Haskayne
School of
Business
University of Calgary Exchange
Janurary – April 2013
University of Calgary Exchange 2013
The Great White North…
My trip to Canada began in November 2012. The school term for winter in Canada does not
begin until January however, I was fortunate to have friends scattered about the country so
thought why not pop over early! Starting my journey in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, I was hit
with a bit of a climate change. It was still technically ‘autumn’ but snow was on the ground and
the positive temperatures were a thing of the past. I was defiantly not in New Zealand anymore.
Skipping ahead, I arrived in Calgary on the 6th January with university
set to begin on the 8th. Cutting it short some might say. I had missed orientation for the
international students but made quick friends with my roommates who were also international one from Czech Republic and the other from London. They helped me find my way around and
the international office at the University of Calgary (UofC) was very helpful also. Throughout
the term many events were put together for the internationals students to help them meet new
friends and see a bit of Alberta. One thing is for sure, I never struggled to find things to do.
The University and Campus life
The University of Calgary is in one word BIG! I was amazed with what I saw and had to be that
obvious new kid walking around with a map the first few weeks – handy if you have a
smartphone as it doubles as a stealth map carrier.
What the campus has to offer:
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Lecture halls (this one you guys might have guessed)
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Library
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Bar/nightclub (yes you heard right, two stories high and ThursDEN is student night)
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Food shops in every hall and a main food court – if you crave it they have it!
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Tim Horton’s (this I will not elaborate on as it is something you must see for yourself)
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University of Calgary Exchange 2013
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Gym (and it’s free!)
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Ice hockey rink and speed skating rink
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Rock climbing house
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Squash, badminton and volleyball courts
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Student residence apartments
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Train station
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Travel agent, post office, hairdresser, movie projector
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And MUCH more
I myself also lived on campus and the housing there is nothing like student residence at Waikato.
For all you party animals Cascade is the biggest and badest hall. Most exchange students find
themselves here and there is a lot of social life to be had. If you like a quieter hall there is
Norqway, and if you hate cooking there is Yamanuska which provides meal plans. Overall there
are roughly 7 places of residence. All are set up as apartments and include your own room with 3
or 4 roomies and shared kitchen and bathroom. The best thing about living on campus is the
convenience and social aspects.
A must do is to join a club at UofC. There are so many and they are a great place to make
friends. Most clubs host rad events. I joined the UofC Ski club and had some of my best
memories with them. They frequently hosted skiing/boarding weekends, which were epic times.
Most trips consisted of a bus there and back (which you could drink on), accommodation (very
nice accommodation), ski passes and SWAG (Canadian lingo for free stuff), all for about $120
Canadian.
One of the best days at UofC is the end of semester Bermuda Shorts Day (BSD). This is
organised by the University students and basically it’s a big festival hosted in one of the parking
lots. It’s exclusive to UofC students and is on the last day of term - defiantly something not to
miss out on!
Getting Places
You don’t have to worry about getting around as with your student card you receive free access
to all the trains and busses which is a massive help! The public transport is decent and can get
you most places. However making friends with a car is also recommended as road trips are a
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University of Calgary Exchange 2013
must! With the Canadian Rockies only an hour and a half away there is plenty to be seen. If you
are into skiing or snowboarding (like me) there are buses that go from Calgary to Sunshine in a
day which is really handy.
A bit about Calgary and… well… a real winter
Never again will you complain about
the cold in Hamilton I promise you
that. The days are anything from 0 to 30 degrees Celsius. On average I would
say we expected -15. So yes, it’s cold.
But a beautiful cold! And the
skiing/boarding will be the best you
will experience in your life! Unlike
Hamilton with its damp cold, Calgary
is very dry. Some days it’s so cold and
dry it makes it harder to breathe. But with the cold there is snow and that brings endless amounts
of activities. There is a big hill near the campus that is used for tobogganing in the winter. All
you need is to BYO cardboard, boogie board, toboggan or whatever else you can concoct to sit
and slide on. There is a lot of ice too, which means ice skating and the rink at the campus is free
to use for students.
The biggest influences in Calgary in my opinion were ice hockey and country. ‘Country?’ you
say. Yes! I mean, ‘slap on a cowboy hat, pull on some boots and jeans’ country. Ever herd of
Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley? Well don’t worry, neither had I. But Calgary sure
had. If you don’t listen to these artists then people consider you somewhat of a freak. You
defiantly know you’re not in NZ when people line dance at night clubs. Some must see bars are
Cowboys and Roadhouse. A lot of good times to be had. They will have you saying ‘yeehaw’ in
no time.
Ice hockey is huge in Canada. And games are a definite must see! The local team is called the
Calgary Flames - they are often playing in Calgary. The university team ‘The Dinos’ are also fun
to attend and are free to watch.
Alyce Michell
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University of Calgary Exchange 2013
Where abouts in Australia are you from?
A common phrase you will hear from many Canadians, or possibly London? South Africa? And
apparently Auckland is the only city in New Zealand. These are the many questions and
conversations you will have when living in Calgary. Canadians are very polite and friendly but
distinguishing Australia and New Zealand is not their strong point. And be prepared for a lot of
conversations to get lost in translation. For example;
Canadian - “Hey Alyce what you saying?”
Alyce – “I didn’t say anything?”
Canadian – “No I mean what are you up to later?”
Overall, Canadians are very approachable people and make you feel right at home. It was very
easy making friends and I would recommend anyone to come here…as long as your dress warm!
Things to do while in Calgary/Canada
1) Go skiing/snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies (I
recommend Revelstoke, Big White or Sunshine)
2) See a pro ice hockey game
3) Eat poutine (a Canadian favourite)
4) Go to Banff and Jasper National park
5) Drive the ice fields parkway
6) Calgary stampede
7) Visit Lake Louise
8) Edmonton Mall
9) Drive on the wrong side of the road
10) Experience Canada Day! (July 1st)
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University of Calgary Exchange 2013
A bit of a sneak peak of MY experience
One of the perks about Canada is the closeness to the USA and South America. Before I even
began my semester I managed to sneak a trip to Cuba in! Flying either to Mexico or Cuba from
Canada is SO CHEAP. If you can save up a little extra I would recommend taking this trip.
Overall for my trip it cost me $900NZD for 2weeks at a beach front resort and it was all
inclusive. This means ALL your meals and drinks (including alcohol) are incorporated as well as
your flights and accommodation.
During my time in Calgary it was very easy to hire a car or steal a mate’s car and drive down
into the USA or spend the weekend in Vancouver or the Rockies. There was never a weekend
where there was not something planned to see or do. After the term finished, Nat and I made the
trip to New York City and I then moved on alone to spend the rest of my time in Canada in
Ottawa with close friends.
This exchange was a once in a life time experience and I still can’t believe what I managed to
achieve in such a small amount of time! I urge anyone to go on an exchange as not only will you
learn about a new culture but you will also learn so much about yourself and make friends for
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University of Calgary Exchange 2013
life along the way. It’s a challenging experience as you must fit into a new way of living and
studying but with a little effort comes more reward than you could ask for. I wish I could do it all
over again. This defiantly won’t be my last time in Canada!
Alyce Michell
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