When I was younger, I thought travelling was about seeing as many places as possible. If I came home with hundreds of photos and a list of famous landmarks, I considered the trip a success.
Over the past few years, that idea has completely changed.
As I prepared for my exchange semester at Erasmus University Rotterdam, I realised that the most meaningful journeys are not measured by the number of countries you visit. They are measured by the habits, perspectives and values you bring home afterwards.
During recent trips across Europe, I noticed something that surprised me. The places I enjoyed the most were not necessarily the ones with the biggest attractions. They were the cities where people naturally walked, cycled or used public transport instead of relying on cars. Sustainability wasn’t presented as a campaign, it was simply part of everyday life. Watching that made me realise that the biggest environmental impact often comes from small daily decisions rather than one-off actions.
That is one of the reasons I am so excited about studying in the Netherlands.
As a Business & Management student, I am interested in how cities, businesses and universities encourage people to make better choices. Studying in Rotterdam is an opportunity to experience those ideas first-hand instead of only reading about them in textbooks.
During my exchange, I want to live like a local student rather than a tourist. I plan to cycle to university whenever possible, rely on public transport, and choose trains over flights whenever they are a practical option. I also want to continue simple habits that make a difference over time: carrying a reusable water bottle and coffee cup, buying a second-hand bicycle, reducing unnecessary purchases, using digital notes instead of printing, and being more mindful of food waste.
Individually, these actions may seem small. Together, they reflect the principles behind the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: creating more sustainable cities, encouraging responsible consumption and reducing our environmental impact through everyday choices. I have come to believe that sustainability is not about doing one extraordinary thing, it is about doing ordinary things more thoughtfully.
Studying abroad is also about learning from people. I hope to understand how Dutch students view sustainability, how universities support environmentally responsible lifestyles, and which ideas I can bring back to Glasgow. If my exchange encourages even a few people around me to adopt one new sustainable habit, then its impact will extend far beyond my own experience.
I know that one semester will not solve global environmental challenges. But I do believe that lasting change begins with individual choices repeated every day. For me, the greatest success of this exchange will not be another passport stamp or another country visited. It will be returning home with a different way of thinking about travel and the confidence that small decisions, made consistently, really can make a difference.
