University Attended Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Canada

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1 University Attended Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Canada Feedback 1 INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful? This consisted of 'imagine day' where you were taken around campus and had a lecture. Not very informative and you can work most of the stuff out alone. There was also clubs and societies boothing. Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support The teaching style at Sauder is tough but rewarding. All classes I was in had around 30 people and were like seminars in Manchester. Professors expect active participation in class discussion and you are rewarded with this through 10-20% of your marks. All students are on the ball and very driven which in itself is motivating. Group work is a component of any Sauder class and can count for 40-60% of your final grade. This can also be very rewarding and gives you a chance to spend lots of time with people in business school. Recommended classes: Negotiation Really good class. Gives the theory to negotiating then each class has either an individual negotiation or team negotiation. Really interesting and a good, fun class environment. Design strategies and business innovations Probably the best class I did. Great professor, interesting and different method of teaching. We formed groups and worked as a consulting group for a real business that were brought in. Our team worked with the Habitat for Humanity GV CEO which was very rewarding. Marketing applications This was a class for final year marketing majors. It was good class and we worked with an external company to give them a marketing plan. Sales management Another great class with a practical aspect. Our prof was very experienced in sales. We learned loads of great skills as well as theory. We had guest lecturers from P&G and then our final assessment was a sales pitch to a P&G salesperson. MBS INTERNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT TEAM

2 Level of support, additional information that could have been useful Very good in responding to any questions and queries. MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS Any additional information that you feel could have been provided Good covered everything that I needed to know. HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students Very good in assisting with any questions and there's a Facebook group which is handy. If you need to change classes they are helpful too. INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER Please include any information relating to the purchase of compulsory health insurance ie costs etc. or whether this was waived by having the University of Manchester Insurance Policy For the first three months you are covered by the compulsory IMED for around $150. After this you are required to get MSP for around $500 for the whole time. This is broken up across the year. INFORMATION ON ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS This should be information on any extra fees that the University charged but should not include accommodation, books, transport, visa etc. Visa is around $50 I lived in Walter gage for both semesters. Gage had loads of international/exchange students who are keen to explore Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Apparently Fairview is similar. Gage is a 5 minute walk to the business school and everything else on campus. It is also right next to the bus loop where you can access anywhere in vancouver on your upass. Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups Living in Vancouver has been an amazing experience with the sea and mountains so close. Being 2 hours from whistler has been one of the highlights, you can ski in the day and get a Vancouver sunset in the evening Make the most of the proximity to Whistler, a student season pass is $500! You can catch a greyhound or epic ride bus for around $30. You can also get rides on the UBC Ski and board page for similar/possibly cheaper. UBC ski and board is worth joining, they have loads of parties and trips to revelstoke and more. Unbelievable experience in a great place with great people. Feedback 2

3 INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME When we first arrived on Campus there was very little going on, don't be put off! Campus is a big place and on the first few days when everyone is moving into their halls of residence things seem pretty quiet. A couple of days after moving in their equivalent of fresher's week started and all the exchange students had to take part in 'imagine day' where you are put in groups and given a tour round campus and a talk about what to expect at UBC. It wasn t the most enthralling experience but most of it was pretty useful, especially to get your bearings around campus. There was no real introductory week per say, classes start pretty quickly. Ann Gilray is very helpful with course selection and any other queries you might have! I found the overall academic experience to be very different to Manchester! I took a mixture of 2nd 3rd and 4th level courses but did not find them particularly challenging. A lot of the courses I took were a lot more practical than theoretical with a lot of coursework rather than exams. Assessments were more continuous and less weighted, but like I said not particularly hard. The majority of my classes involved a lot of team work, and no essays! Course materials were easy to access on Connect; their version of Blackboard and all of my professors were easy to contact and happy to help! I would advise taking some electives outside the business school, it s a huge university with so many interesting courses! INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER For the first couple of months you are required to buy imed and then from November onwards MSP is required to cover you for the rest of your time in Canada. It covers doctors appointments but not prescriptions. I broke my wrist in Whistler two weeks before Christmas and both MSP and the Manchester University Insurance policy covered all my costs. INFORMATION ON ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS Make sure you get a U-pass (bus pass) you pay at the beginning of the year and it means you can use all the buses, skytrains and ferries! Try the second hand bookstore at the village (above booster juice) for your textbooks, or see if they are available to rent from the UBC bookstore, because full price they are so expensive! I lived on Campus, in Walter Gage Residences. They were very much like the rooms in Richmond Park (Fallowfield), except with shared bathrooms. All of the flats were single sex with 6 bedrooms and a communal living area and kitchen which were pretty small! I had an INCREDIBLE view of the sea and the mountains as I was on floor 15 but I didn t particularly enjoy living in Gage. In hindsight I would have preferred to live off campus in Kitsalano (Area between UBC and Downtown) but there is no denying that living in halls was a great way to meet people. I also think Fairview was a nicer option than Gage as their communal living area was much bigger and more sociable. Lots of people I know did like living in Walter Gage but personally I would have liked a little more independence from the University. Make sure you get off Campus as much as possible, it s a little outside the City and can be quite easy to get caught up in a UBC bubble but the City and Territory has so much to offer. Take the 44 to downtown (it s the quickest by far!). Gas town was my favourite part of downtown there are loads of nice cafés bars and restaurants. Kitsalano is also another lovely area again with great places to eat and drink. My two favourite restaurants were East is East and Calabash, make sure you try them! Go to the beach as much as possible, it s so beautiful, the sunsets there

4 were the most incredible I have ever seen; wreck beach, Tower beach, Kits beach and English Bay are all worth visiting. Make sure you make the most of the sunshine when you first arrive, rent cars and go on hikes, the lakes further north are amazing and try get over to Tofino on Vancouver Island and go surfing whilst it s sunny!! The rain starts around October and doesn t really stop until April so get ready for it. Although it s wet, Whistler is only 2 hours away and the student ski pass is so cheap!!! It s so easy to go for the day or for the weekend, which is what we did all winter. The American border isn't far and although I didn t make much of Seattle, Portland was so much fun and is worth going to! Also keep your eye out for cheap flights to Hawaii!! I was mainly friends with exchange students, as a lot of Canadian students already have their own friends and are more serious about their studies! Truly unforgettable experience University Attended : University of British Columbia FEEDBACK 1 INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful? During the first week we had an induction day that was called MUG Day essential as you re assigned to group and they walk around and show you all the important areas of the campus and where your classes will be. It was pretty useful and you get to meet some other exchange students on your course. Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support Teaching was similar to that in Manchester, although there tend to be less large lectures and more seminar style classes. I had no trouble gaining access to courses as spots are reserved for exchange students. Assessment tended to be based on participation, one essay, a presentation, a mid-term exam and final exam for the majority of my courses. MBS INTERNATIONAL TEAM Level of support, additional information that could have been useful I felt that the level of support was good if you needed it when you were abroad and I can t really think of any additional information needed. MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS Any additional information that you feel could have been provided The MBS second year meeting were very useful and I felt that almost everything was covered. HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students I never actually had to go to the host office for anything other than to get my learning agreement signed. They were very friendly and I felt that there was support in place had I needed it.

5 INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER Please include any information relating to the purchase of compulsory health insurance ie costs etc. or whether this was waived by having the University of Manchester Insurance Policy There is compulsory health insurance called MSP. It costs $68 per month and you have to apply for it immediately when you arrive in the country if you intend to stay for more than 3 months. You pay this December through until you leave. The first three months the university cover you with insurance called imed and this is around $150 for 3 months. INFORMATION ON ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS AND FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION This should be information on any extra fees that the University charged but should not include accommodation, books, transport, visa etc. Any information that you had to provide on financial certificate would be helpful. Generally the year was much more expensive than I had anticipated although there were no significant unexpected costs. I had to prove I had funds in my account to get my VISA. I would only recommend to residential housing buildings, Walter Gage or Fairview crescent. 1 st year halls are dry halls and tend to be 17 and 18 yo s. Fairview and Gage have a good mix of Canadian and exchange students. Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups I would get a season pass for Whistler this was the best investment I made in my time in Vancouver Travel you get a Upass that gives you free travel all over Vancouver and this is issued monthly. However everything you need is in walking distance on campus. Best year of my life hands down