Exam Season on Exchange
By Deborah, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
My first semester on exchange went by SO quickly, honestly it felt like exam season came and poured a bucked of ice water over my head. While exams are stressful no matter where you’re taking them, the experience here felt surprisingly structured and supportive, especially within the law faculty.
One thing that really stood out during this period was how much effort the university put into student wellbeing. There were loads of organised events running alongside revision season, including doggy yoga sessions, studyathons, and other low-pressure activities to help students decompress. These were genuinely helpful in breaking up long days of studying and for self care.
Academically, the law school provides an extremely useful shared Google Drive called CANS. This drive contains a wide range of resources, including past students lecture notes, exam how-to guides, module summaries, and general advice on approaching law exams. As an exchange student, CANS was invaluable. It gave me a clearer understanding of how to prepare for exams and how they were structured, and it made the revision process feel far less daunting. Having access to collective knowledge from previous students really helped me feel more prepared and confident going into exams. I will say, after discussing with my friends, it seems only the Law Faculty has something like this available.
All of my exams this semester were held in person, but most allowed the use of laptops under strict, timed conditions. For these exams, we had to download a programme called ExamSoft (WHICH IS NOT FREE! Around $35 for the year which I believe should be free). Depending on the lecturer’s preference, ExamSoft either restricts internet access or completely locks down your laptop for the duration of the exam. Once the exam starts, Wi-Fi is disabled and access to files, websites, and other applications is blocked, creating a controlled exam environment. There was also the option to handwrite exams instead, which some students preferred. I liked having the flexibility to choose the format that worked best for me.
The exams themselves were intense but fair, and overall they went well. One important thing to understand is the grading system within the law faculty, which is quite different from what I was used to. Grades are set on a curve, with the majority of students clustered around a B. Only the top 5% of students receive an A, which makes high grades particularly competitive. With that in mind, I was really happy with my results – I finished the semester with all B grades. Which is basically the average of the class.
Looking back, exam season was challenging but also rewarding. Between the academic resources, wellbeing initiatives, and clear exam procedures, I felt supported throughout the process. I finished my first semester on exchange with solid results and a better understanding of the UCalgary Faculty of Law.