What our students say

Why did you decide to study abroad?

I always had in the back of my mind that I would do a year abroad when applying for universities. Had seen older students do a similar thing and looked like an opportunity not to be missed – such a unique experience being able to live in a different country for a short time with a cushion of a university to support you and make friends easily. One of the main objectives for me was to travel around Canada and see as much as I could.

How difficult was it to organise things?

Covid made organising slightly more bureaucratic, but flights and accommodation were fairly straightforward. Main issues I faced was fulfilling entry requirements – had to take a lot of documents but it was relatively straightforward. For Canada, I had to travel to London to take biometric data before I left. Finances were simple with UK student loans, and bursaries really helped (from Government and Santander scholarships). 

What was different about studying in Canada?

Teaching style was fairly similar, but with smaller classes (was a smaller university), which made for a more interactive experience. Picking modules was more complicated (you had to choose which modules and check that they wouldn’t clash etc.). Overall, a fairly similar experience (probably a little less intensive than at UoN).

What extracurricular activities have you done?

Played tennis frequently with some other students, went on many hikes & walks, saw as much of the city as I could (mainly bars & pubs!), took part in residence experience activities, travelled around the local province and wider country.

Did you get to see much of the country?

Yes, my main aim was to see as much of Canada as I could, and I achieved this by going to most of the major cities (Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, New York) and road-tripping around the Rockies (was great!).

What do you think you gained by studying abroad?

Meeting and becoming friends with people from all over the world – I have lots of friends from the exchange program and had a lot of contact with full time international students as well. Learning how to live and function independently (without parents/close friends) in a different country – it has made me much more confident now when travelling to a new place. For me, the main gain was being able to see more of the world (cities, nature, cultures).

Back to top of page