Mio (Sem 2, 2024)

My Exchange at McMaster University

My decision to do an overseas exchange was somewhat impulsive. I’d known about the exchange programme but only properly began considering it when my friend told me he was applying for Semester 2, 2024. I figured it would be a smart decision to live overseas for 4 months and get a semester of uni done, as this would be cheaper than if I visited later in my life and travelled for 4 months. I chose Canada, as I’d always wanted to visit this country for its nature, friendly people and the huge, multicultural cities. I had a few universities (including UofT, UBC and McGill) in mind, but my options were narrowed down because I applied late. McMaster was one of the few I could apply for. 

I arrived in Toronto about a week before semester started and spent the first three days exploring downtown before moving into my student flat in Hamilton. I loved Toronto – it was culturally diverse, had great food, lots of parks and markets and was very walkable. Hamilton was similar, but smaller and more suburbanized, with more nature around the city. My first impression of Canada was that the weather was surprisingly hot even though summer was coming to an end. Temperatures sometimes reached 30 degrees. I spent most of August and September in a singlet and shorts, so remember to pack some summer clothes! It only started getting cold in October, and the first snowfall was in early December.

I lived in a student flat with five Canadian girls, in a quiet and safe neighbourhood about 10-minutes walking distance from campus. The house and room were very comfortable, and my flatmates were all lovely – I felt extremely fortunate to have secured such an ideal living situation. Living with domestic students also meant I was getting an authentic Canadian uni experience and making friends beyond those who were also exchange students.

In the week leading up to the start of classes, exchange students had two days of orientation events. This included a morning tea to mix and mingle, campus and faculty tour, and activities such as hiking, cycling, kayaking, rock climbing and yoga. We also got a tour of downtown Hamilton and visited the art gallery, international supermarket and farmer’s market.

McMaster’s campus is located about a 20-minute bus ride away from downtown Hamilton. Unlike UoA where the buildings are spread out along a street, campus is in one designated area. It has everything you need without being huge and overwhelming, and I felt there was a strong sense of student community. One thing I really appreciated was that we got a lot of student perks. These included a free uni rec centre membership, free fares for the Hamilton buses, discounts at local restaurants and supermarkets, and free membership for the Hamilton bike share. The rec centre membership gave me access to the gym, pool, courts, running track and rock climbing/bouldering wall – all amazing facilities. Using the bike share was a highlight of my experience, as it’s something we don’t get in Auckland. I loved that I could travel virtually anywhere in Hamilton, and it would cost me nothing! I also stayed fit and healthy because I was walking and cycling everywhere.

The full-time workload for Mac students is three to six courses. I took four courses: two in civil engineering, one in statistics and another in earth science. The workload was much lighter compared to what I was used to back home. I was definitely less stressed and had more time to dedicate to extracurriculars, socialisation and actually taking care of myself. During my time in Canada, I joined a run club with my roommate, attended many social events, travelled lots, and explored Hamilton and Toronto thoroughly.

There were three main supermarkets in Hamilton, all with varying levels of affordability and quality. Food Basics was my store of choice. It was close to my house, cheap, and had a 10% student discount on Tuesdays. Downtown had the farmer’s market and a few Asian grocery stores with affordable, local produce and anything not available at the mainstream supermarkets. All of these stores were at most a 20-30 minute bike or bus ride from my house, so very accessible. Supermarket prices were around the same as Auckland, whilst eating out was more expensive, especially with the tipping. For the most part, I cooked my own meals. However, those living on campus need to get a compulsory meal plan. This means you buy meals from vendors on and around campus using money loaded onto your ID card. From what I saw, the portions for these places were quite big, so many of my friends didn’t end up using up all their meal plan money. I would advise getting the cheapest plan, unless you know you eat a lot.

Overall, I loved my semester at Mac. I probably wouldn’t have chosen it if it weren’t for my other host uni options being ruled out. However, I’m glad I did because it turned out amazing. The campus and facilities were great, all the staff and students I met were very friendly, and Hamilton had a nice balance of city and nature. The location is perfect for those who prefer to live in a ‘town’ rather than a big city, but still want easy access to Toronto. Would highly recommend!

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

• Lecturers were all engaging and approachable (both in person and by email). It felt like they genuinely cared about my learning, because they were willing to take time out of their day to explain things and answer my queries.
• Many upper-year engineering classes only have about 30 students, so it was easier to talk to people. Students would also ask a lot of questions in class, which I was not used to. This allowed me to build my confidence with asking questions and public speaking.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

• Depends on where in Canada you are, but I’d recommend going to see some nature. If you are in Hamilton or the Toronto area, visit Niagara Falls, as it’s only about an hour away. Hamilton is also apparently the ‘waterfall capital of the world’ and has some beautiful waterfalls, so definitely check those out too.
• Learn about First Nations culture, especially if you are travelling to British Columbia. BC is the province with the most diversity in First Nations languages, so I found that the museums there have really helpful resources. 

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Pack smart. Clothing that you can layer, a good jacket and face/neck covering will do you wonders. Don’t stress if you don’t have these things, though – it’s quite easy to get them at the thrift stores or online once you’re there. Also, everything is huge in North America, including product packaging. Take your own toiletries and use them up if you don’t want to have to buy a ginormous new one and leave it behind.
2. Look for off-campus housing early on if you want to save money. On-campus rent is expensive, especially with the compulsory meal plan.
3. Try out lots of new things, you have nothing to lose!! I was the only exchange student from Aotearoa, and in my engineering specialisation. Literally no one at Mac knew who I was, and the chances of me seeing them again after 4 months were very low, so I was free to do whatever I wanted. 

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

To be completely honest, I didn’t budget a specific amount for this exchange. However, I did try to be careful with my spendings and kept track of all my expenses. In total, for the 5 months I was away, I spent around $12K. This included $3.6K for rent, $3K for flights and insurance, $2.8K for one month of travelling, and the rest on food, transport, activities etc. As a massive cheapskate, I didn’t think I’d spend so much, but considering Canada’s cost of living, it’s probably a reasonable amount.

My biggest piece of advice would be to start planning any travels and booking transport and accommodation as soon as possible, as prices only go up the longer you leave it.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

• I learned that it doesn’t take long for people to adapt to new environments. I thought it’d be really difficult suddenly transitioning into a lifestyle where I cook for myself, share a house with strangers and spend a long time away from my home country, family and friends. However, I enjoyed all these things and ended up feeling quite at-home in Hamilton!
• I also learned that things are rarely free, and that if you want to experience new and exciting things in life, (unfortunately) you are going to have to spend some money.
• Lastly, I learned that Canada is SO big, and the cities are built for cars, so driving is very much the main mode of transport. As someone who really dislikes having to drive to get anywhere, the lack of walkability (especially in suburban areas) was frustrating. My roommate also told me that using public transit is often looked down upon as it’s seen as something that ‘poor’ people do… Although this is outrageous, it was also fascinating from a civil engineering standpoint because I could see firsthand, the impact of autocentric societies on people’s mindsets and wealth disparity. 

Is there any advice you could share about accommodation options at your host university and/or in the local area?

My room was a four-month sublet, and I found it on a Facebook group for Mac off-campus housing. I was super lucky with my housing, but I know a few exchange students missed out on both on and off campus housing and were renting out Airbnb’s for the whole 4 months. Other off-campus students were required to find a new tenant for the next semester before moving out. I really recommend looking for housing early on, especially if you’re going in the fall semester. I started joining Facebook groups around 2 months before I left NZ, and reached out to as many people as possible on there.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

• I spent around a month travelling overall. During reading week (mid-semester break), I travelled up to Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa. I got to experience the French side of Canada, learnt about Canada’s colonial history, visited art museums and indulged in some nice bread and chocolate.
• After exams, I travelled to New York City with three friends. We took overnight buses both ways and stayed for just under a week. Definitely not a cheap trip but I think it’s worth a visit, especially because you’ve already travelled that far from NZ! There is so much to do and see there, I particularly enjoyed Chinatown and the art museums.
• After the New Year, I travelled to British Columbia and stayed in Vancouver and Vancouver Island before leaving Canada in mid-January. BC felt closer to home, as there were a lot of mountains, beaches and waterfalls surrounding the cities. I will say though, it’s probably best to rent a car if you are travelling there, because unfortunately many of the provincial parks and trails are not accessible by public transport. The winter weather is also quite similar to Auckland (rainy) so I’d recommend going in the warmer months. That way you can swim, and enjoy much nicer views.

Do you have any advice on what mobile phone apps and/or phone plans that were useful in your host country?

• For transport I used Google Maps, and didn’t need to download any regional transport agency apps. I also had the SoBi app for the Hamilton bike share.

• For finances I used Wise, which allowed me to hold a credit card and use it in pretty much any currency I needed, like CAD and USD. The fees are relatively small, and they have free ATM withdrawals, so I only had to pay the local bank’s fees when getting cash out. I could also send and receive money to and from Canadian bank accounts, which was convenient for paying rent.

• For managing shared living expenses and spendings with my flatmates or friends, I used Splitwise and Tricount.

• For communication with fellow exchange students, I used WhatsApp.

• Additionally, my exchange student friend told me about an app called Too Good to Go that lets you buy ‘surprise bags’ of leftover food from local cafes and restaurants for very cheap. It’s not available in NZ, but I loved it as it meant I could try out lots of popular takeout places in Hamilton without breaking the bank!

I got an eSIM for a local mobile network provider. I considered both data-only and full mobile plans, but opted for the full mobile plan, because I knew I’d be travelling, and it’s always convenient to have minutes in case you need to make calls to manage bookings. My monthly cost for this plan was 20 CAD, which is around 25 NZD, and it came with 100 minutes of Canada-wide calls, unlimited texts and 500MB data.

When I travelled to NYC, I got a separate eSIM with data only, as I didn’t need calls or texts.