1. Your Decision to Study Abroad
Please explain why you decided to study abroad. Why did you choose this particular country and university? What specific expectations did you have beforehand?
I have always wanted to live in another country for an extended period of time. Canada has always fascinated me, so from the beginning, no other destination was an option for me. Since I had traveled to the USA a few times before, I had a general idea of what Canada would be like. However, I couldn't fully picture what to expect. My expectations were high, but one thing I can say—they were not disappointed.
2. Preparation for the Stay Abroad
2.1. Planning
Please describe the preparations you had to make for your study abroad experience (e.g., application process, visa, insurance, credit card, language certificate). How did you learn about the opportunities to study abroad at TH Aschaffenburg (e.g., information during lectures, International Day)?
I found out quite early through the International Student Office’(ISO) brochure that there was a partner university on Vancouver Island. I also decided early on that I wanted to do my semester abroad in the winter semester, so the 5th semester was the only option for me. I applied at the university in November 2023, about three-quarters of a year in advance. The first step was to contact the ISO, which was always very helpful and available to answer all questions. Through the ISO, I could select my preferred partner universities, and after some time, I was given the opportunity to apply directly as an international student.
Since VIU is very open to international students, there was no need to worry about not being accepted. The admission letter (Letter of Offer) arrives a while after applying, and then everything starts moving. With the Letter of Offer, I had to secure my place by making an initial deposit of 2,500 CAD. A few days after this payment, I received the Letter of Acceptance. With the Letter of Acceptance, I was able to apply for the Promos Scholarship and, most importantly, the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), which is the residence permit for short-term international students in Canada. A visa was not necessary unless I intended to work.
Regarding a credit card, I researched banks online and found options like N24 Bank, Trade Republic, and TF Bank. I ultimately chose TF Bank because they offer excellent exchange rates, and opening an account was very quick and straightforward. I never had any issues with the card while being abroad.
Additionally, the International Students Office (ISO) added me to a WhatsApp group with other German students, where we could easily exchange information and ask questions about the general organization. At some point, the process at VIU continued, and I had the chance to apply for on-campus housing. I highly recommend this because the cost is relatively low. There are buildings with both single and double rooms. I ended up living in a dorm with eight people in a double room in Building 11, and I would absolutely do it again. More details on this later. Since the acceptance process for housing takes a long time and there‘s a chance of not getting a spot, I also recommend looking for off-campus options via Facebook Marketplace. Many students in the WhatsApp group teamed up to find shared housing.
2.2. Costs and Financing
Please provide information about your expenses (e.g., travel costs, monthly living expenses, rent, public transportation). Were there any funding opportunities or scholarships that you received?
It‘s no secret that Canada is expensive. Living costs are unusually high for Europeans, and it takes some time to adjust. Since I value cooking and good food, my grocery expenses were probably higher than necessary. On average, I spent about 90 CAD per week on groceries, which is around 60 EUR—equivalent to a 40 EUR grocery bill in Germany. It's important to know that Canadian stores display net prices, so taxes are added at checkout. Fresh produce, meat, dairy, and cheese are significantly more expensive than in Germany.
Since I lived in a dorm on campus, my Canadian roommates were kind enough to share all kitchen utensils with me. However, this is not always the case, so additional costs for pots, pans, utensils, and even a fridge may arise. That‘s why I strongly recommend choosing a dorm room if possible—it‘s cheaper, includes shared items, and makes it easier to socialize with Canadians.
Rent was paid in full upfront, and when broken down monthly, it was quite affordable. Since I lived on campus with Canadian roommates who all had cars, my transportation costs were very low. I advise against purchasing the public transportation semester pass, which costs around 200 CAD. My friends bought it but barely used it. Even when using the bus, the drivers often let passengers board for free. Additionally, most activities were done in groups, so we split Uber (or "Uride" on Vancouver Island) costs, making transportation inexpensive.
For funding, I worked a lot beforehand and saved money. I also applied for the Promos Scholarship and foreign BAföG—and I received both. My strong recommendation: apply for foreign BAföG very early, as approvals can take up to 10 months. The application effort is worth it, as it provides a monthly stipend that helps with budgeting.
2.3. Housing Search and Arrival
Please describe how you searched for housing and any recommended websites. Also, briefly explain your travel experience (e.g., car, train, airplane) and provide tips for a smooth arrival.
Since the on-campus housing acceptance took a long time, I also looked for alternatives. Facebook Marketplace is widely used in Canada, so my friend and I regularly checked listings and even posted our own. This method works, but off-campus housing is usually more expensive than on-campus options. I also applied for a homestay through Homestay.com, but this was the most expensive option, so I didn‘t pursue it.
I flew to Canada with a friend six days before the orientation week started. We stayed in an Airbnb 20 minutes outside downtown Vancouver to explore the area. Public transportation is well-organized in Canada, making travel easy.
To get to Nanaimo, we had to wake up at 4 AM, take an Uber to Horseshoe Bay (a 30-minute drive from downtown), and then take the BC Ferries to Nanaimo. The ferry ride takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and with luck, you might even see whales from the deck. Upon arriving in Nanaimo, we realized there was no Uber, so we had to take a regular taxi, which was quite small for our luggage. However, the taxi driver went out of his way to fit everything in. After a short 10–15 minute drive, we arrived at the VIU campus, got our keys from the Cedar Center, and settled into our dorm.
I definitely recommend arriving a few days before orientation week (which is worth the extra cost) to settle in and avoid travel stress.
3. on site at the host university
Please provide information about the host university (e.g. language of instruction, courses offered). What was the level of the courses offered? Please describe how you were welcomed at the host university (e.g. welcome or information event, introductory program, language course, buddy program) and what formalities (e.g. opening a bank account) had to be completed. How satisfied were you with the on-site support?
I enrolled on three courses in Business Administration and, as you can imagine, the language of instruction is exclusively English. The courses on offer are very wide-ranging and exciting. I would say that the level of the courses is generally lower than in Germany. However, you can't say that exactly because the system there is completely different. It feels more like going back to school than to university. After most lectures, you are given tasks in the form of online quizzes, small assignments of usually two to three pages, or small presentations to be submitted online before the next lecture. Most of these assignments are also subject to a slightly weighted grading, which is ultimately included in the final grade with smaller multiple choice tests in class. Depending on the course, you also write a mid-term and a final. For me personally, this was only the case in one of my three courses. In the other two subjects, it was a series of small assignments and preparations for the next lecture and small MC tests that were not really demanding in terms of level, which then made up the overall grade at the end. This means that you are subject to a permanent workflow during the semester, which I don't think is fundamentally wrong. There is also a lot of emphasis on collaboration in groups and personal development. The vast majority of professors there are also really nice and helpful, and something can always be negotiated when it comes to grading, performance or deadlines. So, there is a certain looseness and flexibility, which I really appreciated. There were also many lectures that took place online.
As an international, you are generally welcomed with open arms. You are told about 100 times in the first few days that you can always find the right contact person for any questions and that you should make use of them. It is very important to them that you don't feel left alone as an international. There really is a great sense of community and a culture of openness and integration of people from all backgrounds. This is something that applies not only to the university, but also to the country as a whole.
4 Life and integration in the host country
Please describe how you organized your time outside of classes (e.g. sports activities, excursions, evening activities). Were special events organized for foreign students during your stay? How did you come into contact with the people of the host country? What language did you use in your everyday life? Did you learn the local language, or did you improve your knowledge of this language?
Outside of the lectures, there are always events that you can join. Be it sports activities, games evenings, cultural evenings, lectures or excursions. I dedicated myself to sports activities and regularly went to the university's own gym, which you can use for free as a student. The gym is a mixture of a typical American gym and a weights room with everything you need if you want to do fitness or weight training. In addition to VIU's professional teams in soccer, basketball, ice hockey and volleyball, which you can cheer on at home games in the gym, the sports complex and the Ice Center, you can also prove yourself in sports at the “Intramurals”. There is the opportunity to join a hobby team in soccer, basketball and volleyball throughout the semester and compete against other teams once a week. Sport is of course also a great way to make new friends. I was on a soccer team with my Canadian friends from my dorm and those from our neighboring dorm. It was always great fun.
5. Conclusion
Please reflect on what went particularly well or particularly badly. Looking back, would you do anything differently? What specific recommendation would you have for other students? Were your original expectations of a stay abroad fulfilled? Can you imagine going abroad again? What is the added value of this stay for your personal development?
Would it be an exaggeration to say that my time abroad was the time of my life? Absolutely not. Everything I went through before this stay abroad, with absolute uncertainty as to whether I would be accepted at the university, then the uncertainty as to how everything would be financed, the very long uncertainty as to where I would be accommodated, everything turned out well in the end and was absolutely worth it and I would do it again and again.
It was a very intense time, with lots of new impressions, experiences, adventures and very good new friendships. I can only recommend it to everyone. Your English skills inevitably develop to a very good level and as far as personal development is concerned, you learn to come out of your shell and approach people better thanks to the openness of Canadians.
Some things I can personally recommend:
– If you get the opportunity to live on campus, I can only recommend it. When it comes to choosing a room, I can say that you can generally only benefit from a double room in a dorm. These rooms are located in buildings 10 and 11, you pay a lot less money than for a single room, you get to see everything about campus life through your flatmates, you are surrounded by Canadians and internationals from all over the world and you don't spend all your time there with other Germans. Of course, it can sometimes get a bit chaotic in a shared flat like this, and it certainly takes a bit of luck to be assigned the right flatmates. However, the detailed profile that you fill in when applying for the residences means that you are usually assigned a very suitable flatmate. At least everyone I know was very happy with their flatmates. Also, unlike all other room types and buildings, you don't have to buy your own fridge.
– For all the excursions you go on, I would make sure to get a group of 4 people together, because you still get a very good selection of accommodation for which you can optimally share the costs, and you can fit into any car you rent.
– Take hiking gear with you! The nature there is beautiful and even in the winter semester you still have over a month of great weather with pure sunshine, which is perfect for going on a hike or two. We climbed Mount Benson, which is very close to the university, and one weekend we went to the breathtakingly beautiful Gold River region to climb Crest Mountain. The trip to Gold River was one of my top highlights.
– If you live in Canada, you can't avoid the sport of ice hockey. I can therefore recommend watching the university's professional team at home games and also taking a weekend trip to Vancouver to go to a Vancouver Canucks game. It's a spectacle.
– Weekend trips to downtown Vancouver are worth it! The trip there always takes a while, but the city is so diverse and beautiful that you can always have a good time there. We actually always had our accommodation on Granville Street. You can always find reasonably priced accommodation there and everything is pretty easy to get to from there. Our personal bar recommendation is the Roxy Cabaret with first-class live music, Donnellan's Irish Pub and Guilt & Co.
– If you are traveling in the region, you will quickly notice that seaplanes are a common means of transport there. They fly everywhere, all the time. Not only is it fun to watch the planes take off and land, it is also a unique experience to fly from Nanaimo to Vancouver, or vice versa, in good weather. A flight takes about 20 minutes, you have a good chance of spotting whales from above, the view in general is beautiful and you land practically in the middle of the city center at the harbour.
– Nanaimo has two beautiful parks right by the sea. These are Pipers Lagoon Park and Neck Point Park. You can take a nice walk there, enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea and the mountains of the mainland and, if you're a bit hardened, go swimming in the sea on the beaches.
– The two small islands of Gabriola Island and Newcastle Island are also worth a visit. Small ferries cross over there every day.
– If you live in Nanaimo, you can't miss the weekly karaoke evenings on Thursdays. The Terminal Bar or the Student Pub on the university campus are ideal for this. At weekends, the Old City Station Pub and the Vault Café are great places to go.
I look back on my time with a smile and a tear in my eye and can hardly wait to visit the region and all my friends there again.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via Instagram. My account is called i_am.simon .
