University: Brock University

City: St Catherines

Country: Canada

Continent: North America

Field of study: business administration

Study type: semester abroad

Application process

All I can say is that the application process through MicroEdu was very easy. All you have to do is fill out and hand in a few papers. If you have any questions, MicroEdu gave you very friendly support. The process via MicroEdu was therefore smooth. We also received a confirmation very quickly. Check ehuacom.com to see 8 best universities in Belgium.

I need one for my stay in Canada. So if you intend to apply for a visa for the trip, you are welcome to look at this page and find out more http: //www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/Germany/German/. You should also allow 1 month for the visa application.

Financing and travel

In order to finance the semester abroad, you should in any case check whether you are entitled to Bafög. Even if you don’t get domestic student loans, you might still be able to receive foreign students’ student loans. You should also arrange a flight early, because the earlier you book a flight, the cheaper it will be, so you will also have more money to spend in Canada : P.

Getting to St. Catharines from Toronto Airport

For the journey to St. Catharines I chose the Niagraairbus because I think it is the most comfortable and easiest way to get to St. Catharines. You can order the Niagraairbus on this page, and it will take you to your chosen destination https: //www.niagaraairbus.com/.

Accommodation search/housing situation

You can either move into the residences on campus or live off-campus. Advantages of the residences are, for example, that you live directly on campus and therefore have a direct connection to university life, you can quickly make contacts with other exchange students, etc… But living on campus is very expensive and you also have to buy a meal plan, which still costs.
Living off campus is then cheaper, 400-450$/month, but you depend on the bus connection and it’s not the best right now : D.

If you decide to live off-campus, you should arrive earlier and take a look at the offers yourself. It is not recommended to decide on an offer in Germany, because the standards regarding cleanliness etc. differ from Germany.
Here are a few options for where to look for housing.

• Downtown is good if you party a lot because there are mostly bars, pubs and clubs.
• Around the Pen Center is also good, as the Pen Center is very centrally located, and most buses go through there.
• Glendrige or Glendale Avenue

Buses

The bus connections were really bad. From 11: 00 p.m. most of the buses stop running and there were very few buses on weekends. There are also no timetables at the bus stops. You should therefore download the SC Transit app to check the times.

College life

Once there, you should attend as many events as you can. At the beginning, the university organized a lot of events for the exchange students, e.g. Travel to the Niagra Falls, to Toronto, etc. You should take advantage of these, because you will get to know a lot of people and make many contacts straight away. You can also take part in many sports courses outside of your studies, such as badmintons, fencing, swimming, football, gym etc….

Leisure and travel

Every Thursday you can go to Isaac on campus and celebrate. At the weekend you can go downtown and party there. There are also mostly clubs, bars and pubs. If you want to come home from a party, you will most likely have to call a taxi, but if you share the ride with 3-4 people, then the price is not that expensive either.
I can also recommend the beach bar if you just want to chill with friends. It is close to the Pen Centre. There you can play billiards, dards, table tennis and also watch sports games such as hockey, football etc.
St. Catherines is a good base for travelling, you can easily get to Niagara Falls, fast to Toronto and also fast to America.
During the semester break, Reading Week, it is advisable to rent a car with friends and simply travel there. Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec… All very beautiful cities.

Conclusion

All in all it was a great time in Canada. I have seen and experienced so much. Met a lot of new people from all over the world and had a lot of fun with them. I would do it again without hesitation. Canada is incredibly beautiful, the landscapes are epic and Canadians are very great, open and nice people. If you have the opportunity to do a semester abroad, you should do it. It’s a great time that you won’t forget.