Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

It is advisable to start looking for accommodation early. Otherwise, Queen’s University provides a very detailed Fact Sheet that explains everything, such as the semester start date, orientation week, the semester calendar, and information about living expenses and health insurance. In addition, there are online seminars before the exchange that help students choose the right courses and provide information about housing, expenses, and other relevant topics. Course registration is very relaxed. You have enough time to register and can do so comfortably. However, you should make sure that your courses are approved by WU beforehand. Otherwise, you still have about two weeks after the semester starts to change your courses. Applying for the visa was very easy. Since you are only staying in Canada for four months, you only need a tourist visa, the ETA. This can be applied for very easily online, and you usually receive a response quickly. Getting to Queen's is a bit more complicated, as Kingston does not have its own airport. Therefore, you need to fly to Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal. From there, you can take a bus (Megabus) or the train, although the train is more expensive. It is advisable to make sure that you do not arrive in these cities too late, as you might otherwise need to stay overnight if there are no buses running anymore.

2. Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Kingston was more difficult than expected, as almost all rooms and shared apartments are offered through Facebook groups. This can be challenging because most landlords prefer students who want to rent for longer than four months. In addition, many people do not reply to messages or have already found tenants, so you often receive rejections. Therefore, it is important to check these Facebook groups frequently to see if new listings have been posted. You should contact them as quickly as possible, as it is usually a first-come, first-served process. I only found my accommodation about one month before the semester started. In Kingston, it is quite common that most listings are posted shortly before the semester begins. Therefore, you should not start looking too late, but you also should not stress if you do not find something immediately. Unfortunately, there are no official student residences provided by the university, so you have to find accommodation yourself. For example, I lived in a private house with six Canadians. I would recommend looking for accommodation close to the university, in the area commonly known as the “Student Ghetto.” Most students live there, and it is a very lively student neighborhood where much of the student life takes place outside of the university as well. Everything is within walking distance, including the campus, the bars, and downtown. Safety in Kingston is very good, and it felt safe to walk alone in the evening at any time. The prices for a room are also relatively affordable. Depending on the location and condition of the accommodation, you can expect to pay around 400 to 600 euros per month. Here are the Facebook groups that I used at the time: Queen’s University Student Housing - Kingston: https://www.facebook.com/groups/383002602386338/ Queen's University Looking Housing, Apartment Room Rentals, Sublet Roommate: https://www.facebook.com/groups/queens.university.housing.aparment.rentals/

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is very beautiful, as it is located directly by the lake. It has many stunning buildings from the Victorian era, which are at the same time very modern. In addition, there are also newer buildings, such as the Queen’s ARC. In general, each faculty has its own building, and it is easy to find your way around very quickly. The campus is also very well organized and easy to navigate, even though it is quite large. Canadians have a different teaching style compared to what we are used to at WU. Classes are much more interactive, meaning that students are more actively involved during lectures. As a result, participation plays a much bigger role than it does at WU. The professors are very friendly and helpful, especially towards exchange students who may not yet be familiar with everything. In general, students are also very supportive, and you should not hesitate to ask them questions. I can recommend all of the courses that I took, as they were both interesting and not overly demanding. The courses I attended were: Instead of Marketing at WU: Fundamentals of Marketing Courses Abroad: International Business Strategy Leadership Managing Across Cultures Freies Wahlfach: Negotiation Theory and Behavior

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport is unfortunately not as good as in Vienna, as most Canadians tend to use cars. Nevertheless, it is still manageable, although you sometimes have to wait a bit longer than you might be used to in Vienna. Safety in Kingston is generally very good, and I never felt uncomfortable there. However, in larger cities such as Toronto or Vancouver the situation can be slightly different, and you should be a bit more careful, especially in the evening. There are many things you can do in your free time. In downtown Kingston there are several bars and cafés where people like to meet. Kingston is also a great place to do sports, as the university has its own gym for students. In addition, you can use the sports fields to play soccer, tennis, or basketball. Especially in summer, students like to go to the pier, relax by the lake, and enjoy the sun. It is definitely worth exploring Canada’s nature, which is truly beautiful. You can go hiking, camping, visit national parks, and enjoy the amazing landscapes. In winter, you can go ice skating, play ice hockey, or go skiing. Canada is especially famous for ice hockey, so it is definitely worth attending an NHL game in cities like Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa. In Toronto, you can also attend an NBA game or a baseball game of the Blue Jays and get to know some new sports.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester could not have been better. I met amazing people and was able to grow a lot personally. I traveled extensively and experienced Canada, with its unique nature and welcoming people, exactly as I had imagined. At the same time, I gained many valuable experiences and insights at Queen’s University that I would not have had without this semester abroad. Overall, it was an incredible experience, and I would choose Queen’s University and Canada again at any time.