University: Saint Mary’s University
City: Halifax
Country: Canada
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
My semester abroad should definitely go to an English-speaking country. My first choices were Canada and Australia. Since the semester times in Canada match those in Germany much better, my decision as to the continents was made pretty quickly. The university that I later chose is in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, one of the Atlantic provinces of Canada. The city is shaped by the sea, tourism and the students of the universities of Halifax. Saint Mary’s University is ranked among the top 3 business schools in the country and is accredited accordingly. Check iamaccepted.com to see South Africa economics and education.
Since Halifax is flooded with tourists in the summer to late summer, Condor has set up charter flights for this time. The problem with these flights is that if you only stay for one term, the return flight can be quite expensive.
Arriving in Halifax, most of them started looking for a flat. I had already organized a host family on the Internet after countless unsuccessful attempts. This has advantages (being forced to speak English, no need to take towels, bed linen and household items with you, Canadian family life) but also disadvantages (place of residence far from the city centre, lack of or poor bus connections).
The first few days you have to get your bearings: How does the bus work, where are the stops and when do I have to press the button to get out where I want to get out? Does the adapter work for my laptop (better not to bring a hair dryer) and if not, where is the nearest FutureShop or The Source?
As far as school orientation is concerned, an Orientation Week for Internationals is offered, in which a tour and information about the university or the Tower (the university’s own fitness center) are given. Incidentally, there are so many Germans there that a lot of information is also sent via these channels. That is a major shortcoming at the Halifax location, the excessive concentration of Germans, not only at the university but also especially in the business courses, the 3rd year, the undergraduates. The courses are generally more of an undergraduate level with a lot more effort. You can count on at least one assignment or one presentation per week. This makes planning a trip a bit difficult at first, but definitely not impossible, and you should have seen the Cabot Trail in Indian Summer. The midterm season also starts in October which also involves overtime. If possible, you should combine the return flight with a short trip to another North American city, with a choice of New York, Toronto, Montreal… (In the case of New York, however, you should inquire whether a visa is required if you are also entering via the USA is).
The grades are all pretty good and unlikely to count, but the months abroad are definitely worth it.
