Details

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

1. Preparation

The coordinators from the partner university are very helpful. You only need an eTA, which is easy to request online and you usually receive it within a few minutes. Also, make sure you get a Canadian phone number it makes life a lot easier. I only had an eSIM without a number, but for things like the laundry account, you need a phone number to sign up. Make sure to bring plenty of winter clothes because it gets very cold and you definitely need waterproof shoes. I also traveled to California and you need an ESTA for that, but it’s also easy to get. I visited Vancouver Island, which I highly recommend and Montreal. We did a lot of skiing and hiking. There is a ski club that organizes trips, they are well-organized, so you don’t have to worry about renting a car, which is a struggle if you are under 25.

2. Accommodation

I highly recommend living on campus to get the full experience. Request it as soon as you get the email because it's hard to get a spot. I lived in Yamnuska Hall, and it was a great place to stay, there is a Starbucks and a Domino's downstairs, as well as a gym and a pool table in the basement. The other residences are really good, too. Calgary is a safe place to walk around no matter the time. There is a train on the other side of campus that takes you downtown. The bus system is good, but it takes forever to get anywhere. You will receive a public transportation pass once you arrive. We mainly used Ubers because they are really cheap there and much faster. Also, I'd recommend getting a meal plan so you don't have to worry about food. I had 120 swipes and they were more than enough for the time I spent there.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is huge, there is a two-story gym that is free to use. You can find almost everything on campus except for a grocery store. You have to walk about 10 minutes to the nearby University District, but there are cute coffee shops and smoothie places there and the mall is also close by. The teaching style is very different compared to the WU it is more easy-going and approachable. Classes are usually as big or even bigger than at WU. I took MKTG 435, which involves a big group project with an external client. It can be very time-consuming because you have to hold weekly meetings to discuss your progress. I also took OBHR 317 and OPMA. My OPMA class was online, but there is an in-person version too, I recommend the in-person class as it's easier. Lastly, I took DEST it is not a business class, and you have to sign up for it yourself. The process is a bit confusing, so make sure you are definitely signed up for the class by the deadline.

5. Every day life in the host country

There is a bus stop on almost every corner of the campus. As I mentioned, Calgary is very safe. There are a few homeless people in certain spots downtown, but they generally mind their own business. During the winter, I mostly went skiing and did some hiking. You also get a free access pass for all the university games, you should definitely take advantage of that because it’s so much fun to watch. You can play almost any sport on campus except for tennis, which is only available in the summer. Downtown, there is one main street where all the nightlife happens and they have plenty of great pubs.

6. Testimonial

There were a lot of exchange students at the university and we were a huge group. We did a lot of activities together, skiing, hiking and house parties. The weather wasn't always great because it was extremely cold, sometimes it was even too cold for outdoorsy activities (at least for me!). It’s really fun to live on campus to get the full experience. Overall, it was exactly as I expected. Calgary has a lot of fun things to do and a great nightlife to offer.