Dana's Exchange to University of Waterloo | Canada
It’s difficult to condense a study abroad exchange lasting an entire semester and involving a few countries into a reasonable word length, however it’s what I am about to attempt. I always knew which country that I wanted to live in for a short period, which of course was Canada, however it was more difficult to know which university to study at for the duration. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the University of Waterloo in the university city of Waterloo in Ontario, just an hour south of Toronto. However, on route to Toronto I was also lucky enough to be able to spend a morning in Dublin, Ireland.
Although the plane trip was very long, being able to walk around Dublin in the morning was very refreshing and a real relief after a very long duration sitting down. I was just as excited to visit the famous city on the way as I was to arrive in Canada. Due to the time I arrived downtown in Dublin I was able to walk around as the city was waking up, and although many places were closed it was nice to see the historical city without a large crowd. The city had a strong smell of the ocean and massive seagulls were constantly around. I was unable to visit many areas and venues in the city however everything about the area was picturesque and I full intend on returning when I can.
Then I finally arrived in Toronto it was late in the
afternoon and very, very cold at -18°C and I was not prepared for the
temperature conditions. It was my first time seeing snow and I had acted on the
advice not to buy snow gear prior to my arrival to save money. After getting
lost on the way to my hostel I can highly recommend getting some snow gear
beforehand! I was able to spend a few days in the centre of Toronto before I
went to my host university to adjust to the country and to do the ‘touristy’
things before I began my studies. Apart from the weather it was very easy to
get used to the area, with the people being highly reminiscent of Australians
and the culture being very similar. Still, I was able to go to a few uniquely
Canadian venues and was able to go to the museum, CN Tower, the zoo and Casa
Loma. I also ran into many Australians who were also on exchange or travelling,
and it was very apparent that Australians were well liked by many Canadians.
After
a few days of exploring Toronto, it was time to head to the University of
Waterloo, and I was excited to have somewhere I could stay for a long time. The
campus residence was a welcome sight as it was still very cold, however I had
forgotten to purchase a few necessities as only furniture and appliances were
provided. With the generous help of a Canadian student in residence I was able
to get set up for the semester of study. The university itself had a very
different culture to that of Murdoch University, and although it was very tech
heavy I quickly begun to miss the relaxed vibe and collaborative learning that
Murdoch provides. The quality of teaching was excellent however the workload
was very high, and the study time required was also demanding. I was very lucky
to have been prepared for this requirement in advance and I enjoyed this
challenge. I am also enjoy
both nature and wildlife, and seeing various Canadian animals daily was one of
my favourite things about Waterloo.
Although
the university was more study focused than Murdoch, I was still able to
participate in several clubs and activities, and found there was definitely
opportunity to meet a large amount of friendly people. I’ve often found
socializing with unfamiliar people a little difficult however I was able to
overcome this whilst on exchange. My motivation for the trip was partly to be
able to challenge myself to live entirely independently of friends and family
and I think I became very successful at this. I did struggle with missing a few
people however I am hugely grateful that the internet enabled me to stay
connected with people back home.
To anyone considering going on exchange to Canada or any
other country, I do highly recommend going through with it. The experience will
not always be easy and it will not be cheap, however it is one of the best
opportunities to live in another country and not just rush through it. It
really does broaden your perspective and for me it proved that I was capable of
‘adulting’ by myself. The challenges are what make it unique and memorable, and
represent moments you can be proud of succeeding at.
- Dana studied abroad at the University of Waterloo in Canada
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