My Exchange at The University of British Columbia – Okanagan
I first found out about the 360 International exchange program on orientation day in my first year at uni, and was very excited about the opportunity to study and live overseas. When I first arrived in Canada, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, but I found the University of British Columbia, and my fellow exchange students to be very welcoming. I was put in a quad, meaning that I was in one of four bedrooms that were joined by a shared living space and kitchen, and shared a bathroom with one other person, my accommodation was on campus, which was convenient for getting to class, studying, and hanging out with the other students living on campus after class. Unfortunately I was put in with three masters students who were all in the same program as each other, and who tended to keep to themselves, so we did not do much together as a flat. Orientation day was a good way to meet other newcomers to the university while also getting a campus tour, the exchange office at the University of British Columbia also held an extra orientation which was a good time to meet the other exchange students. I found the courses to be a bit easier than what I was used to at Auckland, but the workload was heavier. Canada was a fantastic place to go on exchange as it is a beautiful country, with lots of friendly people, and Kelowna was a great place to study, being a smaller city it had a nice country town feel to it, but also many of the amenities that larger cities have. The cost of living was cheaper than Auckland, especially with the on campus housing and meal plan that the university offered. I took part in many extracurricular activities, from traveling all over North America with the other exchange students, to learning how to ice skate and snowboard, the events on campus hosted by the University, there were plenty of opportunities to participate in new things. Life on campus was excellent as you are living super close to everyone and everything the University has to offer, including walking trails in the bush slightly off campus, however the campus itself was about a 15 minute drive from downtown. The dining hall on campus was quite good, with lots of different meal plans you could buy, and lots of different food options, however the food itself was a bit hit and miss as some of it was incredibly oily. I would recommend getting a swipe plan rather than the all inclusive as it gives you more flexibility on how much you want to visit the dining hall. The main highlights of the exchange were meeting my fellow exchange students, who were a great group of people, experiencing the Canadian lifestyle, especially when it comes to winter sports, and being able to travel around such a beautiful part of the world. The main challenges of the exchange were the culture shock, such as tipping culture, and transport without a car when travelling around the country, as Canada is huge with a very low population density. The best advice I could give to future students thinking about doing an exchange program would be to jump at every new opportunity that comes your way, and really put yourself out there to meet new people, as you will learn a whole lot, and have an incredible experience.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
I had three main highlights of the exchange, first was meeting my fellow exchange students as we all became quick friends and went on all sorts of adventures together, and I now have a network of friends all over the world. Second was experiencing the Canadian lifestyle, in particular the winter sports, and learning how to snowboard and ice skate. The third main highlight was travelling all over North America and being able to see such a beautiful place with a great group of people.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I would definitely recommend trying out skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating as Canada is a fantastic place to try them out, and there are so many different places within Canada you can try them.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
My top 3 tips for future exchange students attending the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus would be to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, make an effort to get to know people, especially your fellow exchange students, and make new friends, and give ice skating, skiing and/or snowboarding a go because you’ll have heaps of fun.
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 $30,000 for the two semesters, and spent about $38,000 but that is mostly because I did some extra travelling after the end of the second semester. The most helpful piece of advice would be to get the swipe plan at the on campus dining hall rather than the all inclusive one as it is still quite cheap, but gives you the flexibility to eat elsewhere if you want instead of always eating at the dining hall.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My most significant takeaway from my experience abroad would be to seize the moment when opportunities arise as you will experience so many things that you might not usually consider doing but will have so much fun in the process!