Details

• Canada
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

read experience reports:) start thinking about preparations early, some things take time Don't plan too many trips in advance, but leave room for them (e.g. by booking a flexible flight back)

2. Accommodation

I was lucky enough to get a spot on campus- it's not guaranteed, they only have a few spots for business exchange students. The residences are 10mins from a beach, and 15 mins from a hill with a pretty great view:) Cluster housing is quite nice, you have 3 flatmates that are matched based on your lifestyle, however, cheap grocery shopping means taking the bus. The area around the is pretty safe, there's a lot of campus security

3. Academic life at host university

Campus is ofc much bigger than at WU, in parts seems more like a park with some buildings Most classes are more interactive than back home Especially in COM or IB courses, attendance is mandatory and participation often counts The business school technically requires you to take at least 3 business courses, however, this is not fully followed through in practice. There are a lot of international students in most business courses, which makes group projects kinda fun Many group projects and midterms, few finals

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport: Buses. UVic has a huge bus hub, it takes around 20 mins to get downtown, around 70 mins to the ferry or airport. Downtown Vancouver is around 4.5 hours away (buses-ferry-bus-skytrain) Campus is pretty safe, lots of Security people. Downtown Vic can get a bit creepy at night for a girl, but still harmless. There's a pub on campus! And a movie theatre! The gym is pretty new, well equipped and affordable and includes a large climbing area (you need to pay extra for). No swimming pool on campus. Cadboro Bay is a 10 minute walk away, the water is cold, but in theory you can swim Mount Tolmie is also 10 minutes away, offers a great view of the area (on a good day, you can see some of the Cascade Volcanoes and the Olympic Mountains) Lots of student clubs, can recommend the surf club which offers affordable weekend trips to Tofino. (They're in high demand earlier in the semester, but I went in November and had a great time). There's a SUP Club, outdoor club, coastal rowing, ... I tried out for the novice rowing team (did not get in but the option is there, they seem very open to exchangies) Watching varsity games is not that big of a deal, except for the Thunderfest soccer game at the beginning of the semester, and sometimes basketball

6. Testimonial

I had a great time! The nature on Vancouver island is beautiful, and Victoria has a lot to offer, especially if you like being outdoors. Of course it is much quieter than Vienna, which can be nice for a change. I would recommend trying to plan your courses in a way that Mondays or Fridays remain free for weekend trips, since Canada has soo much more to offer. Definitely recommend going to Banff at some point, we went during reading break (early November), and it was beautiful and snowy. Also, don't miss out on going up-island for a bit, e.g. a roadtrip to Tofino