Details

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

1. Preparation

I took the flight on the sunday just before the term started, and it was very expensive - try to book a few days before to acclimatize better with the jet lag and save money. Other than that, UBC will give you a lot of information about housing, schedule planning etc. If you are a skier: consider buying the student season pass for whistler, as it is way cheaper than buying day passes, but you can also buy a second hand pass from the SnB club. + if you fly with Austrian/Lufthansa, you can bring your skis for free, and stuff a lot of additional things into your ski bags :)

2. Accommodation

You will get the confirmation for your student housing very late, around the end of November, so no need to worry about that. I have not heard of any exchange student who did not get a student housing spot on campus, because otherwise it will get expensive I lived at Walter Gage, the other option is Fairview Crescent. Although you can theoretically rank the different housing opportunities, I think that the allocation is very random. Both options have their advantages, Walter Gage is more central and closer to the library etc. but Fairview is nicer and in a very green environment/neighbourhood. I bought a duvet cover etc. for my room with Claire, +1 604 830-7218 or contact her through her website reswap.club, which was very convenient. If you are lucky, you can use the cooking utensils from your roommates. Be aware that the living situation really depends on your roomates/flat: I had high expectations regarding the social life at home, and I was disappointed, as it was very antisocial and rather dirty in the common rooms - which was also fine in the end, as you should try to be outside as much as possible to explore :) If you have more questions, dont hestitate to write me a message! +436802245123

3. Academic life at host university

Getting a good course schedule was super hard, as most of the courses were already full, especially for economics student, at the time of registration. There is a 2 week drop/switch period in the beginning of the term, so try to get a good schedule, but dont stress yourself before the term! I took 4 courses, on tuesday/thursdays from 9:30 to 15:30 without a break, to have a long weekend every week for travelling. Poverty & Inequality: would not recommend, very theoretical and philosophy based, no attendance but a lot of readings Consumer Behavior: super interesting, prof. Deepak, easy to study International Trade: easy course, 3 exams, no attendance Environment Society Government: very interesting, interactive, current politcal topics!

5. Every day life in the host country

With the UPass you can commute around the city by bus, but the public transport system is not comparable to Vienna - I really had to get used to that, as it takes forever. UBC campus is super safe, never felt unsafe. There are multiple options to do sports on the campus: various sports centres on the campus, gyms, swimming pool, etc. I signed up for the VOC and the SnB - VOC was super nice due to the free rentals and huts, SnB had a great ski trip but was not that social and havent been to any other events. I also signed up for the Exchange club, where I met some of my best friends, but after the first two weeks the club was dead and nothing happened anymore.

6. Testimonial

My exchange at UBC was a constant back and forth between the mountains and the city. Most weekends I was ski touring around Whistler with friends from all over the world, and afterwards went out in the evening for karaoke nights in Vancouver Downtown. It wasn't all planned out perfectly: I skipped most of my lectures during the semester, which turned the two weeks before finals into a study-chaos. But that mix of skiing, hiking, roadtrips and travelling, friends, and last-minute studying is exactly what made it unforgettable and gave me friendships that will last.