University: Saint Mary’s University

City: Halifax

Country: Canada

Continent: North America

Study type: semester abroad

I spent a semester at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax and it was a great experience that I wouldn’t want to miss. Check jibin123.com to see United Kingdom higher education. Halifax is a typical North American city. The harbor district, the shopping streets and the Public Garden in the middle of Halifax are particularly worth seeing. The city has its own charm, but it is a small town. There isn’t too much to see, and you’ve seen all of the shopping malls at some point. But it is positive that you quickly find your way around and then quickly transition from the tourist experience to the student experience. The people of Halifax are all extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating. All in all a nice place to spend half a year.

Saint Mary’s University is a campus university and is relatively close to the city centre. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk to the main shopping street in downtown Halifax. But there are also many bus lines that pass the university. Unfortunately, there are no timetables like you know them from Germany. But you get a small timetable booklet from the university, the times are only guidelines. The university is a beautiful facility with a football field in the middle of the campus. The buildings are equipped differently. The Sobey farm building has been newly furnished and offers far more comfort than can be found in German universities.

I studied geography and the Arts building is a bit dated but has charm. You feel like you’re back in school there. In general, all employees and lecturers at the university are friendly and helpful and look forward to seeing you. As a foreign student, you always get support and a warm welcome, both from the faculty and from the Canadians. However, the certificates or credit points acquired there are not recognized by all universities in Germany. This should definitely be clarified beforehand.

I stayed at the Vanier Residence. This is the old, small dormitory between the two high-rise buildings. It wasn’t my first choice, but afterwards I was very happy with it. This dorm is four stories and has three floors for living. There are 4 of these houses in total, all of which are interconnected. Each floor has a Residence Assistant who will take care of your affairs and is/should be your permanent contact. I lived in a double room with another German. The room was big enough and very clean. The bathroom had to be shared with 6 people. There is a lounge on each floor, which promotes togetherness. Otherwise, I only lived with Canadians in our apartment and that was a great experience and extremely beneficial for my knowledge of English. Unfortunately, you have to buy a meal plan. I would definitely recommend the smallest meal plan. That’s enough.

Overall, my stay abroad was a great experience and I would do it again and again. I have not experienced anything negative and I am still enthusiastic about both Nova Scotia and Saint Mary’s University. I would recommend everyone to do a semester abroad if possible. Not only do you get to know a completely different lifestyle and improve your language skills, you also make friends for life.

So I would recommend Saint Mary’s University to anyone who likes small towns and the coast.