, but at the end rewarding. I learned a lot."
Valentina Clemente, University of Padova, Italy

"My year on exchange was simply one of the best years of my life. It opened my eyes to a different world. . . . I was able to study and learn more about what I loved but at the same time be challenged [academically] and pushed to limits I never thought I would reach. Berkeley's academic environment is extremely challenging and I did copious amounts of papers and study. It was, however, immensely rewarding and has since opened up very exciting career prospects."
Stefanie Panok, Australian National University

"I had a fantastic time! The year I spent in California was such an enriching experience, both personally, as well as academically. It was stressful from time to time, but I got through it (just like everyone else does)."
Katharina Hoelle, University of Edinburgh, U.K.

"I found that the majority of professors were very dedicated to students’ learning and all had office hours when they were available for answering questions or having discussions. . . . At first, I was pretty hesitant to speak up in class because I still felt a little insecure with my English, but I quickly dropped that barrier, and very soon my English was even better than my native language."
Truc Hoang, Copenhagen University, Denmark
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Housing

"I would recommend living in the I-House [International House at UCB]. While on the expensive side, the friendships you make there will be with you forever. I can honestly say I made my strongest friendships living side-by-side with people who came from all over the world. The I-House also offers an array of social activities, which is helpful when you arrive not knowing a soul."
Stefanie Panok, Australian National University

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Try to live in an apartment with Americans; you're going to enjoy both on-campus and off-campus life."
Valentina Clemente, University of Padova, Italy

"I lived at Chateau, a Co-op [cooperative housing at UCB], and that made a huge difference in my experience. That house and the people in it made me feel that I belonged there; they made me feel at home. Just go and have the best time that you can! You'll never forget it."
Maria Soledad Varela, PUC, Chile

"Spending time with my floor-mates [at UC housing] and sharing each other's culture were one of the best times I've ever had in my life, and I made so many friends with whom I want to keep in touch forever."
Eriko Tejima, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan

"I lived in a dorm, called I-House [International House at UCSD], where half of the residents are American and the others are international students, and I had a really fun time. It was very fascinating that we had many cool events, such as culture nights, Sunday supper, SLAM, language cafes, and movie nights, to name a few."
Misako Ozawa, Sophia University, Japan

"Be prepared! I know people always say this and that it is such a cliché, but there's a reason for it, and the reason is that it works out a lot better for you if you are! Make sure you have arranged for accommodations before you leave your home country. Trust me, you'll settle in much easier, and you'll have time to do more fun stuff with all the rest who have been thinking ahead!"
Par Hampus Schildfat, Lund University, Sweden
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Favorite Memory

"My experience at UCI will be my precious asset for the rest of my life. My favorite memory is a short trip to New York and Sacramento. I went there with my best friends and I really had fun. I had an experience that money cannot buy."
Hiroyuki Saito, Tohoku University, Japan

"At UCD, there was so much to do on weekends that you wouldn't even spare a moment on your computer. Tasting the nice wine in Napa Valley, or spending a day at the craziest amusement park, the Six Flags, would be two choices among lots of other options. It was these memories, also, the life-long friendships I built with people from different parts of the world, that altogether created the best part of my memory!"
Yu Wing Yan Joyce, HKU, Hong Kong

"My stay at UCSD through the EAP program was absolutely fantastic and was even better than I expected it to be. . . . I ended up with a vast number of good memories and friendships for life. . . . I miss walking around campus, studying for finals until midnight at Geisel library, meeting up with people for lunch, sitting in a bumpy shuttle filled with students, drinking tea, and doing silly things around the apartment with my roommates."
Truc Hoang, Copenhagen University, Denmark

''The lasting memory that I will take away from this experience is of the strong bonds I forged. It is amazing to think that only a year ago I didn't know the people who I now consider to be my best friends. And while it's sad that they live on the other side of the world, at least I know I always have a couch to crash on in nearly every part of the globe!"
Lucy Henry, The University of Sydney, Australia
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Living in California

"The EAP program was the best thing I have ever done. I had such a great time and met so many fantastic people. The University of California is such a great school and I miss it. I made friends for life on this program. I am so grateful that I did it!"
Brigid Morris, University of Queensland, Australia

"This year [on EAP] was one of the most 'educational' years I have had. Coming from a sheltered and smaller campus, I got lost in Berkeley and hence found myself. It was an enriching experience with loads of stories, friendships, and incidents."
Vinayak Dalmia, University of Warwick, U.K.

"The EAP experience that I had was amazing. I met really good friends and awesome people, and had a great time. It really changed my way of seeing things. I come from a very closed society; everyone knows everyone and it was the first time ever that I was no one, but the people that I met changed that, and made me part of their family."
Maria Soledad Varela, PUC, Chile

"My EAP year abroad was the best year of my life! I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, learn about different cultures, and study in a university completely different from mine. But most of all, my EAP experience helped me to learn more about myself! I am a totally new person now and I intend to keep these changes in my home country too!"
Luciana de Souza Leao, PUC, Brazil

"Los Angeles has so much to offer and you can discover a new place and face of the city each day. Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, you will notice the dazzling cultural diversity of the city, in the bus, on the street, in the grocery store, as well as in UCLA's classrooms. . . . Before you even realize it, you have become a part of this creative mishmash, which makes up Californian society."
Konstanze Höchtberger, National University of Ireland, Galway, U.K.

"I learned so much from EAP, just living abroad, sharing a campus life with dorm members, studying, dancing. . . . It was amazing. I studied very hard and at the final quarter I got Dean’s Honors in my transcript. My life was basically reading, reading and reading. . . . I also enjoyed the time with dorm mates, study friends, and frat brothers. Thank you for giving me such a fantastic opportunity. I really appreciate it. . . . Although I had little time to sleep, I learned a lot of things from all different activities. I hope you will make the most of EAP."
Junichi Saito, Keio University, Japan

"Wow! My EAP in California was amazing. . . . I enjoyed every moment, and every person I met."
Valentina Clemente, University of Padova, Italy

"It was such a nice experience that I miss life in San Diego so much. . . . Even though it was my first time to live abroad for fairly a long time, all the people including the EAP staff, local people, and new friends I met there were so friendly and nice, that I barely got homesick while I was in the States."
Misako Ozawa, Sophia University, Japan

"I feel that during my ten months at UCSB I have grown a lot as a person. It builds self-confidence when you find out that you can successfully start a new life all by yourself on the other side of the globe, and make strangers become friends. . . . I used all the weekends, holidays and breaks I could to explore this new world of mine."
Gijs van Osch, University College, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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Mental Health

“In the country I come from, it is not common to seek help from counselors or psychologists if you feel stressed out or overwhelmed. I was under a lot of stress my first term on EAP because of the new environment and my hectic routine of living abroad alone for the first time. I was starting to lose sleep and my grades were getting bad until one of my professors mentioned that I could talk to someone at Student Psychological Services about my concerns. I am so grateful for all the advice and help they gave me because it really helped me enjoy my stay on EAP personally, culturally and intellectually."
Anonymous Reciprocity Student
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Social Activities

"Try to participate in the social events the university provides for you. Although they may seem ‘geeky’, they do work if everybody just relaxes a bit! And, of course, enjoy!"
Par Hampus Schildfat, Lund University, Sweden

"They [EAP students] should actively join student activities so that they can experience the local culture more."
Tik Li, UHK, Hong Kong
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Travel

"Through my travels I have found out that America is a very diverse and beautiful place, both culturally and naturally."
Gijs van Osch, University College, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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Tips

"I think the recipe to a good experience is just to be yourself, relax, be open to new people and new experiences, and just go with the flow."
Truc Hoang, Copenhagen University, Denmark

"People need to be ready for a big change. . . . Go with an open view, leave prejudices at home, and be ready to do things differently."
Becky Hardman, University of Leeds, U.K.

"If you ask me, ‘Would you do it [go on EAP] again?’ I think that's a rhetorical question. Of course I would!"
Valentina Clemente, University of Padova, Italy

"Be prepared to work hard, but by no means forget to live and enjoy it. It's such a rich area culturally and so much is going on, that it would be a shame to miss out on it."
Katharina Hoelle, University of Edinburgh, U.K.

"Keep in mind that the exchange is also a time to relax. Choose classes according to your own interests and especially, those your home university doesn't provide."
Yu Wing Yan Joyce, HKU, Hong Kong

"If you are going to do it, go for a year, because after only six months you won't want to leave! Definitely live on campus and get involved in as many events as you can, and you'll have a great time."
Brigid Morris, University of Queensland, Australia

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Make the best of it, don't stay in your room for nine months, see the place, live the place, and be the place, and then you will come home as an enriched person!"
Par Hampus Schildfat, Lund University, Sweden

"Being open to the people around you will definitely help you adapt to the life more quickly. Try to hang out with people from different countries so that you get to experience different cultures and also help you get rid of the habit of speaking your own language as if you are not abroad at all. Be active in taking part in the activities you are interested in. Sometimes you really have to grab the chance when it knocks at your door!"
Cherry Yingzhi Gao, CUHK, Hong Kong
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