UBC EXCHANGE REPORT Spring 2017 A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. This is my favourite quote which constantly reminds me to step out of my comfort zone and explore something new. This is my first time in life to step out of Asia and live in another end of the world. I still remember the excitement when I departed from Hong Kong International Airport, wishing the 14-hour flight time would pass by sooner. Looking back, the past 4 months has been an incredible journey with lots of fulfilling experiences and great memories. Hui Min Tan
Monthly Activity Log January I arrived few days earlier before school officially starts on 3 rd January. It snowed on the first day I arrived on campus, as if UBC was welcoming my arrival! You couldn t imagine how surprised and excited I was when it happened just a few minutes upon my arrival. The first week is basically about getting myself familiar to the campus and Vancouver City, as well as to get some necessities such as phone card, laundry card, student ID and UPass Transportation card. I joined the ESC orientation night and met some exchange students from other countries. We explored the campus area as well as Vancouver downtown city together. I also watched the first ice hockey match in my life.
February I was more adapted to this brand-new environment, including the freezingly cold temperature. It s also the month I started exploring many places in Canada such as Granville Island, Victoria Island, Stanley Park, etc. The most memorable part for February was the road trip to Vancouver Island with my friends. It was a truly unforgettable trip. I was amazed by the scenic view along the journey, in love with the delicious and unique local food, and of course, the best part of the whole road trip would be the lovely people I travelled with.
March Here comes the month loaded with midterms and project/assignments. However, it is still manageable as compare to the workload in HKUST. At the end of March, I went on my second road trip to North Vancouver. As a nature lover, I truly enjoy every part of Canada s nature beauty. March is also the month I cooked and baked a lot. Without the stay in Canada, I wouldn t have picked up cooking and baking skills that well.
April The hardest goodbye. Realizing that my exchange journey is coming to an end soon, I treasured every single moment spending time with my friends and exploring every corner of the city. Even though April is the month of final exams, I managed to arrange and go on the very last road trip for my exchange journey.
General Exchange Information 1. Visa Application Different types of visa shall apply depending on your nationalities. As I am a Malaysian, I need to apply for the temporary residence visa. The application process should be completed at Hong Kong VAC. Before you visit Hong Kong VAC, do go to the Canada visa website, read through the details and download the necessary forms. Do start your application earlier to allow at least 2 weeks of processing time. Address for Hong Kong VAC: Units B & E, 6th Floor, @Convoy 169 Electric Road North Point, Hong Kong 2. Orientation Activities I participated in the orientation events organized by Exchange Student Club (ESC). I strongly encourage you to join it as this is the best opportunity for you to meet new friends and travel buddy for the whole semester ahead! 3. International Services and Activities Other than ESC, there are lots of interesting activities organized by both local and international student clubs in UBC. They will have their booths set up in the NEST (Student Union Building). Feel free to join any if you are interested. 4. Accommodation UBC will drop you an email around September- October and you can apply for the dorms according to the instructions. I stayed in Walter Gage Residence, an apartment style residence. Personally, I chose it because I was seeking for a more budget choice. There are 5 single rooms in each apartment unit, sharing the living room, kitchen and bathroom. I like the way I get to have both my own private space and interaction with my housemates. If you seek for a more luxurious accommodation and do not mind the cost, you can go for Ponderosa or Marine Drive Residence.
5. Course Registration During October, I received an email from UBC to fill up a survey form. This was the chance for the university to know what courses you intended to take during your exchange. I successfully enrolled into the top 5 courses on my list. If you have any questions about course enrolment, feel free to approach GSPO (for non-business courses) or Sauder Business school office (for business courses). 6. Teaching and Assessment Method In UBC, the teaching styles of professor are very engaging. Class participation and interaction are emphasized. Like HKUST, professors in UBC like to adopt case-study teaching approach to enhance our understanding towards each topic/theory. 7. Sports and Recreation Facilities For sport lovers, great news. UBC has a stadium, an aquatic centre (swimming pools, water activities pool), various sport courts for its sports facilities but a UBC student card is needed to access them. All dorms have their own recreation facilities. There is a pool table and a table tennis table for Walter Gage. 8. Costs and Expenses I prepare around 8000CAD as recommended by UBC. For me, this amount is more than enough as I cook a lot throughout the semester. I would say, if you have a budget, this is the way to reduce your daily expenditure and save the budget for traveling! Getting groceries are way more affordable compare to dining out. 9. Food Here comes my favourite part! Food lovers, good news, you can find ANY KINDS OF FOOD (literally ANY!) in Vancouver. Take the chance to try out western food here. I personally find Vancouver s Japanese food delicious and I would suggest you to give it a try. Something surprising to me: I had DIMSUM which I found taste EVEN BETTER THAN Hong Kong DimSum!
10. Transportation Every exchange student is required to pay 140CAD for UPass. The UPass works like Student Octopus Card, but it is only for transportation purpose. You can use it for buses and skytrains, which makes it really convenient to travel around in Vancouver. 11. Climate People call Vancouver Raincouver for a good reason. It rains a lot in Vancouver, so do prepare an umbrella. It can be quite cold (at least for me) during Winter term. Waterproof jacket, boots and winter clothing are essential, to get you walking through snow and rain with strong wind. You can either bring some or buy it in Vancouver (can be pricy but with great quality). 12. Communication I chose FIDO, but since I don t use regular calling &messaging service, I bought the data SIM card tailored for Tablet. It cost 15CAD per month (MUCH CHEAPER compare to the regular SIM card). I strongly encourage you to get this as you will need to navigate using Google Map while exploring the city. Items to Bring Umbrella (Important to survive in Raincouver - the rainy Vancouver) Adapters Wifi Router; Internet Cable Moisturizing cream, Lip Balm Waterproof Jacket Laptop