Nakita (Sem 2, 2022)

My Exchange at The University of British Columbia

I missed orientation, but from what I heard, it was like UoA O-week on steroids. There were the usual culprits; introductory lectures, beach BBQs, and club stalls. My first impression of UBC came on the first day of classes. Everything was big. Buildings, towers, clocks, parks, fountains, trees. It was a beautiful campus and felt like its own little community, something many people told me before I left. At times, some of my classes were a brisk 10-minute walk away, which seemed like a pain to begin with, but my calves and step count had never been better.

I did four courses at UBC, all of them scattered around campus. They were all quite interesting in terms of content as I did a mixed bag of science and arts courses. They included papers in European Renaissance, French, Psych and GIS. While some lectures were a struggle and a half (post-lunch GIS lectures hit hard), overall, it was a positive experience. My lecturers (professors, as Canadians call them) were passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects. They were also super keen to make lectures engaging and interactive. This was different to most of my UoA classes and, honestly, daunting at first- students voluntarily participating in class discussions. Why!? But it all worked out and made going to class, dare I say, enjoyable.

The workload was similar to my courses in Auckland, but some courses at UBC had more assessments and tests (or so it felt). They also held midterms and finals at ungodly hours (7-9 pm?! who does that) and on Sundays (an actual sin), but I mean, it is what it is. You have been warned. Attending class made it easier because trying to catch up on recordings while on exchange didn’t work for me. I once told myself I would catch up on three recordings and write an essay while travelling to the East Coast of Canada during Reading Week (UBC equivalent of mid-semester break). Safe to say, there was absolutely no time, and seven days flew by in a blink. Honestly though, do you really want to spend your time outside of university cramming coursework while all your mates are gallivanting across the city? Unlikely.

Speaking of gallivanting, do it, and a lot of it. Get to know your new city and country while you can. This can be influenced by many different things, starting with where and who you live with during your stay. I chose to live off campus because I wanted to experience Vancouver as a city, not just UBC. That meant that rent was slightly higher, and there was a longer commute to campus (40 minutes, twice a day every day), but we had a proper house instead of a tiny room. It felt more homely. Ideally, I would have enjoyed living slightly closer to campus because 40 minutes is long. For all of you heading to Vancouver, the golden area is probably between West Point Grey/Kits/Main St. However, with prime location also comes crazy expensive rent that I did not have the budget for. Unfortunately, the housing crisis and inflation were also very much alive and kicking in Vancouver, with prices working out to be approximately the same as Auckland, if not slightly higher. The conversion rate is not kind to the NZ dollar, so I recommend opening a Canadian bank account or using an international card like WISE to avoid those pesky transactions and conversion fees.

I lived with three other exchange students from Australia, Denmark and Norway, and I cannot recommend this enough. I think living with at least one other exchange student makes life easier in terms of having a reliable someone to do missions with. Some of my mates who lived with locals said it was good fun, but they sometimes struggled to do the usual sightseeing and adventure activities together since they had either already done them or were not too fussed. Unfortunately, being an exchange student does not come with that novelty. The one thing you absolutely do not have is time to lose. Charge up your social battery, make friends (local and exchange) and go on as many adventures as possible. I managed to do Whistler in the summer and snow, Banff, Toronto, Niagra, Montreal, and a quick weekend across the border to George, WA. Each place has made for a wicked story, but that’s not what you’re here for. You want to know what to expect for your great big exchange adventure. 

The best advice I can pass on is to expect the unexpected. You might be reading this considering going on exchange (do it already if you didn’t get the hint!), or you might be weeks out and getting cold feet. Take a breath. You will be fine. You won’t know exactly what will happen, so let’s not stress. We live in this crazy, wild, beautiful, unpredictable world where the only constant is change. The best you can do is be alert, open, and flexible. Go in like a wrung sponge, ready to take all that your experience will throw at you because it will challenge you. Physically, mentally and emotionally. You will have days filled with ‘pinch me’ moments, and no doubt you’ll have some days where you’re drowning in assignments and getting major fomo from your mates and relatives back home. Embrace it. It’s all part of it.

Trust in yourself and push yourself to be curious about the papers you take, the campus, the clubs on campus, your neighbourhood, and the places you want to explore. There will always be people keen to get together and do things. Make an effort to find them, plan and execute missions. While you’re busy making new friends, don’t forget about those still at home. Make an effort to be interested in whatever is happening and share your highs, lows and in-betweens. Your exchange experience will be the sum of what you put into it. So please, do yourself a favour, and make the absolute most of it. I can guarantee you will come out with broader horizons, some sick connections, more independence and itching to see what else is out there. I’m glad I trusted my gut and went on exchange despite all the delays. If I could, I would be back on that flight in a heartbeat, ready to do it all again.

Q&A

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

The teaching style and course structure of a lot of my courses was very interactive. Maybe I just got lucky, but for majority of my courses, students participated and asked questions and discussed topics during the lecture. Professors would often have sections of the lecture for discussing a prompt based on the content we covered and it was just really interesting to see students keen to engage and contribute with their ideas and stories.

This was slightly daunting at the start but then after the first couple of weeks I got comfortable and realised that participating actually helps with critically thinking about the concepts and opens you up to new perspectives.

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

Joining the clubs like Surf club or ski and board club- good fun! A lot of my uni mates also joined sports clubs like dodgeball which they really enjoyed. Also, more country specific activities- go do as many hikes as you can- especially around BC. You feel like you’re living a Bob Ross Painting.

If you’re over around Christmas time, you HAVE to go buy an ugly sweater from Salvos (there’s one conveniently in Kits) and then head to the Christmas Market & the Christmas Lights (both at Stanley Park and the fancy botanic gardens). Bit weird how you have to pay to get in but its worth it. Speaking of Stanley Park- go biking around it (if going from November onwards- wear gloves or your hands will freeze).

Also go check out Granville Island, good for Breweries (you’re spoilt for choice cause there are also tons around Main St/Mt Pleasant), and theres a fancy farmers market kinda thing. If you water taxi over from downtown (which you should- make the moooost out of ‘free’ public transport), you might even spot some seals which is pretty epic.

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

1) Work hard, play hard. You have an insane opportunity to learn something in a new country- don’t be that student who can’t be bothered showing up to class because you. will. miss. out. Take the time to learn, both your course content and this new city you will call home. Get to know her, google “must do in xxx” and check a few of those off but make sure to just walk around- your university, your neighbourhood, everywhere and anywhere you get an inkling to check out, you might just be surprised.

2) Get amongst it. Join a club or three while you’re on your exchange- awesome way to meet local students (especially those with cars), other exchange students, and go on discounted trips!

3) Stay connected to your loved ones back home- especially your family and close friends. Whether that’s scheduling regular facetime or phone calls or just sending memes back and forth every now and then, make an effort and keep in touch.

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 20K for six months (this included my exchange and a month of travel down California before my exchange and two weeks of travel after my exchange) and I think it worked out well- allowed me to pay rent, and get by with my weekly expenses whilst also travelling around Canada and doing side excursions during the semester.

A good lesson would be to always have a safety stash no matter what throughout your exchange. As much as you can put away but probably a maximum of 1k for any emergencies, unexpected important expenses etc. Future you will thank you.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Travelling and living abroad is the best thing you could do for yourself. It’s an experience that pushes you to grow and understand yourself in the world you’re in. Exchange for me constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way and taught me my own boundaries and limits. It helped me become more comfortable with trusting my own gut feelings and be more assertive and decisive. It showed me that you can do full time uni and learn about four completely unrelated topics whilst having some of the most fun in your entire life. It made me appreciate the privilege I have of becoming a local in a brand new place and getting to experience a similar yet different way of ‘university life’. It also made me appreciate my family and close friends, which simultaneously helped me realise that all relationships are a two-way street. They require effort from both sides and those that are real and want to be sustained should be prioritised.

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

West Coast of the US (California) during summer is a dream!! If you’re going to Canada, try and head out there and do some of the national parks and stop and alllll of the beaches. Some of the best times.

Is there anything else you’d like to highlight?

Could not recommend going on exchange more. It is what you want to make of it. I wanted it to be epic and it was nothing less.