Mcgill University Montreal Canada

2014-2015

University Attended – McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Feedback 1

INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful?

At McGill, the integration programme is called “Frosh”. It lasts 4 days and costs $140. During Frosh, freshmen are put into groups of about 10 and are led by a frosh leader who is usually in 2 nd or 3 rd year. Even though I am in my third year, I decided to participate in order to get a taste of McGill’s student life. It involved going to different bars and clubs, spending a day at a beach resort, having some food and going to house parties. It was useful as it allowed me to meet other students (even though most of them were freshmen apart from the leaders) and discover a bit of Montreal. I would definitely recommend it to future exchange students ! Make sure you buy your Frosh ticket in advance as they sell out very quickly !

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support

Classes are a lot more interactive at McGill. Teachers constantly ask questions and encourage students to participate. There is a wide range of courses to choose from so you will be sure to find courses you are interested in. Most of my classes were demanding in terms of workload (20 minute presentations, 40 pages reports). Assessments vary a lot between classes: for example, marketing classes involve a lot of group work whereas classes in economics tend to be assessed individually. Teachers have office hours are very happy to help students and give them feedback.

MBS INTERNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT TEAM Level of support, additional information that could have been useful

As far as I am concerned, the MBS support team has done a good job. I did not have any major issue during my stay and did not need to contact them.

MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS Any additional information that you feel could have been provided

I thought the MBS meetings were helpful.

HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students

There is a society called DEN (Desautels Exchange Network) which I did not know about during my first few weeks. That society organizes different events for exchange students, from a night out to a visit of the botanical garden. It’s a good way to meet other exchange students and the DEN executives are friendly and helpful.

Students are asked to purchase a compulsory $280 health insurance per semester.

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.

I was asked to pay for some copyright fees for some of my courses. The price can vary but I had to pay $60 in the first semester and $40 in the second semester.

ACCOMMODATION As much information as possible on what accommodation is recommended or not recommended.

I was offered a place in one of the McGill residences but I decided to share a flat with other exchange students, 20 minutes away from campus. I found my flat through an agency called GetYourPlace which manages many flats in Montreal. The quality of the flat was good and was located on rue Saint-Denis, a street full of bars and restaurants with a very nice atmosphere. There are many Facebook groups such as “International Roommates in Montreal” where you can look for flats or flatmates. As you will notice, rents in Montreal vary a lot so you will definitely find something that suits your budget.

DESTINATION INFORMATION AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups

Montreal is a vibrant city with plenty of things to do and visit. There are several festivals (Piknic Electronik, Igloo Fest) and events such as “Nuit Blanche” that you should not miss. Montreal is also very diverse city: you will meet many people from different backgrounds, which I think is really nice. It was not very hard to meet local students as the classes are small and very interactive. However, I was not just hanging out with people from McGill as I had the chance to meet students from other universities through my flatmates. There are many places to visit around Montreal (Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City, national parks, etc.), which will allow you to discover more of Eastern Canada.

DESCRIBE IN ONE SENTENCE YOUR YEAR ABROAD

This year was not only eye-opening but allowed me to meet great people and discover a wonderful city: I am convinced that this exchange has helped me develop myself personally and academically.

Feedback 2

INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful? Nearly all students took part in ‘Frosh’ which is essentially their version of freshers week. It is a great way to meet new people and settle in quickly. I would highly recommend doing this, and purchasing the ticket before you arrive. There were also information sessions to help people settle into university life. These were not as beneficial since they were more targeted at first years who had not studied at university before but could be helpful for settling in a bit easier.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support Classes are generally much more hands on here. They are more like our style of seminars as opposed to large lecture theatres (i.e. smaller class sizes, more interaction between students and teacher) but of course some classes do have large lectures. Assessment generally consists of group work, a mid term exam and a final exam, although some courses have a large emphasis on group work and very few individual exams.

MBS INTERNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT TEAM Level of support, additional information that could have been useful The MBS office provided sufficient support during my time here. When I had queries/questions they were quick to respond and help out. I cannot think of any additional info that could have been useful.

MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS Any additional information that you feel could have been provided These were very helpful.

HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students Again, very supportive. I have met with them a couple of times and they have resolved any issues very quickly. I feel that they can help with many things and help you settle in if you were to have any issues.

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 Health insurance cost me $566 CAD. The UoM insurance policy was not sufficient to waive this fee. I have not had to use my insurance yet so cannot comment on the service it provides (but the McGill surgery is very hard to get an appointment for!!)

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. Some courses require copyright fees on top of any course packs you have to purchase.

ACCOMMODATION As much information as possible on what accommodation is recommended or not recommended. Although I was offered a place in residence, I chose not to take it and used a company specifically for exchange students called GetYourPlace. This worked out very well for me as I was placed in a house of 8, all of which were exchange students and this has really influenced my experience here. Residences are nice, but are more like the stereotypical Canadian/American college lifestyle. Rent is relatively cheap here if you choose to find your own place. Using GetYourPlace meant that I paid a premium for the convenience of a fully furnished, bills included apartment but rent still worked out very similar to that of Manchester.

DESTINATION INFORMATION AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups Transport here is generally pretty good. There is an Opus card system (like the Oyster in London) that allows unlimited access on the metro and buses for $50 a month for students. I did not use this as much in the Fall but in the Winter you will certainly need this as you will not want to walk far in the middle of winter. The winter here is/was very harsh this year and was reaching -30 quite often so factor in the cost of a big coat. That being said, Montreal knows how to fight off the winter and there are many activities/parties to keep you going – Igloofest being the main one! The night life here is some of the best I’ve experienced. There are hundreds of bars, restaurants, clubs and concerts and there really is something for everyone. I have generally made friends with international students of which there are many here. Much like Manchester, there is a real student vibe about the place because of the 4 universities here and this has allowed me to meet people from all over the world. In terms of travel, people generally visit Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, New York, Boston without the need for a flight. In the Winter, of course, you have a number of ski resorts nearby.

DESCRIBE IN ONE SENTENCE YOUR YEAR ABROAD Amazing experience, in a great city with even better people – would do it again in a heartbeat.

2013-2014

University Attended: McGill University

FEEDBACK 1 ______

INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

Discover McGill is essentially an orientation week wherein you meet new students and receive information on pretty much everything McGill related. I'd recommend taking part in this as I still don't know some very basic information and I'm approaching my last week here...

Frosh is the Canadian equivalent of Fresher's Week. I did Carnival in January which is a very similar experience – needless to say the week's activities revolve around beer, and lots of it.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

It's pointless making general comparisons between the workload at McGill and at Manchester because it really depends on which courses you take. Some courses have been quite a heavy load (e.g. I took "Crime" as my elective in first semester and there was a midterm, final exam and a 6000 word research paper), and others are relatively light (e.g. "Gender and Work" involved just a midterm and a final, both multiple-choice). I would certainly recommend checking out some of the management-related courses offered by the Sociology department, such as "Gender and Work", "Sociology of Work and Industry" and "Technology and Society" if you enjoyed "People, Management and Change" at Manchester or have a keen interest in some of the broader, critical issues surrounding management and work.

The style of teaching again varies from course to course, but a notable constant is that many courses grade class participation (usually around worth 10%). I recommend tracking down any syllabi online before registering on a course to check the assessment methods.

There are a wide variety of courses offered by Desautels, and if you have any issues registering on a course (e.g. because of year restrictions, lack of pre-requisites or full courses) the academic advisors in the BCom office are very helpful in getting you registered. Don't worry too much if you aren't registered on everything you want before you get there, you can sort any issues out during the add-drop period if you make an appointment with an advisor.

MBS INTERNATIONAL TEAM

The MBS office has always been prompt and helpful in their responses to any queries that I've had. Sue, Andy and Anthony are always on hand to help with any personal or academic issues that you might have during the course of the exchange – just bear in mind the 5-hour time difference (the MBS office will be closed after 12pm EST).

HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE

I haven't really needed any assistance from the international student services at McGill, but they are open from 9- 5 and their website contains a wealth of information for incoming exchange students.

INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER

Health insurance is mandatory and it costs around $600 for the full year I think. After contacting McGill and providing proof of the Sun Life coverage provided by Manchester I was able to get this mandatory insurance waived as the Travel Insurance constituted similar coverage to that provided by the McGill plan. When you request exemption like this the approval process takes a few weeks, and is by no means guaranteed (though even if you do fail to get exemption from the McGill plan, Student Finance England should reimburse you if you are eligible for the Travel Grant).

Thankfully I haven't needed to use any health services here, but there is a clinic on campus which I believe is free.

INFORMATION ON ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS AND FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION

There were no additional charges levied by McGill, and I don't recall having to provide any proof of financial support to the university, but it is required as part of the application for the Study Permit.

There are small administrative charges for the Study Permit and the CAQ, but these were able to be reclaimed via the Student Finance Travel Grant.

In terms of general living expenses I spend around the same here as in Manchester. Food and alcohol is relatively more expensive, but this is balanced out by lower costs elsewhere (e.g. 25 cigarettes: £5). If you don't already own a winter coat and a pair of good boots you will need to buy these or you will have a miserable winter! I picked up a pair of black Timberlands from Champs for around $100 and they served me well.

Canadian mobile phone contracts are renowned as being among the most expensive in the world. The cheapest plan I found was with Fido for $40/month, and the added bonus of Fido is that you can have a month-by-month contract without owning a credit card. Bring a phone from the UK and get it unlocked.

Student bank accounts are fairly easy to set up here, I'm with BMO and pay a small monthly fee but look around the other major banks (TD, Scotiabank, Banque National) as they may have free student accounts. Credit/debit cards work differently here than in the UK. Debit cards here are not powered by Visa/Mastercard so do not enable you to buy a lot of things online. If you want to buy things online you will need to use you UK debit card, or you can set up a credit card here (assuming you don't have a Canadian credit history the bank will withhold an amount equivalent to the credit limit as collateral). Also try to choose a bank with an ATM nearby school and your accommodation as withdrawing money from other ATMs costs $2-3.

ACCOMMODATION

Contrary to the previous feedback forms I do not recommend staying at Varcity 515 (515 St. Catherine). I stayed there during the first semester and hated it. The apartments are nicely finished and spacious, but the rent is extortionate and it couldn't be further from the real McGill experience (the building is mainly full of exchange students). Living downtown is good for getting to school (5 min walk), but you feel a bit isolated from the real Montreal, and I personally didn't value being within walking distance of H&M, and a half-hour walk from a decent bar...

I would look at McGill housing listings or Craigslist for students looking for another roommate (a lot people go on exchange to Africa / Europe as part of their degree, or graduate at different times to their friends) so there are a lot of people looking for another roommate. I got lucky and my friends here introduced me to some really nice guys who needed a new roommate for a semester. I paid $749 a month at Varcity 515, now I pay $575.

I live in the Plateau, just of St. Laurent which is around a 20 minute walk from campus. I really recommend living here – a plethora of nice bars, cafes, shops and restaurants (most notably Romados for the best Portuguese chicken I've ever had, and Schwartz's for the world-famous smoked meat sandwiches). There are a load of students living in the Plateau and it tends to be third- and fourth-year students who live here which is nice. Other nice areas (with even cheaper rent) include the Mile-End (a bit further north than the plateau, bit quieter – think Didsbury) and St-Henri.

515 is without doubt an easy way to sort accommodation, so if you are risk-averse it is a perfectly acceptable accommodation, but don't be swayed by the promise of an on-site gym and cinema – the McGill gym is leagues better, and nobody really uses the communal areas.

DESTINATION INFORMATION AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE

I have absolutely loved my time in Montreal, it is a curious blend of North American and French culture. Don't be put off by the ubiquity of French, or the politics surrounding bilingualism in Quebec; I couldn't speak a word of French when I arrived and I have had no problems in the main.

Montreal is ideally situated for travel to New York, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Quebec City and Boston. There are also decent ski slopes in Mont-Tremblant and Jay Peak (Vermont). Megabus and Greyhound are often the best and cheapest ways to get to these places, but for trips to Toronto or Quebec I would recommend trying Via Rail.

I went to Cuba with a few of my friends during March reading week ($700 all-inclusive + flights) and I would definitely recommend visiting if you get the chance. If you are looking to fly to somewhere in the states I would recommend crossing the border on the bus and flying from Burlington or another nearby US airport to save some serious money.

In terms of travel within Montreal, the metro is very efficient and covers the main areas that you would want to visit. I've spent most of my time here between McGill campus and the Mile End, and have rarely needed to use public transport. I bought a cheap bike off Craigslist when I arrived and got decent use out of it until December (I sold it for a slight profit on Craigslist).

I heard horror stories about the cold weather in Montreal but you really do get used to it. January and February are the worst months (lows of around -25) but if you dress appropriately it is certainly manageable! It's all relative anyway, after months at -20 when it gets back above 10 degrees in March you feel like you're in the south of Spain.

DESCRIBE IN ONE SENTENCE YOUR YEAR ABROAD One of the best experiences I've ever had, I am itching to get back to visit friends next year!