Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 3 months

1. Preparation

I would recommend flying to Toronto and then taking either the FlixBus, Onex Bus, or Intercity Bus to go to London, ON. This will take you (depending on the bus) around 2,5-3,5 hours, but it is way cheaper (around 30-50 CAD) than flying to London and definitely more reliable than the planes. A couple of days before my flight, I applied for the online ETA Visa, which will cost around 10 CAD. Don't forget to bring your acceptance letter for immigration as well. If you live in a student dorm, be prepared to find a completely empty apartment upon arrival. You will need to bring bedsheets, pillows, and blankets (or buy them there). There are also no supplies like toilet paper, cleaning supplies or dishes, you can either get them from the free store or also buy them. I went there in winter and the temperatures were around -20 to -10 degrees most days, so pack warm and waterproof shoes, jackets, and ski underwear to wear underneath your clothes.

2. Accommodation

I was living in the Alumni House, which is a student dorm located on the very east of the campus. It was very easy to apply for the accommodation through Western University. This was an apartment with 4 individual rooms, a kitchen-living area, a bathroom, a separate toilet and an additional sink. This dorm was on the very east of the campus and I would say the campus area is very safe. You can easily get to university by bus or 15-20min walk, the bus ticket for the semester will be included in your student card. As said before in the dorm is nothing, be prepared to bring everything you need specially for the first couple of days or go to the store upon arrival.

3. Academic life at host university

The university campus is huge and they have many different faculties. I was at Ivey Business School and I would say it was very competitive. Their grading system works based on a curve and students get ranked in comparison to their classmates, so the competition amongst students is pretty high. Everything was case-based, meaning for each class we had to read a case (around 20 pages), prepare the given questions and then discuss the case in class. Contribution is very important and makes up a huge percentage of your grade (40-50%). Really try to speak up in each class from the beginning on, because the contribution and attendance are monitored quite strictly. Professors will also cold call you if they have the feeling you're not contributing enough to get a good grade. In most classes, missing more than 4 single (out of 20)or 2 double classes (out of 10) will lead to failing the class (even with a doctor's note). Otherwise is very hard not to pass, because of the curving system. I had 2 exams, one midterm and one final, and I can say they were very easy in comparison to WU exams. Mostly, you will get a case and then develop a recommendation strategy. In the first week, there is an add & drop period where you can "test" different classes and figure out if you like want to keep it or drop it. In the first classes, the prof will go over the course outline, and based on that, you can also see how much workload each class is.

5. Every day life in the host country

There are a lot of buses going all around the campus, but also to the mall and downtown, etc. This makes it very easy to get around London even without a car. I would definitely say London is not the safest option in Canada, because they are struggling with a drug problem and walking around downtown can feel a bit dangerous, especially in the evening. We never really went anywhere outside of the campus except for going out at night, where all bars are located on one street right next to the campus. They offer a lot of sports activities and you get free entrance to a huge 3-floor gym, which includes a swimming pool hall, track field and a dance room. Also in each dorm is a small gym located with a couple of treadmills, bikes and gym equipment. Almost every week is some sort of event organized by Ivey, this could be parties, day activities, or, for example, excursions to Niagara Falls.

6. Testimonial

I had such a good time, even though the weather was extreme, the people I met there just made my experience unique. Living in a student dorm was a completely new experience and it was very easy to connect with people. Because of the rather small classes you get very personal teaching method and the professors all know your name. Traveling around Canada, was definitely one of my highlights and I made friends for life.