North America
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Countdown to Canada: Nine days to Go
By Deborah Oshidero, University of Calgary, Canada With my flight just 9 days away, the countdown is starting to feel real. It still hasn’t fully sunk in that I will be spending a year in a completely new continent and honestly I don’t think it will till I set foot in Canada. It feels surreal, but as the days get closer, my preparation has shifted into full gear.
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Getting ready to move to Canada!
By: Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary Canada An exchange from the UK to Canada is an amazing choice, but you must ensure you come to North America prepared. From heavy snow to multicultural cities and an insatiable amount of maple syrup, there are certain things you must bring to derive the most out of the experience. Here’s an essentials checklist to make packing just a tad bit easier! Important Documents: Clothing for All Seasons If you’re staying through Dec–March: For other seasons: Tech Must-Haves: Helpful Extras Things to Set Up Once You Arrive 1. Get a Canadian SIM CardTo avoid crazy roaming charges, grab a Canadian SIM as soon as…
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Academic Cultural Shocks in Northern America
By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada. Landing in Calgary, I thought my cultural shocks would come mainly from the food, weather and people. What I didn’t brace for was a wholly different academic culture. Although united in language, Canada and England differ significantly when it comes to their learning. Hence, when I first saw the letter “B” on top of one of my papers I had a mini panic attack. What I didn’t realize at the time is that Canadian institutions prioritize your learning and growth over grades. Having been comfortably nestled into the first-class zone at my institution, I had to rewire my whole thinking when I moved.…
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Ranking Banff’s top hikes for Canada’s exchange students.
By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada. Although Calgary offers great sights, Banff and its surrounding areas are so close that you must visit them, whether for a day trip, camping or a weekend getaway! With many ways to get there (Brewster express bus or carpools being my favourites), you can make multiple trips to the region during your exchange. However, the trouble with such a vast space is that you have so many choices on things to do you may sometimes be unable to choose just one! To help with the decision, here’s my ranking of some of the top hikes to complete. 1. Kananaskis Country (45-90 mins from…
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A Review of Student Accommodation at Concordia University
By Katharine O’Hearn, Concordia University, Canada Having finished my semester exchange at Concordia University living in on-campus student accommodation, I thought that a review of the accommodation would be useful for future students considering living in on-campus accommodation. Overview: At Concordia, there are only two on-campus student accommodation halls- one at the downtown campus (the Grey Nuns Residence), and one at the Loyola campus (Hingston Halls A and B). I found on-campus accommodation at Concordia to largely be very similar to at Manchester, but the most noticeable difference is that they were not divided into flats, and all on-campus accommodation is catered. There are both single rooms and shared rooms,…
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Accommodation at Stony Brook University
By Rosie Atkinson, Stony Brook University, USA Accommodation whilst on a semester or year abroad is important as it serves as your temporary ‘home’ for several months. Before I arrived at Stony Brook, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of my accommodation, so hopefully this blog post can help other students going to Stony Brook University in the future. Costs The rent for my room was $6,831.00 for one semester. This was for a single room in West Apartments with 2 bathrooms shared between 6 people (including me). Food was not included in the price, but what was included in the cost of the accommodation was a cleaner…
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Differences between UOM and UNC
By Louis Cotterell, UNC Chapel Hill, USA The University of Manchester is an urban university, surrounded by a population that has little to do with the university itself. You could live in Manchester for years and never set foot on campus. In contrast, Chapel Hill is a true campus town. The university is the town. The community, the economy, and even the vibe of Chapel Hill revolve almost entirely around UNC. In fact, UNC is the largest employer in the area—about 40% of jobs in Chapel Hill are tied to the university. That creates a unique, school-central atmosphere. Most students live on or near campus, and you’ll bump into classmates,…
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The Unpacking you don’t hear about: Reverse Culture Shock after Canada.
By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada. And alas, the year came to an end! Once again, I traded snowy campuses, poutine and copious amounts of maple syrup for rainy weather and obligatory cups of tea. But coming home felt strange. In fact, home didn’t feel like home anymore. I found myself comparing everything to my life in Canada: the weather, grocery stores and even connections with my friends. This is an experience commonly overlooked by travellers: the unexpected reverse culture shock. Although some may not notice this nostalgia for months, it hit me a week after coming home. I was back in my hometown, in my room, surrounded by…
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Navigating the Canadian Housing Crisis.
By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada Having received my Visa and been accepted to my host university, there was only one thing left to do before my departure to Calgary in Canada, finding housing. Having been put on a waitlist for residence, I had no choice but to find an alternative place to live. I began my search by considering my options. I could live with a family, rent an apartment, or a room in a house. I decided that being close to the university was of top importance, and began my search by looking at surrounding roads. I was lucky enough to find a student house, just 10…
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Wrapping up the Year
By Louis Cotterell, UNC Chapel Hill, USA After the relief of exams concluding, the reality that the year was ending started to set in. This feeling was widespread, as my international friends all started preparing to depart home, and my American senior friends were graduating. Attending the graduation commencement ceremony was impressive. Thousands piled into the football stadium, dressed in Carolina-blue robes, to listen to the speeches. One was delivered by Mia Hamm, an ex-UNC women’s soccer player, widely regarded as one of the best female athletes of all time. It then resolved with a huge firework show, followed by a night out on Franklin Street. As I said goodbye…
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The Canadian Cold: is it manageable?
By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada. After spending Christmas in England, I was welcomed back into Canada with -37C weather. Although I was shivering the whole way back to my accommodation, I could see people outside going about as if nothing happened – some even walking around in shorts! Depending on the region of Canada you are in, you’ll likely be met with temperatures ranging between -40C in the winter to 35C in the summer. Still, the cold weather tends to come in waves in the winter. Although you will almost inevitably be met with colds of -30, these don’t usually last longer than a few days before Chinook…
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First vs. Second Semester
By Louis Cotterell, UNC Chapel Hill, USA In the final weeks preceding the Christmas break, there was a strange feeling of uncertainty. Most of the European and Australian internationals who’d become our friends (and football teammates) were not returning, leaving only the Brits left of our studying-abroad friend group. It was going to be interesting to see how the second semester would differ from the first, and was in store. Among those who would not be back was my roommate, Martin, from Madrid. This was sad, as we had become close while grinding internship applications during hiring season. His absence was ameliorated by the new residence of my friend Mark,…
