Exchange Report – Heather Halliday
I completed a semester abroad at the University of Calgary, Canada from SeptemberDecember 2013 and absolutely loved it! I also spent a couple of months either side of my
exchange travelling, firstly through the eastern part of Canada and then Europe after
spending Christmas with family in the United Kingdom.
First of all if you are considering going on exchange do it! All the paperwork and the
research and the stressing and the daunting feeling of flying alone to a country where you
don’t know anyone is definitely worth it!
I chose the University of Calgary because I’d always wanted to visit Canada and the
proximity to the Rocky Mountains really appealed to me. I’m also really glad I took a couple
of months prior to this to explore the rest of Canada- the country (and everything in it) is
absolutely huge, especially for us kiwis. Calgary is in Alberta, which was probably my
favourite province, but by travelling across the country first I got to experience a lot more
diversity. I got to visit the capital city Ottawa, the largest city Toronto, the French speaking
province Quebec and travel across the prairie provinces Manitoba and Saskatchewan. I
really felt like I got to know the country Canada as well as the city Calgary. This extra travel
time also meant I got to experience three seasons while I was there, and make contacts
throughout the country in case I go back (highly likely).
Skipping ahead to September I soon fell in love with Calgary. I was living on campus which
was again really big compared to Waikato, and I needed a map to get around. I was living on
campus in Cascade Hall which was a lot of fun! I shared a flat with three roommates but
soon had friends on each of the five floors as there are heaps of activities to meet people in
the first week or two. I definitely recommend taking a room with lots of flatmates in one of the
bigger halls if you have the choice, rather than only one flatmate in a smaller hall. It makes
for some great parties and late night hangs, and there’s always the library to go to if you do
need to study. I made a bunch of international friends from all over the world which was
great as we all had similar intentions of getting away from the city at times and exploring new
things. I was also lucky enough to have a few Canadian friends who soon got me into
watching hockey and frequenting Tim Hortons!
I found that the classes were not drastically different from those in New Zealand. Most
students take five courses per semester, usually a mix of their major and other papers too.
You needed to achieve a higher percentage to gain an ‘A’ grade than here, though I felt they
were marked slightly easier. Another difference is that most degrees there last for four years
whilst here many are three. My grades for the exchange semester only transferred back to
Waikato as a pass or a fail so achieving high grades was not a priority for me. My attitude
was to attend all classes and participate to get to know a different education system and
gain experience studying in a different country. I also tried to take courses I didn’t have the
option to take back home at Waikato like a Canadian Native History paper and a Zoology
paper focusing on dinosaurs (Alberta is famous for its dinosaur fossils). But since the
pressure of getting good grades was off I found myself partying and going away for the
weekends more often than usual which I feel was a really good choice!
U of C has hundreds of clubs you can join- literally hundreds! I joined the Ski Club (through
which I learnt to ski), the Student Dance Club and the Calgary Homeless Society which
helped me get to know different aspects of the city a bit better, and do volunteer work in the
society. This is a great way to get to know the city more and meet local people. Ski Club
cards also get you discounts on getting into a lot of nightclubs and bars so worth joining
even if you don’t attend the trips. Also make sure to attend uni events- for example kick-off,
the first football game of the season. I found the actual game quite boring but it was cool to
see thousands of students there supporting the team, plus you get a free t-shirt.
I thoroughly enjoyed living in Calgary. As a city there was plenty to do and on the weekends
you can visit the nearby Rocky Mountains. In the first couple of weeks I said yes to a lot of
invitations and had something on most nights. I definitely recommend saying yes to lots in
the first few weeks and making as many friends as possible, though this comes naturally
when living on campus. You’ll soon learn that Calgary is a country city- as in country music.
Look up Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean or Jake Owen and you’ll get the picture. Most Calgarians
love country music, and I actually learnt to enjoy it too. Ranchmans is the essential country
bar, with Cowboys a close second, but more accessible and usually easier to get into. To get
into Ranchmans you had to be there at about 9.30, very early by NZ standards and it
required a taxi ride. In both bars, men ask ladies to dance the two step (say yes, it is
surprisingly fun!) and when certain songs come on everyone starts line dancing! Again, join
in even if you have no idea what’s happening as you won’t get this many places and it is a
lot of fun! I went to these bars several times and loved it. However if you’re not into that,
don’t worry there are plenty of “normal” bars and clubs too. The on campus bar The Den has
quite a reputation… at least one Thursden in your semester is compulsory.
If you visit Calgary and the weather is nice, Nose Hill Park is worth a walk around, offering
great views of the city, both at day and at night. Princes Island Park and the Bow River are
also nice for a stroll around. A visit to the Calgary Tower is also a must do for good views- I
managed to catch a sunset behind the Rocky Mountains from there which was beautiful.
Another huge aspect of Calgary is ice hockey and ice skating. Make sure to catch a Calgary
Flames game whilst you’re there! I’m not usually into sports but enjoyed watching them, and
was amazed by how well the players can ice skate. Don’t be surprised by the fights. If can’t
already, you can learn how to ice skate on campus at the Olympic Oval (as seen in Cool
Runnings). Access is free to students, so it’s just the skates you have to hire. Most
Canadians will be happy to teach you as they’ve all been skating their whole lives- whilst you
are learning you will most likely be shown up by toddlers whizzing around on the ice. After a
couple of falls I finally got the hang of it, and even tried playing hockey on an outdoor ice rick
in winter which was sweet.
Getting into the mountains isn’t too bad without a car as there are buses between Calgary
and Banff, but a car is ideal as then you can explore further too. I managed to visit the
mountains several times and wouldn’t have hesitated to go more. They are beautiful no
matter what time of year. The Ski Club trip was a lot of fun… I learnt to ski which was
challenging but worth it. You will also learn on these trips that Ski Club loves to drink! A lot!
The Rockies also meant I could get some great hikes in, see local wildlife and even try
snowshoeing.
I can’t avoid mentioning the winter weather in Canada! I was lucky that I was eased into it
slowly through summer and autumn but it was still surprising just how suddenly it became
cold and snowy. One night we woke up and there was a foot of snow and winter was here. It
does get really cold- I remember one evening walking to a hockey game in about -35 with
five layers of clothing on. But life doesn’t stop because of the snow and cold so invest in
some decent boots, gloves, hat, coat and lots of layers and learn to love it. One good thing
about the winter in Calgary is that it is dry, so you don’t feel a damp cold like many places.
There are also often blue skies and sunshine which makes it a lot more bearable.
I could write for pages and pages about my semester abroad and all the fun I had but should
probably draw it to an end. A few final points and must-dos to summarise:
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Visit the Rocky Mountains
Learn something new- snowshoeing, ice skating or skiing (or all three)
See a Calgary Flames game and cheer with the locals
Try line dancing at a country bar
Learn to love Tim Hortons (huge coffee chain Canadians love- they even have drivethrough)
Mention you’re from New Zealand- everyone loves Kiwis!
Take advantage of free access to transport through the city, the gym and the skating
rink on campus that is included with your student card
Tipping is essential, usually between 10-15% and tax is not included on the price- not
fun the first few times until you get used to it.
Go into your semester abroad open minded- some things may work out exactly as
planned and others may not
You’ll make some amazing friends. Try and keep in touch with them. I’ve managed
this with a few, and am still very close with one girl. Those connections are worth
keeping for when you travel in future.
Say yes to everything and make the most of your time there!