Julia (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at McGill University

I found out about the possibility of exchange from a friend, who also went to McGill University the semester prior to me. The process to make the exchange happen was a very complicated and difficult process but ended up being worth it in the end. The Canadian semester started much later than in New Zealand, meaning that after the New Zealand course withdrawal deadline passed, I had to make it work or miss an entire semester. Getting the course approvals and trying to choose equivalent courses can be stressful, so I would recommend anyone wanting to do an exchange semester starts the process as early as possible.

When I first arrived in Canada, it wasn’t much different to what I was used to in New Zealand. Everyone could speak English to make up for my poor French. Navigating the student ID pickup and finding the accommodation was quite easy. The accommodation itself, I stayed in a university house on 3653 Rue University, was, at first impression, a bit run down. However, it was made up of four floors, with six to eight rooms per floor, and housed only exchange students. This made it the perfect place to meet people and make friends. I genuinely feel that I have made lifelong friends from living in the McGill student housing.

I quickly took to exploring the city of Montreal with the people from my house. It was a strange but fascinating mixture of American and French infrastructure and culture. The downtown area that the University is situated in has many artsy and interesting cafes and stores to explore and the management faculty gets Fridays off. The surroundings of Montreal are great for day trips to try canoeing, hiking, and, in winter, a bit of skiing. Visiting Quebec City, Toronto, and Ottawa also made for great weekend or day trips. 

University life in Montreal is a bit different. The McGill campus is a lot more centralized and there is more of a united student body. What I found interesting was the fraternities and sororities that were recruiting during the first few weeks. It was fun to experience a taste of the classic party culture that we hear about and see in movies. I would recommend taking part. The classes are similar, but in the Management faculty there is a high emphasis on group projects and class contribution; you receive a participation grade. This took a while to get used to, because contributing to class discussions can be quite stressful for me, but overall was not difficult.

Food in Canada was quite expensive. The supermarket prices were definitely a bit higher than in New Zealand. However, Dollerama, somewhat similar to the Warehouse, had great cheap food, kitchen essentials, and all sorts of necessary things: a student’s best friend. McGill also requires you to load 1500 CAD onto a student ID card, which can be used at the student dining halls and at campus food places. What initially seemed like a waste of money ended up being beneficial. The dining hall food was good and the campus lunch places were nice and healthy. There was a great range of Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian, and American food places on offer, all with vegetarian and sometimes halal options. You can’t get bored.

The highlights of my exchange were the people I met and the trips I went on with those people. One of my favourite trips was to Banff during reading break, where I completed some amazing hikes and saw all sorts of wildlife. Being able to hire a car for these situations was great, so get your international driver’s license. If you are going to Canada, I would recommend going in the second semester of New Zealand university, or the fall semester in Canada, because you get to experience the summertime, the orange fall, and the snowy winter.

Overall, I think everyone who can do an exchange semester, should do one. It will change your life.

Q&A

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

Some of the courses on offer at my host university were very different to what is offered at the University of Auckland. I took a managing for sustainability class that was very discussion-based and solution-oriented. We had to write an industry report on how we would solve a particular sustainability problem of our choice. The freedom was a bit daunting at first, but I ended up doing really well and loved that I could choose something I was passionate about.

Having to contribute to class discussions to get a grade was, in the beginning, a challenge. However, I feel that the experience made me a lot more confident in backing my opinions and debating with other students in class, which are also valuable skills to hold in a career.

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

If you are into the party scene, I would recommend taking part in Frosh and Hype week. Both are things you will not experience at Auckland University. It involves lots of drinking, fun competitions, and making friends. If you are not into partying, there are great outdoor orientation parties where you go camping, canoeing, or hiking and meet new people.

For Canada in general, make sure to try a beaver’s tail, which is a pastry not an actual tail from a beaver. In Quebec, the home of poutine, you also need to try poutine. Both taste delicious.

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

1. Go to the international student welcome events. That is where you will meet lots of people in the exact same situation as you.
2. Try new and unfamiliar things. That’s what you’re there for.
3. Make sure to balance uni work and fun. There are so many fun opportunities but you still need to pass. Alternatively, this is the one time your grade won’t directly affect your GPA, so let loose a little.

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?

If you want to do it well, I would have at least 10,000 NZD to afford rent, food, and some fun trips during the breaks. Budget from the start, otherwise you will start the trip well and end it scraping by.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

There are so many amazing things to see in the world and interesting people to meet. You can’t do all of it in this lifetime, but if you start now you can see and meet a lot of cool places and people. Exchange is a good taste to see if you would like to explore what is out there.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

Canada is quite close to America, and getting an ESTA is not that difficult. I went to New York, which was an amazing trip. If you are in Canada, I would recommend trying to see some of America because it will likely be closer than the other side of Canada.

Final Comments

Make sure to be flexible so you can take all the great opportunities that come your way. Also, be open to new experiences and to meeting different people because you never know who might become a long-term friend you can visit in the future.