Eric (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Toronto

I found out about the exchange programme through the University of Auckland website.

The accommodation I stayed at in Toronto was a very large, 25-story building housing about 900 students, with an observatory at the top overlooking the city. It had many facilities such as a gym, games room, study rooms on every floor, and dining hall.

I unfortunately do not recall any in-person orientation at the host university, however other exchange students organized our own meetups.

The courses at the University of Toronto were generally academically rigorous. All lectures should be attended as falling behind makes it hard to catch up. The teaching was good and there were many internationally acclaimed professors at the University. It was challenging to adapt to the in-person tests and exams as the University of Auckland had online exams when I went.

Toronto and Canada are culturally similar to Auckland and New Zealand so there should not be much culture shock.

The cost of living at Toronto is about the same as Auckland, except for accommodation, which is about 25% more than in Auckland.

I found life on campus to be surprisingly similar to that in Auckland, which unfortunately meant most people are quite reserved, but there were more group projects in the curriculum allowing opportunities to meet people. There are a large variety of restaurants and cuisines in Toronto, and many places are open until late or open 24 hours. I found most restaurants to be good.

The highlights of my exchange were visiting Niagara Falls about 2 hours by bus or train from Toronto, and visiting New York City, about an hour away by plane.

The biggest challenge of my exchange was my mental health, which fluctuated a lot during my time there. It is very important to seek help early as it is included in the travel insurance, and I found the healthcare to be good or even better than in New Zealand.

To anyone thinking about the exchange programme, do a lot of research on the host university to see if it would be a good fit for you before going, and also keep a list of things that can go wrong and the actions you will take if they happen. In addition, courses should be enrolled as early as possible, because unlike at the University of Auckland, courses frequently reach the maximum enrollment limit and hence cannot be enrolled in if you are too late.

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Q&A

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

Tutorials and labs. The University of Toronto places an emphasis on group work so they are very important to attend. They are also a good opportunity to meet new people.

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

I would recommend seeing the autumn/fall foliage in October. I would also take advantage of the location and travel to many nearby cities both in Canada and the United States.

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

1. Bring suitable warm clothes as the winter is much colder than New Zealand’s and it can snow as early as November
2. The courses fill up fast, so enrol as early as possible
3. I would recommend carrying cash around as some places do not accept card

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 budgeted about $3,000 NZD per month in addition to flight costs. This was enough, and could be reduced by choosing cheaper accommodation.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

My most significant takeaway is to be prepared for the unexpected, and have backup plans in case anything goes wrong.

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