Haskayne School of Business. University of Calgary Exchange Janurary April 2013

Transcription

1 Haskayne School of Business University of Calgary Exchange Janurary April 2013

2 The Great White North My trip to Canada began in November The school term for winter in Canada does not begin until January however, I was fortunate to have friends scattered about the country so thought why not pop over early! Starting my journey in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, I was hit with a bit of a climate change. It was still technically autumn but snow was on the ground and the positive temperatures were a thing of the past. I was defiantly not in New Zealand anymore. Skipping ahead, I arrived in Calgary on the 6 th January with university set to begin on the 8 th. Cutting it short some might say. I had missed orientation for the international students but made quick friends with my roommates who were also international - one from Czech Republic and the other from London. They helped me find my way around and the international office at the University of Calgary (UofC) was very helpful also. Throughout the term many events were put together for the internationals students to help them meet new friends and see a bit of Alberta. One thing is for sure, I never struggled to find things to do. The University and Campus life The University of Calgary is in one word BIG! I was amazed with what I saw and had to be that obvious new kid walking around with a map the first few weeks handy if you have a smartphone as it doubles as a stealth map carrier. What the campus has to offer: - Lecture halls (this one you guys might have guessed) - Library - Bar/nightclub (yes you heard right, two stories high and ThursDEN is student night) - Food shops in every hall and a main food court if you crave it they have it! - Tim Horton s (this I will not elaborate on as it is something you must see for yourself) Alyce Michell Page 1

3 - Gym (and it s free!) - Ice hockey rink and speed skating rink - Rock climbing house - Squash, badminton and volleyball courts - Student residence apartments - Train station - Travel agent, post office, hairdresser, movie projector - And MUCH more I myself also lived on campus and the housing there is nothing like student residence at Waikato. For all you party animals Cascade is the biggest and badest hall. Most exchange students find themselves here and there is a lot of social life to be had. If you like a quieter hall there is Norqway, and if you hate cooking there is Yamanuska which provides meal plans. Overall there are roughly 7 places of residence. All are set up as apartments and include your own room with 3 or 4 roomies and shared kitchen and bathroom. The best thing about living on campus is the convenience and social aspects. A must do is to join a club at UofC. There are so many and they are a great place to make friends. Most clubs host rad events. I joined the UofC Ski club and had some of my best memories with them. They frequently hosted skiing/boarding weekends, which were epic times. Most trips consisted of a bus there and back (which you could drink on), accommodation (very nice accommodation), ski passes and SWAG (Canadian lingo for free stuff), all for about $120 Canadian. One of the best days at UofC is the end of semester Bermuda Shorts Day (BSD). This is organised by the University students and basically it s a big festival hosted in one of the parking lots. It s exclusive to UofC students and is on the last day of term - defiantly something not to miss out on! Getting Places You don t have to worry about getting around as with your student card you receive free access to all the trains and busses which is a massive help! The public transport is decent and can get you most places. However making friends with a car is also recommended as road trips are a Alyce Michell Page 2

4 must! With the Canadian Rockies only an hour and a half away there is plenty to be seen. If you are into skiing or snowboarding (like me) there are buses that go from Calgary to Sunshine in a day which is really handy. A bit about Calgary and well a real winter Never again will you complain about the cold in Hamilton I promise you that. The days are anything from 0 to - 30 degrees Celsius. On average I would say we expected -15. So yes, it s cold. But a beautiful cold! And the skiing/boarding will be the best you will experience in your life! Unlike Hamilton with its damp cold, Calgary is very dry. Some days it s so cold and dry it makes it harder to breathe. But with the cold there is snow and that brings endless amounts of activities. There is a big hill near the campus that is used for tobogganing in the winter. All you need is to BYO cardboard, boogie board, toboggan or whatever else you can concoct to sit and slide on. There is a lot of ice too, which means ice skating and the rink at the campus is free to use for students. The biggest influences in Calgary in my opinion were ice hockey and country. Country? you say. Yes! I mean, slap on a cowboy hat, pull on some boots and jeans country. Ever herd of Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley? Well don t worry, neither had I. But Calgary sure had. If you don t listen to these artists then people consider you somewhat of a freak. You defiantly know you re not in NZ when people line dance at night clubs. Some must see bars are Cowboys and Roadhouse. A lot of good times to be had. They will have you saying yeehaw in no time. Ice hockey is huge in Canada. And games are a definite must see! The local team is called the Calgary Flames - they are often playing in Calgary. The university team The Dinos are also fun to attend and are free to watch. Alyce Michell Page 3

5 Where abouts in Australia are you from? A common phrase you will hear from many Canadians, or possibly London? South Africa? And apparently Auckland is the only city in New Zealand. These are the many questions and conversations you will have when living in Calgary. Canadians are very polite and friendly but distinguishing Australia and New Zealand is not their strong point. And be prepared for a lot of conversations to get lost in translation. For example; Canadian - Hey Alyce what you saying? Alyce I didn t say anything? Canadian No I mean what are you up to later? Overall, Canadians are very approachable people and make you feel right at home. It was very easy making friends and I would recommend anyone to come here as long as your dress warm! Things to do while in Calgary/Canada 1) Go skiing/snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies (I recommend Revelstoke, Big White or Sunshine) 2) See a pro ice hockey game 3) Eat poutine (a Canadian favourite) 4) Go to Banff and Jasper National park 5) Drive the ice fields parkway 6) Calgary stampede 7) Visit Lake Louise 8) Edmonton Mall 9) Drive on the wrong side of the road 10) Experience Canada Day! (July 1 st ) Alyce Michell Page 4

6 A bit of a sneak peak of MY experience One of the perks about Canada is the closeness to the USA and South America. Before I even began my semester I managed to sneak a trip to Cuba in! Flying either to Mexico or Cuba from Canada is SO CHEAP. If you can save up a little extra I would recommend taking this trip. Overall for my trip it cost me $900NZD for 2weeks at a beach front resort and it was all inclusive. This means ALL your meals and drinks (including alcohol) are incorporated as well as your flights and accommodation. During my time in Calgary it was very easy to hire a car or steal a mate s car and drive down into the USA or spend the weekend in Vancouver or the Rockies. There was never a weekend where there was not something planned to see or do. After the term finished, Nat and I made the trip to New York City and I then moved on alone to spend the rest of my time in Canada in Ottawa with close friends. This exchange was a once in a life time experience and I still can t believe what I managed to achieve in such a small amount of time! I urge anyone to go on an exchange as not only will you learn about a new culture but you will also learn so much about yourself and make friends for Alyce Michell Page 5

7 life along the way. It s a challenging experience as you must fit into a new way of living and studying but with a little effort comes more reward than you could ask for. I wish I could do it all over again. This defiantly won t be my last time in Canada! Alyce Michell Page 6