Finding a new sort of family

For Bella Tearoha Lewis Ireland, studying alongside other international students at the Danish School of Journalism (DMJX) created a strong bond.

Bella Tearoha Lewis Ireland

Why I chose my host uni:

I knew very little about Denmark, and that challenge was part of what drew me in. Fortunately, the language barrier wasn’t an issue – most Danes speak excellent English, and technology made it easy to use a translator when needed. Studying at the Danish School of Journalism (DMJX) turned out to be a perfect fit. Being surrounded by a class of international students who were all navigating similar experiences created a strong bond, and we became a sort of family.

How I found applying to my host uni:

It can definitely feel overwhelming with all the looming applications and visa requirements before your exchange; I completely get it. What really helped me was breaking everything down into smaller tasks and tackling them one at a time. Prioritise the time-sensitive stuff first to avoid unnecessary stress.

For me, applying for the exchange and the international university was pretty straightforward, but the visa process was more complex. A few things I learned along the way:

• Make sure your passport is valid and that you’ll be able to send it off to the embassy for approval well ahead of your travel dates. I had travel plans before my exchange, so I couldn’t send mine in on time. Thankfully, they made an exception, but it’s much better to avoid that situation altogether.
• Research where biometric appointments are handled. For me, as someone based outside Auckland, I learned (the hard way) that I had to travel to their Auckland office for fingerprint and facial scans. This meant a rushed 10-hour round-trip drive just to get it done. If you’re heading home for the holidays, double-check where your biometrics office is located beforehand.
• Plan ahead for your transcript. You’ll need to order it through MyEquals, which takes about a month to process. Make sure to get onto that early to avoid delays.

Breaking the whole process into manageable steps and starting early will make it all much less daunting – and it is all totally worth it in the end!

How I found learning in a different academic system:

Life at DMJX was quite different from AUT. For starters, we were in the same class every day for most of the day (when you weren’t travelling as a class), just like being back in primary school. Looking back, this consistency was actually really helpful, especially when adjusting to a new environment. Having a stable daily schedule made things feel a lot more manageable during such a big transition.

The workload, however, was definitely a step up. Coming in during my third semester, I had only had a broad introduction to communications, so I was thrown into the deep end, as I expected. Writing articles in foreign countries while traveling, and adhering to a style I wasn’t familiar with, was definitely challenging at times. There were moments I felt really overwhelmed. What got me through were the awesome support systems in my community at DMJX. The teachers were always approachable, and my peers, who were all more experienced, were great for getting advice from.

What I gained from this experience:

The biggest takeaway from my exchange was realising how capable I am. You can book those $50 return tickets to Paris and live out of a backpack for a week. You can stay in a hostel, meet new people and have a great time exploring together. You can ride a bike on the wrong side of the road, figure out Berlin’s metro system on your own, and even move to a foreign country and start from scratch.

These were all things that used to feel so out of reach, but now I know I can handle them. The experience really taught me to trust myself, feel more independent, and be confident in tackling any challenge, big or small.