Exchange Report Wilfrid Laurier University - Spring CHAN, Wai Hin Nelson. BBA in Professional Accounting & Operations Management

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1 Exchange Report Wilfrid Laurier University - Spring 2018 CHAN, Wai Hin Nelson BBA in Professional Accounting & Operations Management

2 Table of contents Page PART I Monthly Activity Log 2 PART II General Exchange Information PART III Items to Bring

3 Monthly Activity Log January: Laurier International organized an orientation gathering to welcome all exchange students before the start of the semester and I met many friends from different countries there. Though you may think that the games you are playing there are not really funny, it is a valuable chance to meet other exchange students. Moreover, a snow tubing activity was held for all the exchange students. It was one of the most interesting events throughout these few months. Lastly, to end the month, I also joined a winter camp and had a lot fun there. We sang the old folk song around real campfire, learnt about animal tracking and tried the snow shoeing and night hiking activities. February: School was still not that busy this month so I grabbed the chances to explore Canada. First, I visited the Niagara Falls since it is near Waterloo, which Laurier is located. It is a place you are never going to miss in your life since you cannot feel how beautiful and dazzling it is without watching in person. However, one place could not satisfy me so I also went to Yellowknife by the end of this month. It is a famous place for its aroura throughout the year. Luckily, we could see the amazing northern lights in the starry sky during our stay there since its visibility highly depends on the weather which we cannot control. March: This month was relatively busy because of the midterm examinations and assignments. However, as a HKUST student, I handled them quite well and was still able to arrange a trip to Toronto. We visited the Ontario Museum and even watched a NBA match. All audience there enjoyed very much and was enthusiastic. They loved their team, Toronto Raptors, so much. April: Finally, the final examinations came this month. Laurier only provided its students 2 days for study break. However, if you can manage your study evenly throughout the semester, it should not be a big deal. Before going back Hong Kong, I also visited once again for the Major League Baseball (MLB) competition. MLB is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. Thus, if you love sports, you are not going to miss the chance to enjoy one of the live matches there. 2

4 General Exchange Information 1. Visa Procedures People who are holding a Hong Kong passport and will not be staying in Canada for more than 6 months do not need any visa. Instead, an Electronic Travel Authorization (eta) is required. You can apply for the eta online easily and it charges you for $7 CAD. Besides, if you plan to go to the United States, another visa is required and I recommend you to apply for it in Hong Kong first since it is cheaper and more convenient. 2. Orientation Activities Laurier International is the organization where all the international and exchange students can seek help and ask for anything you are not familiar with in Laurier. The orientation activities included a welcome party that aimed at introducing us to the Canadian culture and the course registration and a campus tour helping us to get familiar with the places we may need to know. Moreover, a snow tubing activity and a winter camp may be held to provide a chance for the exchange students to meet each other. 3. International Services & Activities Normally, if you need any service or want to join any activity organized for exchange students, Laurier International should be the place you can seek help and get the information. Just go for it! The staff there is very friendly! 4. Accommodations You can choose either on-campus or off-campus accommodation. I applied for the off-campus one since it is much cheaper. However, it is highly recommended to choose the on-campus one since it should be more convenient and easier to make friends with other students. However, you should get to know more about the check-in and check-out policies there. As far as i know, you are only allowed to move in before the orientation day and should move out 1 day after your last final exam if you do not apply for an extension beforehand. 5. Courses Registration For course registration, you will receive a registration form soon after you get admitted by Laurier as an exchange student. 10 courses are required to be chosen according to your preference in the form. Usually 2 weeks before the start of the semester, you will be informed of your schedule. However, it is a bit complicated for the add/drop part since you cannot do it online. You can only follow the instructions and submit an add/drop form 3

5 which will be distributed on the orientation day in person. Thus, if you really wish to add or drop any courses, just reach the office of Laurier International to seek help. 6. Teaching & Assessment Methods Teaching and assessment methods in Laurier is like the ones in HKUST. Lecture notes and materials will be uploaded to a learning portal called MyLearningSpace, like Canvas. Most courses require textbooks and you can decide on either purchasing a physical one in the bookstore there or buying an e-book. However, rather than curve grading in HKUST, absolute grading is used there so please be careful of your grade! 7. Sports & Recreation Facilities If you are a sporty guy, you should always visit the Athletic Complex inside the campus since you can find different sports and work out in the gym there. Another option is to join some sport teams in Laurier and participate in the intramural competitions. 8. Finance & Banking (including currency / expenses) A common practice for exchange students is to open a local bank account after having your student ID card. This is also the recommended way since I chose to pay everything by cash but found that it was very inconvenient to use the coins. You need not to worry about whether the stores accept card or not because using card to perform the daily transactions is much more common in Canada than in Hong Kong. 9. Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities Just like HKUST, there are also many students societies where you can join and participate in their activities to meet more local and exchange students. Just check out their counters in Concourse during the promotion time! 10. Health & Safety All exchange students in Laurier are required to pay for a health insurance. The coverage of the insurance is wide, from small cuts to serious illnesses, Besides, for any safety issues, just seek help from the Special Constable Service, which is like a police service inside the campus. All these details will be mentioned in the orientation day so please pay attention! 4

6 11. Food If you apply for the accommodation through Laurier, you will be required to purchase a meal plan, which includes $1000 CAD in your student ID card. You can buy your meals in the restaurants inside the campus. However, please be noted that the remaining value is not refundable so just use it as often as you can. If you want to buy some groceries, you can go to Walmart and Sobeys, which both offer a large variety of food and other necessities. 12. Transportation Waterloo is a small city without any railway system at this moment. Thus, what we can rely on there is the GRT bus service. It normally costs $3.50 CAD per trip but since we are required to prepay for this bus service while paying the additional fees, we can just take the GRT bus by just showing your student ID card to the driver. 13. Climate Weather there in winter is extremely cold and it snows most of the time. You should be surprised that it may snow and even ice storm may attack in April. The highest degree can be 10 C and the lowest one can be -27 C. It is recommended to stay indoor as much as possible when the weather is really too cold since you can find heating system operating in all the indoor areas. 14. Communication For communication and internet, you are recommended to get a mobile service soon after you have your student ID card. Just go to the Conestoga Mall, which is in Waterloo too, or Walmart to find you preferred service provider. The average monthly charge is $45 CAD with limiting data, which the price is much higher than that in Hong Kong. 15. Cautionary measures During the winter semester there, the floor is always full of snow and ice. To avoid slipping or getting wet, please ensure your shoes are suitable for walking on such a slippery floor. Besides, always cover yourself, including your hands and head, since sometimes the cold weather with strong wind is enough to make you frosted within a few minutes! 5

7 Items to Bring ü A jacket that can keep you warm under the cold weather and snow ü Adapters ü Beanie ü Chargers and USB ü Cash for daily use ü Camera (essential for taking photos of Aurora) ü Hand cream and body lotion ü International Driving License (if you have) ü Medicine ü Snowshoes ü Waterproof gloves ü Winter clothes (maybe with some summer clothes) 6