EXCHANGE REPORT
Rachael Witney
University of Ottawa, Fall Semester 2014
My exchange at the University of Ottawa is an experience I will never forget, and one that
cannot be as highly recommended. I studied in Ottawa over the Fall Semester from September
– December. Due to the opposite seasons and the different year structure, I had a couple of
months to spare waiting for the summer break to end in North America. I was fortunate
enough to travel around Canada for a month before actually starting my studies. Skipping
ahead, it really is what everyone says – an exchange is a trip of a lifetime! During my four
months I made many life long friends, experienced life in another city, and I lived in climates
that ranged from +30 degrees to -20 degrees (and I wasn't even there for the middle of
winter!).
The Rideau Canal in summer, fall and winter
PLANNING MY TRIP
Application
The application process when applying to the university is very easy, all being online. Just a
few pointers however,
-
Be sure to have a current passport before you apply – it must be valid for 6 months
after you intend to return
-
Be patient! For my application anyway, things took a while before I heard anything
-
Apply for the buddy programme the university offers. This is a great way to meet an
actual Canadian when you first arrive at the university to help show you the ropes
-
If you can and your degree allows for it, choose papers that are different from those
Waikato offers. Studying from a Canadian viewpoint is quite different and makes the
exchange all the more interesting
Accommodation
The only hard part I found for my exchange was finding some sort of accommodation.
Unfortunately, the university cannot guarantee you a place in a residence and so you must
apply like all the other students. Cut short, I did not find any on campus housing. Many
students I talked to found off campus housing through the ‘uOttawa Bureau International
Office’ facebook page that lists many rooms available – this is a good place to find rooms
available near campus, or to buy any second hand furnishings if your place comes
unfurnished.
Instead I managed to find a room in an ‘off campus’ Sandy Hill house owed by the university
– two weeks before I arrived in Ottawa (I was already in Canada!). From what I heard from
other exchange students though, this late acceptance was somewhat common. At the end of
the day, I could not have dreamed of a better place to stay at, it was perfect! While explicitly
it was not on campus, it was right on the border of campus and very, very close. I lived with 4
other students – one Canadian and three other exchange students from Spain, France and the
UK.
Another good pointer is that many of the residences are not fully furnished. The house I
stayed in had the basics but in the kitchen for example had nothing to cook with or eat off.
BUT, there is a free store. This is part of the university’s sustainable initiative where you can
go and take other students unwanted things, for free! This is exactly what we did and we
managed to stock the majority of our kitchen this way and when leaving, we returned it all
back. My advice though, go as soon as it opens in the semester because things go very quickly.
ARRIVAL
Visa
Arriving into Canada was unsurprisingly easy and straightforward. I flew on Air New
Zealand’s direct flight from Auckland to Vancouver. Because I was only studying for one
semester, I did not need to obtain a Canadian visa to study in Canada. Going through customs
was therefore very straightforward and only expect to answer a few questions regarding your
plans. However make sure that you have documents that prove you will be studying at a
specific university and they may ask for proof that you have a departure date. Only if you
intend to be in Canada longer than 6 months you will require a visa.
Moving In
Fast forward a few weeks…the majority of students arrive in Ottawa over one day – a very
busy day of the semester. The University has approximately 40, 000 students, a big change
from Waikato’s 12, 000. Nonetheless, everything is very well organised. It was very easy to
find everything with signposts.
The University is also very accommodating to new students. There are many events held in
the first couple of days, which is a great place to learn the happenings of the university and
meet other students and other exchange students. The University also holds an orientation day
for exchange students whereby all information you need to know will be given to you and any
questions you may have may be answered. It was this information session for example that I
found out about the weekend trips the sports facility offers for students and is a great way to
travel and see some other parts of the country and you don't have to organise the whole thing!
I went to a weekend trip to Quebec to go whale watching and what an amazing trip it was. If
you study in Ottawa during the winter semester, they also have very cool sounding trips such
as dog sledding, ski trips and trips where you stay in an Eskimo hut for a night!
Another highlight on my first week was the opening
game of the Gee-Gee’s American Football game.
The Gee-Gee’s is the common name of the
university’s sports teams and the merchandise store
on campus has everything imaginable to become a
number one supporter. This also is a must when in
Northern America as we have nothing like it – and it
is just like the movies with the face paint and all. If
you’re into sports, the university also runs a social
UOttawa Gee-Gee’s Football team
sports competition each semester called intramurals. It's a great way to pick up a new sport
such as ice hockey, continue playing sports you enjoy, or just meet new people.
THE EXCHANGE
The city: 10 things to do

Parliament Hill – probably the biggest tourist destination in Ottawa but you can see
why. It is probably the most beautiful parliament I have ever seen. In summer you can
watch the changing of the guard. Or if you are there between July – September there is
an amazing light and sound show that is projected on the centre block of the
Parliament building. Also be sure to go up the peace tower.

Rideau Canal – runs straight through the city and is right next to campus. If you are
there in the winter semester, it opens up as the world’s largest skating rink

Try poutine – this is the local dish originating from Quebec and is literally just fries,
gravy and cheese curd balls (sounds disgusting, but seriously its better than it sounds!)

Watch an ice hockey game and support the Ottawa Senators team

Visit the surrounding cities. Ottawa is located near many other big centres of Canada.
Make sure you visit Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. New York is also only an
hour’s flight away!

Halloween and thanksgiving are major holidays in North America, if are there when
either of those are, carve pumpkins, dress up and eat turkey!

If you are there in Fall, head over to Gatineau Park to see the amazing colours

Eat down in the Byward Market

Enjoy the snow! It is a lot of fun living in the snow for a couple of months

TRY TIM HORTONS! A Canadian staple.
Culture
The Canadian culture is very similar to New Zealand. Being a commonwealth country,
Britain has had a strong influence. Canada also has an indigenous population, the First
Nations. Unfortunately in my opinion they are not as involved in everyday life as they are in
New Zealand. However it is great to visit museums about the First Nations to understand the
history of Canada. The major difference in my opinion is the French influence, it was actually
more prominent than I thought it would be. Ottawa probably has a bigger connection to the
French Canadians than the rest of English Canada because of its location right on the border
to Quebec and because it is a government city. Everyone employed by the university and
working for the government must be able to speak both English and French. You definitely do
not have to speak French one bit if you do an exchange here, but if you are interested in
French or are also studying French like I am, it's a great place to do an exchange.
Also another pointer living in North America, make sure to tip all services! This is usually 1520%. That includes all taxi’s, drinks at bars, and at restaurants. If you do not, you will not be
welcomed back!
OVERALL
Ottawa is a great city to do an exchange in. In my opinion (even though I may be bias), it is
the best! While the time difference to New Zealand is HUGE (18 hours behind plus or minus
with daylight savings), it is seriously worth every second and dollar spent. Although the
whole experience was a highlight, travel was definitely up there when it comes to memories. I
was fortunate enough to see many other cities, my favourites being Vancouver, Victoria and
Whistler all in British Colombia, Quebec City and New York. You definitely make no regrets.
Despite either being thought to be from Australia or England, everyone loves a Kiwi when
they really find out where you’re actually from – including the accent! The Canadians are
known for their friendly and hospitable
character and are great people to live
amongst. I had the time of my life and
made friends for life. It's the best
decision you’ll make in your university
career! I definitely will be back. Until
next time Canada, au revoir!