Details

• Canada
• MAMgmt-14
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 3 months

1. Preparation

Tips for the application process: - Read all available current exchange reports to get an understanding of the university life etc. - Be aware of potential fees and other expenses that are specific to the country/university - Start your research early so you don't have to hurry - Rank according to your gut feeling, not the ranking on how famous the university is Tips for preparing semester abroad: - start early looking for potential accommodation/flights etc. but don't worry if you don't find anything good - sometimes, the good stuff comes online quite late - don't worry about your social life there - everybody is looking for new friends, it will happen all by itself (says an introvert)

2. Accommodation

There are different ways to look for an accommodation in Kingston, mostly Facebook market place and AirBnB. While the ones on Facebook might be (quite a bit) cheaper, they come online quite late and there are lots of scams. If you want to take this path, make sure to have a written agreement. AirBnB is the more expensive option, but here you can book good things quite early and you can be sure that it is no scam (read the reviews tho and don't go anywhere if the place is rated lower than 4,3 or has fewer than 15 reviews). For exchange students, there is NO student housing on campus. Many people I know bought a bike, so distance isn't much of an issue. Anything south of princess street is the best option, since you can walk to the university quite easily. I always felt very safe in Kingston, so walking at night shouldn't be an issue. Otherwise, Uber is quite cheap.

3. Academic life at host university

The MBA program is located at the Smith School of Business (SSB), which is kind of the business studies department of the Queen's University. Nevertheless, you can participate in any activities a normal Queen's student could do. Right next to the SSB is the ARC, a huge building which includes a gym as well as multiple places to eat. If you are part of the MBA program, these are the two building you will spend most of your time at. Throughout the university campus (which consists of multiple blocks of building) there are different outdoor fields where you can play football etc.. The university also has its own tennis courts. At the SSB, the MBA program has its own lecture hall which looks kind of like a small parliament. Here, all lectures take place. Some lectures are more interactive while others are more head-on. Kind of like at the WU. Personally, I didn't feel like it was super hard to get a good grade. The profs are very supportive and you have to do lots of group works. There are almost no written exams and quite a few written reports (individual or group). I had to take the following courses to get the necessary credits (Master in Management): Dynamic Strategy Execution, Creating and Executing Market Based Strategy, Sales Management and Global Strategy.

5. Every day life in the host country

All the social activities take place either at the campus of the university or at princess street, which is one long road where at a certain extend all major bars/clubs are located. Here, all students go to party. Consequently, the area is very safe. Personally, I felt that the whole of Kingston is very safe. Even tough I didn't see much police, I haven't heard of anyone having any troubles at all. Apart from partying, there are lots of possibilities to do sports (individual or teams), the so called intramurals. Here, on a league system, you play with your own team (you can create your own or join one) against other teams in all kinds of sports. It is very fun!! During the summer (when I was there, it was very warm until the end of September), everybody goes to the pier. Since Kingston is located at the Lake of Ontario, this is the place to be, to chill with your friends and have fun throughout the day! In the beginning of the program there is an introductory day, which is quite helpful to meet new people and get a general understanding of the program university. If things don't work out there, don't worry. After this, there are lots of social events of other departments and their welcoming weeks. The public transport in Kingston is okay, it really depends on the area you are living in. Quite a few people also go by bike or take an Uber at times, which is rather cheap there. Since Kingston isn't that big, you can also walk almost everywhere.

6. Testimonial

For me personally, the exchange wasn't so much about the academic part rather than the social aspect. You will meet people from all over the world which is super interesting; everybody has their own culture and view of the world. Travel, meet new friends and just enjoy your life. It won't ever be as easy going as during your exchange!!