Details

• United States of America
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

I recommend going through everything WU provides online - partner university map, exchange reports, fact sheets about the universities, etc.- because they can help a lot in deciding which universities you want to put on your list. I had a list of "expectations" from the university, such as provided on-campus housing, and made an excel sheet based on my requirements and eliminated some options. Selecting universities solely based on ranking might not be the best idea, because that probably doesn't determine much about the semester you'll spend there. Once selected for a university, I recommend keeping up with emails and deadlines because they can be really important, and starting the visa process in time because anything can happen that will make it slower. Also, I recommend searching the course database thoroughly because I found some of my favorite classes the 3rd or 4th time I searched. Don't be afraid to reach out to the contact people either at WU or your partner uni, everyone was really helpful when I encountered some problems.

2. Accommodation

The university provided mandatory on campus housing for all exchange students, which was very convenient. I stayed in a dorm called Converse Hall with another exchange student. The room was spacious and most dorms are pretty close to dining halls. Converse hall also had a very central location, very close to my classrooms. The university website has digital walk throughs of every hall that students can check out before, but you are randomly assigned. There was an option after about 2 weeks of being there to change to a single room, but no one I know took it because living with someone was nicer than we had thought. The rooms are furnished but they do not provide bedding, so you will either have to bring or buy it. I recommend buying it as that is more convenient and doesn't cost more than an additional luggage. The halls are pretty safe because they open with a card that only students living there have, and the area of the university is also safe. I walked around campus at night several times alone and it was fine, but I don't recommend it, anything can happen and Burlington has been experiencing a rise in smaller crimes. If you already received your assignment and are worried, you shouldn't be, every hall had its on advantage and they all had a few exchange students. You can always request a change, too.

3. Academic life at host university

The courses are much shorter than those at WU, most of mine were 1 hr 10 min and they have 20 min gaps between. The classes were pretty engaging, most of mine had enforced mandatory attendance. There are a lot of readings and homework. If you have free electives, I recommend checking out the Community Development and Applied Economics "college", it has some really interesting classes. The two classes I can really recommend were Graphic Design with John Siddle and Comparative World Politics with Peter VonDoepp, but my other classes were also really good and I learnt a lot. I think the course load was a little bit smaller than in most of my classes at WU, or it is taught at a slower pace, but I found it easy to keep up. They were really strict about cheating and AI usage and there is generally a big emphasis on academic integrity. Also, as a business student, it is easy to make a course schedule where your Fridays are free, which can be nice for exploring and getting around a bit.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport in Burlington is adequate, better than most US cities and it is free for students of UVM: You can go downtown or to the University Mall (Target, etc) with it, or further to another shopping centre that has Walmart. Many things are also pretty easy to walk to, including the downtown area. I recommend Burlington to people who enjoy a chill time, there are cute shops, cafes, great thrifting opportunities, the local people are really nice and chatty. There is a farmers market, you can swim in the lake in Aug-Sept, or walk to nearby small towns. There is also a nightlife, which is not huge, but if you are over 21 it is enjoyable and the music is nice. In the winter months people go skiing and the university provides transportation to and from, I don't know about the prices but there are some student discounts. I think the spring semester is really cold and dark, so unless you enjoy the winter activities, I recommend the autumn semester much more. The school has some sports teams, the hockey games were surprisingly big. You have access to the gym which has a climbing wall, basketball court, gym, swimming pool, inside running track and volleyball court. There are pool and foosball tables in many of the dorms as well as the community centre. There are plenty of clubs to choose from and you often don't have to be a member to go to the activities they provide. It is easy to travel to Montreal, Boston and New York with either flixbus or train, and I definitely recommend all of them, they were great. Most people do something together in the academic breaks (exchange students).

6. Testimonial

It was a great opportunity, I learned a lot about myself and others and gained a lot of confidence in myself. I hope that some of the friendships I made will last me a lifetime.