UQ Program: Bachelor of Science
Going on exchange is amazing. Not only do you get to see the world but you also get to experience a new culture and meet some incredible people. I chose the UofA because it snows, it’s in Canada and I was able to attend for two semesters and I am so glad I did; this year was incredible. I am particularly glad that I got to stay for the whole year and I would definitely recommend it if you can, because one semester goes by incredibly fast and you will really not want to leave.
My year on exchange was filled with fantastic experiences starting with the international students’ orientation (Transitions). On my first day of transitions I met several of the people who were to become some of my closest friends. Academically the UofA is quite similar to UQ, though they take 5 rather than 4 subjects. However, as a science student one of the most noticeable differences was that many of my courses did not have labs and tests were strongly favoured over assignments, with the assessment for several of my subjects consisting only of two midterms and a final. When it came to enrolling in my subjects there were some complications with the online system (beartracks), which will only let you sign up for first year subjects so I had to call the Biological sciences people and get them to enrol me in my 2nd, 3rd and 4th year subjects. I would recommend calling them pretty much immediately once sign up opens, as spots in classes do fill up fast. Fortunately they can often fit you in if you call up and explain the situation even if the class is technically full.
Living in Canada provided me with the opportunity to travel around North America, such as Montreal, NY, Las Vegas, LA, Washington D.C, San Francisco and many other amazing places. I also learnt to skate, ski and snowboard in the Rockies and got to see it snow and snow and snow. The University of Alberta is situated in Edmonton, the capital of the province and it is great place to live despite the fact that it starts snowing in August and doesn't stop until April. Edmonton is also one of the coldest places in Canada and the world which can be a little scary when you are reading about temperatures reaching -45 from Australian summer. However I soon found that the cold wasn't as awful as everyone said and that as long as you have a good coat, toque (Canadian for beanie), mits, scarf etc. it really is quite survivable and you will acclimatise pretty quickly. By the end of winter a -16 degree day felt quite warm especially when preceded by a week in which the temperature didn't get above -25. Also regarding winter coats I would definitely recommend buying them in Canada as they really do specialise in them.
For my year on exchange; after much reading about all the different types of residence on campus I ultimately chose classic Lister. Lister is an amazing place to live; you will meet so many incredible people from both Canada and around the world - especially on your floor, which really does become like a family. Living in Lister is also a great way to experience university Canadian style; I had the opportunity to play in the residence wide dodgeball league which is heaps of fun and participate in competitions such as King Louis - a week long competition between all the floors in your tower involving scavenger hunts, piercings, ugly haircuts and playing in the snow. In regards to going out, there are two ‘student bars’ across the street and Whyte Avenue nearby has lots of clubs, bars, and restaurants that are great to visit with friends.
In regards to advice one thing I would definitely suggest is be very careful when it comes to setting up a phone, after losing my phone somewhere on a snowy mountain I bought a phone on a plan with Koodo, very bad idea. Not only do Canadian phone companies charge for absolutely everything, including caller id but when it comes to paying your final bill it can be very challenging if you no longer have a Canadian bank account. Despite phone troubles, all up my year on exchange was the most fantastic experience, with the worst part definitely being saying goodbye to all the amazing people and a place that really became a second home.