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Initially finding my feet was quite difficult when I came to UVA because I'd never been so far from home before. I also did a fair amount of personal travel around the US and getting places from Charlottesville can get unexpectedly a bit expensive because the town is so small you need to pay for connecting rides or buses to neighbouring bigger cities. In total for all costs - flights, food, tourist experiences, transport, accommodation and miscellaneous items I ended up spending around $12k. It was also pretty close to classes because Charlottesville is a college town and the grounds are large and sprawling so if anything it is difficult to rent anywhere more than 25mins walk max from your classes. However, the complex was relatively new and the stay had many issues in terms of building and administrative teething issues. I lived off-campus and whilst you do get bang for your buck in terms of complex amenities compared to Brisbane I paid around $850USD for a 2 bedroom apartment shared with another exchange student in a complex with a pool, gym, sauna and an in-apartment laundry (truly the best part). All of my friends are so wonderful and so supportive and I would not change anything about my experience. My confidence has improved massively since I returned from UVA, I had to rely on myself and I made so many wonderful friends that personal doubts that I had about my capabilities were all but dissolved by the experience.
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I gained an incredible amount from my exchange. I would also say the same for "Literature of the South" which is incredible by virtue of the fact that you get to read books that are rarely included on the curriculum at home and you get a totally different experience and perspective on literature with Professor Jennifer Greeson being an invaluable resource. Professor Lisa Schutt is wonderful and this was probably one of the most rewarding courses I took. That being said if you can, take 'Black Femininities and Masculinities in US Media' if you enrol in the Fall Semester at UVA. I would recommend not overloading yourself on academic work while you're on exchange because you are ultimately there to have fun and be social and you don't want to overwhelm yourself academically. I largely chose to do courses which fulfilled my major requirements, however, I also chose to take one elective subject that I wouldn't be able to take in Australia.