My Exchange at The University of Toronto
I had wanted to go on exchange for a few years and was fortunate enough to get the opportunity this past semester. After arriving in Toronto, I was initially struck by its size and the character of the city. I could walk endlessly in any direction and be exposed to the colours of each neighbourhood. I found the street art to be especially interesting. Entire walls would be adorned with murals depicting the country’s sporting achievements and musicians.
During my exchange, I stayed at a third party student residence close to the University. I shared this space with a student at another institution. At the beginning of the semester, I attended a faculty-specific orientation for new upper-level law students. This was attended by exchange students as well as transfer students from other Canadian universities.
In terms of my studies, I took five courses from the JD schedule. This was a far different experience from my LLB papers at my home university. The classes were much smaller with an average of around 30 students and there was a heavy emphasis on class participation and discussion. Oftentimes, the professor would simply pose questions for the class to debate. As the JD is a postgraduate degree, students were generally older and had existing qualifications. I met people who had degrees in engineering and even doctorate level qualifications in science fields. Similarly to Auckland, the courses were graded on a curve and I enjoyed the challenge that came with having peers with these different backgrounds. Aside from reading reviews for participation marks, there was no coursework and the assessments were solely based on exams or end of year reports. Meeting class contribution requirements was a bit challenging as I’m not normally the type to speak up, however, this adjustment was not too difficult.
As I was studying graduate courses, I didn’t join many clubs but I did volunteer as a note-taker for disabled students. I found the cost of living to be much higher than in Auckland. When planning my exchange I wanted to live close to university, by myself with my own bathroom. However, I found that I had to quickly compromise. Landlords nearly always required a year-long commitment and most of the available places were rooms that were rented out by homeowners. Because the market was so expensive, I had to pay a very high price for my accommodation. Aside from the exchange rate which was very unfavourable, the taxes were very high with GST and HST combining for an additional 18% at the counter. Tipping was also ubiquitous and the base amount was at least 18%.
The true purpose of my exchange were the activities outside of university. I attended many sports games such as ice hockey, basketball and volleyball. I also ice-skated at Nathan Phillips Square during the night and visited Niagara Falls, Quebec and New York City. I cycled at the Toronto Islands and ate dinner at the CN Tower. I did many other activities and initially planned to do more (e.g. visit British Columbia), however, I soon realised that Canada was too large to realistically visit other provinces.
Overall, my exchange in Toronto was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot. I would advise students to look for accommodation early. There were many students who were still searching even after arriving in Toronto. For those studying law, I would also tell them to take care in selecting courses as many are Canada-specific or have different approaches to doctrines in New Zealand.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
My highlights were learning more about Canadian law and how it compares to New Zealand. I especially liked advanced contracts.
Would you recommended any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Ice-skating in Nathan Phillips Square.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Look for accommodation early, be aware of the tipping culture and the differences in New Zealand and Canadian doctrines.
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?
I didn’t really set a budget, I just paid as I went. I would advise students to cook however.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
That people with different backgrounds (e.g. through different undergraduate degrees) can each contribute something unique to a discussion.