Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

For preparing my exchange semester at Simon Fraser University, the most helpful thing for me was reading the experience reports from previous WU students. They gave me a realistic first impression of what to expect, especially regarding the course registration, housing, costs and daily life on campus. I would definitely recommend not only relying on the official information, but also reading several reports, because many small practical details are mentioned there. In my case, it was also very helpful that I knew someone from WU who had studied at SFU in the semester before me. She helped me a lot with choosing courses and gave me advice on which courses were manageable and which ones required more effort. This made the preparation much easier, because the course system and workload at SFU are quite different from WU. I would therefore recommend contacting former exchange students if possible, especially before finalizing the course list. The administrative preparation was mostly straightforward, but it is important to start early. After the nomination, there are several documents to upload and deadlines to follow. I would also recommend applying for housing as soon as possible, since living on campus is very convenient at SFU. The campus is located in Burnaby on a mountain, so living directly on campus saves a lot of commuting time. For travelling, I flew from Europe to Vancouver. From Vancouver Airport, it is possible to reach the city and later the SFU campus by public transport, mainly SkyTrain and bus. The connection is manageable, but with a lot of luggage it can still be a bit exhausting. Therefore, I would recommend arriving a few days before the official start, so there is enough time to settle in, buy necessary things and get familiar with the campus. Overall, good preparation made the start in Vancouver much easier.

2. Accommodation

I lived in the Courtyard residence on campus and for me this was a very good decision. My room was a single room, modern and clean, which I really appreciated during the semester. Even though an exchange semester is very social and there is always something going on, I sometimes needed a place where I could be on my own and calm down. Having my own room as a proper retreat was therefore very important for me. The location was also very convenient. Since the residence is directly on campus, I could easily walk to my classes, the library, the gym and the dining hall. The SFU campus is located on Burnaby Mountain, so living on campus saves a lot of commuting time. The area felt safe to me, also in the evening, and I never had any major concerns walking around campus. One thing I underestimated before arriving was the distance to Downtown Vancouver. Realistically, it takes around 50 minutes by bus, sometimes even longer depending on traffic and connections. This is not a big issue, but it means that you do not just quickly go downtown for one hour. Therefore, a lot of everyday life happens directly on campus. A tip I wish I had known beforehand is that the meal plan can actually be worth it. I had the meal plan and was happy with it, especially because it saves time and makes daily life much easier. A friend of mine did not have it and had to organize food much more often himself, which seemed less convenient. Another important point is to actively use the social opportunities on campus. Especially Tuesday evenings at the campus bar were a good way to meet new people. Since Downtown is relatively far away, many contacts are made directly on campus. Going there regularly helped me a lot to get to know other exchange students and also some local students.

3. Academic life at host university

Overall atmosphere felt more personal and less anonymous. In many courses, the professors were approachable and students often addressed them in a more informal way. If you had questions, it was normal to ask them directly after class or write an email, and in my experience the professors usually responded in a helpful way. The teaching style was also more continuous during the semester. Compared to WU, where the final exam often has a very high weight, at SFU there were usually several smaller assignments, group projects, presentations, quizzes, midterms and finals. This means that you have to work throughout the semester, but the exam period itself felt less stressful because the final grade was not based only on one big exam. Group work was also quite common, so it is important to communicate early with your team and not leave everything until the end. The campus facilities were very good. There are study areas, a library, cafés, restaurants, a gym and many places where you can meet other students. Since the campus is located on Burnaby Mountain, it feels a bit like its own small student city. This is practical during the week because most things you need are directly on campus. Regarding course recommendations, I would advise future students to check the course outlines carefully before choosing courses. Some courses sound easy at first but include many readings or weekly assignments. It also helps to ask former WU students who studied at SFU before, because they can give more realistic advice than the official course descriptions. In general, I would recommend mixing courses with different assessment types, for example not only courses with big group projects or only courses with heavy readings. This makes the workload easier to manage during the semester.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in Vancouver and on the SFU campus was very convenient overall. Public transport works quite well, especially organize bus and SkyTrain system. Since SFU is located on Burnaby Mountain, going downtown usually takes around 50 minutes by bus, sometimes a bit longer depending on traffic. At the beginning this felt quite far, but after a while I got used to it and went into the city quite often. It is not something you do quickly for half an hour, but for an afternoon or evening it is completely fine. The safety situation was good in my experience. On campus I always felt safe, also in the evening. Downtown Vancouver is generally also fine, although like in every bigger city there are areas where I would be a bit more aware of my surroundings, especially late at night. Social life mostly happened on campus, which was actually quite helpful for meeting people. A very important place for me was BierCraft on Tuesday evenings. Many exchange students and local students went there, and it was one of the easiest ways to meet new people and stay connected during the semester. The Dining Hall was also not only useful for eating, but also a good place to chill, talk and spend time with friends. Especially with the meal plan it was very convenient, because you could go there without always having to organize food yourself. Sport options at SFU were also good. I went to the gym quite often, which was easy because it is directly on campus. I also played football from time to time on one of the fields. In general, the campus offers many opportunities to stay active, and this helped me a lot to have a balanced routine besides studying and social activities. Overall, everyday life at SFU was easy to organize once I got used to the distances

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester at SFU was a great experience because I met many new people from different countries and made friendships that also continued outside university life. One of the best parts was travelling with new friends, for example to New York and Mexico, which made the semester even more special. Overall, the combination of studying abroad, meeting people and travelling made the exchange one of the most memorable experiences of my studies.