Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Start early to look for accommodation. Book the bus from the airport to Kingston in advance. Don’t stress yourself too much with all the information you get from the partner university and the online classes in advance; everything is well organized by both international offices. As an Austrian citizen, you don’t need a visa; an eTA is enough and costs around 7 CAD. Canada in general can be more expensive than Austria, but going out in Kingston is rather cheap.

2. Accommodation

Searching for accommodation in the summer term is much easier because many students typically go on exchange. Try to get into the Queen’s University housing group on Facebook or look on Facebook Marketplace. You can easily negotiate the price. I lived in a private house with five other guys in the student ghetto, close to campus. Try to live there, because everything is within walking distance. A 15-minute walk to university is already considered quite long. This area is safe. Try to live with Canadians, you will still get more than enough in contact with exchange students.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is clean and pretty. The classes usually have around 30 to 50 students. The participation requirement is strict, and you don’t talk or eat during class. The courses are more interactive, with a participation grade of up to 20 percent and a lot of assignments during the semester. I took four classes (24 ECTS): Introduction to Finance (COMM 221) instead of Finanzwirtschaft, Leadership (COMM 351), which was rather boring but had no final exam, International Business Strategy (COMM 374), and Negotiation Theory & Behaviour (COMM 385). I would recommend International Business Strategy and Negotiation Theory & Behaviour because these courses are interesting and rather easy.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport is free, but you usually walk or take an Uber. There are some homeless people, but it is safe. I went out about three times a week and probably went to the gym five times a week. The gym is free, on campus, and most students go there. It was very cold in the first two months, around -25 degrees, and Kingston is small, so it can get boring if you don’t go out or travel. Sometimes I went to a hockey game, for a run, or to a public viewing in a bar.

6. Testimonial

The people made it special. I became friends with most of my roommates, and travelling and adapting to a new culture with completely new people was challenging but also a great experience. I also travelled to Cancun during reading break, which was another highlight of my exchange.