My Exchange at The University of British Columbia – Business
Overall I really enjoyed the 360 programme. My host university, the University of British Columbia (UBC), was awesome! It was a completely different scale to Auckland and gave great insight into other universities and teaching types. For example, UBC covers an entire peninsula in Vancouver and boasts at least 2 gyms, an aquatic centre, several ice hockey rinks, a huge sports complex with both AstroTurf and fields, several beaches, and a club (to name a few things). UBC also had a wide range of clubs from the standard to the exotic. The teaching was mostly similar however UBC placed more emphasis on assessments during the term than in Auckland – in some cases I had mid term tests that were worth more than the final exam.
Vancouver was a really cool city to see, it was very multicultural and was set in an awesome landscape surrounded by mountains. The great thing about Vancouver is that it is so easy to leave and go for a hike in the mountains, explore beautiful lakes, and, of course, go skiing. Canada, however, does feel more expensive than New Zealand – especially food and eating out as you get hit with the hidden costs of taxes and tipping.
I was lucky and got accommodation on campus (around 40% of exchange students didn’t get on-campus accommodation). This made it very easy to leave my flat 15 minutes before class started and reach the class on time. UBC also typically placed exchange students who got campus accommodation together so I was living with 2 guys from Singapore and a girl who studied in Tokyo. I got pretty close with my flatmates which I am very grateful for as it was nice to come back to the flat after a long day of classes and chill out and eat dinner with them. Having other exchange students as flatmates meant that I always had people who wanted to go out and explore. Our different cultures also meant that we shared our different cooking styles with each other.
The highlights of the exchange included skiing at Whistler, road-tripping around Vancouver Island, Washington and Oregon, watching ice hockey, swimming at the beach on campus, and eating my flatmate’s cooking! The main challenges of the exchange were sorting out all the course approvals and the concern over being placed in student accommodation of having to try and find my own (in other words, the main challenges were over before the exchange started!). I was lucky and didn’t suffer too much from homesickness as I was able to call my family often and was otherwise too busy to feel the sting of being away. I would definitely recommend going on an exchange if you have the opportunity!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
One of the main highlights is the fact your grades don’t matter (so long as you pass!). This reduces stress greatly and gives you time to enjoy the exchange and make the most out of living in a new place.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
If you go to UBC, I recommend watching at least 1 ice hockey match as they are free for students and have a great atmosphere! I would also recommend going to Vancouver Island / Tofino around the time of the salmon run as you can watch the salmon jumping up waterfalls and watch bears catching them.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
1) Get a student ski pass at Whistler if you think you will ski more than about 4 times!
2) Pack a good pair of hiking boots
3) Be ready to roll with things – quite a bit will seem familiar, but enough will be just different enough to throw you, so just go into it with an open mind
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?
Realistically your budget will fly out the window pretty quick once you land in the country and discover how much things actually cost. If you do make a budget then place a higher than expected emphasis on activities and food. I found that I often went out almost every weekend to do some activity. Although there are plenty of activities that don’t cost money, transport to the activity (if you drive) can still cost you around $20. Also, don’t forget to take into account the cost of tipping for food you eat out.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Don’t be afraid to just jump in there and do it and accept that things might not be exactly what you expect or are used to.