Student Report – UVic Fall 2012
Name of the University:
University of Victoria
Exchange semester: Fall 2012
After applying for an exchange
semester we began receiving email
from University of Victoria when we
were accepted in March. Both BI and
UVic were good at sending out
information and providing enough time
with their deadlines. We also received
all necessary information early on
which made it very easy to plan. The
first deadline was for study acceptance
and soon after we needed to apply for courses and accommodation. There was plenty
information available but it was sometimes difficult to find specifically what you were
looking for. This was mainly due to our unfamiliarity with UVic´s website layout and use of
exchange student numbers. Two people who helped us out a lot to find additional information
and explanations were Allen Sun, Student Coordinator at UVic, and Hege Jordheim, from
International Relations at BI Oslo. To make the whole process easier, almost everything could
be done online except for the $50 accommodation application fee, which had to be done over
the phone.
One of the advantages of being Norwegian is easy access to most countries without the
need for a VISA. All we were required to do was to show our acceptance letter and return
ticket at the customs control at the first Canadian airport. If travelling through the US
however you needed to apply for ESTA and go through lengthy customs. The ESTA lasts 90
days until you have to leave the US and unfortunately Canada does not count as leaving the
US. This meant you had to apply for it multiple times due to the length of our stay and doing
it multiple times doesn’t work on the online application. This was solved through several
emails with the US customs office. Being an exchange student helped as we received extra
service and understanding. A recommendation would be not to fly through the US at all, but
directly to Canada.
We both lived in various accommodations while at UVic, on and off campus. The oncampus information was received in early March with everything stated above. The process
was easy and acceptable deadlines. The only problem I experienced was the length of time it
took to receive a confirmation of the “lottery”. Although it worked out in the end, the
closeness to start of the semester meant it would have been difficult and stressful to find other
accommodation. We did however receive plenty of options for various residences from UVic,
suggesting websites for house hunting. I got my first choice for a cluster residence, four-room
apartment, and was placed with three other exchange students of a similar age. The space,
cleanliness and security were of good standard and we never experienced any negatives that
affected our stay. Being so close to the university and it’s facilities made it easy to commute
as well as taking part in the social events. If I had stayed for another semester however I
would consider renting off-campus for a different experience.
The off-campus experience I had was the best solution compared to living on-campus.
I had applied for on-campus residence but did not get offered a place. Due to the timing of
reply from the UVic accommodation office, I was left with one month to find a place to live.
Off-campus varied from home-stay at another family or to find your own apartment. I chose
to rent an apartment with a Canadian girl, Victoria. Even with sufficient information from
UVic about where to look I did find it difficult to find everything sitting at my desk in
Norway. I was very lucky to put in contact with Victoria through my friends in Norway. My
stay there was positive as the living conditions were high and friendly roommate. Having a
Canadian also helped me adjust to Victoria. Logistics were a slight hinder, as it always took
longer to travel to university or meet up with other students. If I were to have another
semester I would still prefer to live off-campus but closer to the university, 10-15 minutes
walk. The choice of a single or shared room did not appeal to any of us.
A relief to us was the prices of Canada but this view was not shared by many other
students. Although it is a relatively expensive country, Canada is about 30% cheaper meaning
we have been able to afford/save more than back home. This has also allowed us to take many
trips and experience the surrounding areas while we had the chance.
Eirik
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Phone
Other
Stine
3,150 NOK
1,020 NOK
1,200 NOK
0 NOK
180 NOK
30 NOK
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Phone
Other
3,900 NOK
2,000 NOK
1,500 NOK
0 NOK
180 NOK
N/A
Apart from the books, these were monthly costs. The rent was all-inclusive so no
Internet, electricity, etc was needed except for clothes washing on-campus. The only other
significant costs involved were the ones spent on personal travel. There was a lot to see and to
do… Buses were provided free of charge using our student card and taxi was affordable,
about $20 from UVic to downtown.
When it came to the culture and language we both held different positions from the
start, one that has lived mainly abroad with a lot of international experience and one who has
stayed closer to home. A positive is that neither of us experienced any obstacles with
communication and adapting to a new environment. The majority of the time we have spent
here we have talked in English and the friendliness and openness of the Canadian people has
made everything easy and enjoyable. A nice change from the reserved attitude in Bergen and
Oslo.
Experiencing a different culture and social views causes you to alter your perception
of the world. In our case it has made us both more open and tolerant to other views and
customs which we are not used to. You learn that you can get along and have a lot in common
with people you’d never think was the case. Self-exploration and awareness has also played a
large role and helped us become more confident in our life and abilities and becoming a world
citizen. It has made us more mature and stronger to face challenges alone in the world. This
will help us in our future careers as it shows we can cooperate with and under various people
and conditions and have developed life experience. This is important in an ever more
globalized world.
The UVic campus consists of
20,000 students in many different
faculties. Our business exchange group
was made up of 160 students from all
around the world. Everything is located
within a 10-15 minute walk in a
convenient circle shape. The buildings
and facilities are modern and everything
is provided free of charge, besides one
of the gyms and specific activity
courses. It is also very nature friendly,
many trees and green grass covers the
campus as well as being situated next to
the forest and a short walk from the
beach. Deer are constantly walking around
campus, oblivious to students, which is a nice sight to see. The bus ride downtown takes 25
minutes and the closest supermarket takes10 minutes. Walmart is 20 minutes away, which is
an excellent place to go when you look for cheap, everything-you-possibly-need-stuff.
Catering is provided through multiple cafeterias’ and cafés’ on-campus. As mentioned, the
circle around campus, Ring Road also contains a library, pub, travel office, pharmacy, doctor,
bus station, bookstore, sports fields, washeries and parks.
As mentioned above, course information was provided in early March and we had to
get approval for the relevant courses. Once approved, we sent our preferred list to UVic
through our home universities. We did not get to know what courses we were accepted to
until arriving in Victoria and attending the orientation days. Allen Sun assisted greatly in this
matter and was also instrumental in course changes and scheduling. One surprise was that we
were forced to take five courses instead of four. Course changes happened quickly for both of
us as it was easy to find fitting schedules with so many other students. Someone was always
looking or willing to change. There was however a problem getting into some courses as they
were highly appreciated by other students meaning they were full up and a long waiting list.
The classes taught here were much smaller in number than back home, usually taught in
smaller classrooms and lecture halls of 30-60 students
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
Late August
5th September (30th August for Orientation)
3rd December
4th-20th December
Reading Break 11th-13th November
Depending on courses and professors, Reading
Break could be extended till 18th November
Upon arrival in Victoria
everything went smoothly. There were
maps and signs posted around campus
showing the way to various offices,
buildings and gatherings/events and
when asking for directions local
students and staff were always willing,
friendly and helpful. Our student cards
were picked up the first week and this
allowed us to take use of the facilities
and bus system. The keys for cluster
residence were picked up from the
nearby residence office and was shown
the way. The first mandatory orientation
was on the 30th August, we received a
folder full of information ranging from
nameplates, course plan and recreational activities. It was also the time to meet other
exchange students and familiarizing ourselves with the surroundings. Everyone was
represented by their countries so you could see who you would be spending the rest of the
semester with. Some of the teachers were also introduced this day and gave a good
impression. Tours and picture taking took place as well as a lunch serving grilled burgers and
side dishes. For the weekend there was an optional Adventure Tour taking place. We highly
recommend this for anyone attending UVic. On this trip we travelled by bus to Cowichan
Lake and took part in various outdoor and nightly activities, bonding with exchange students.
It provided a fun, social and informal retreat from university life. Remember to bring some
Norwegian accessories, as there is a presentation of each country on one of the nights. This
was more of a comedy show than an informational presentation but was still very interesting
and enjoyable. After this weekend break, we returned to UVic to begin our courses.
There is an International Office at UVic and this is where Allen Sun worked his
magic. He was always readily available in his office hours or by email and also provided
information through social media platforms. In the first weeks there could often be some
delay in reply due to the number of requests from all business exchange students but if
something was truly urgent it was solved quickly. Not only did he provide academic
information but also of social events taking place on and off campus. All correspondence
occurred in English.
The Exchange Forum took place in October
and this was the chance to promote your home
university. Tables were set up with laptop
presentations, posters and handouts for the various
countries universities and a buffet provided light
snacks and drinks. This was meant for the
Canadian students to ask questions and receive
first hand knowledge of the various places they
had the chance to apply to. There was one course
which required you to be graded on your
presentation but otherwise it was open to your own
interpretation and we provided answers to
questions and personal experiences to those who
were interested.
The majority of the classes were mixed International and Canadian students, while one
consisted of only exchange and one only Canadians. While this was a good structure for
diversity in the classrooms, still there was a majority of exchange students. This meant that
most meetings with Canadians would be through residence, social & sports activities and
group work. The welcoming attitude of the Canadians towards exchange students meant that
it is was never hard to approach or get to know them. The relationship among the exchange
students was very positive, as everyone understood they were here on their own experiencing
a different culture and wanted to make everyone feel comfortable. Many social events were
created both through the university and privately and this helped us to get to know people
quickly and develop relations for the time here and the long run. All events were organized
through phone or online. Other than events on campus or at private accommodations, the
happening was downtown. It provides restaurants, tourism and nightlife and has provided
incredibly enjoyable and memorable times.
Unlike BI, at UVic there is much more focus on attendance and participation in class.
There is also a more personal relation with your course teachers, both due to the size of
classes and more engaged with each individual student. At BI 100% of your final grade is one
exam with a few assignments during the year. At UVic there is a much more varied focus as
the final grade could be made up of class participation, attendance, group work, individual
assignments, mid-terms, projects, presentations as well as a final exam. All courses are taught
in English with lecturers from all around the world. UVic, aim at a highly diversified
international environment. The professors have also been of a high standard and seem
genuinely interested in what they have to teach. This motivates the students to attend classes
and learn. Compared to BI, the workload may be more in quantity but not quality. Instead of
building towards a heavy workload at the end of the semester, UVic makes you work steadily
throughout the semester. There is also a much bigger focus on group work and presentations
meaning you have to coordinate schedules and be able to work with other people. There
seems to be less attention to detailed analysis as Canadians are taught a broader/simpler
understanding of different subject and themes. What we had to adjust to was the participation
in class and debates. Not being used to it, it could be awkward having the courage to speak
out but this was quickly put aside as we became more confident in our English skills and the
understanding shown by other students and the lecturer.
To learn all this we were required to purchase various books, compendiums, articles
and programs. Some of these were available for free or online. There were a lot of case
readings and exchange students would often purchase these together to save costs. The prices
were about the same as those of BI, meaning the price level is higher in Canada. As we were
only here for one semester and unable to sell everything besides the books (hopefully), it feels
as though some things were unnecessary to purchase as most were hardly used. When
wondering which courses to buy books, etc for, feel free to contact us.
Surprisingly we both only had one final written exam, which counted for 30% of our
final grade. All others were made up of class participation, attendance, group work, individual
assignments, midterms, projects and presentations. Another difference was the exam form as
it was made up of 45 multiple-choice questions and one short answer. This was a huge change
from the essay format at BI. Although it can be seen as easy, the way in which the questions
were phrased and lack of personal written knowledge meant that it could be hard to interpret
and feel as though it didn’t test the full extent of our knowledge in the subjects. Heads up to
those coming here, work steadily and properly during the semester and you will have a lot of
free time to take part in social events and travel. However with one exam, we can’t complain.
To prepare the workload and studying we had access to a huge library with a lot of places to
meet in quiet and group study rooms as well as access to computers and printers.
Description of courses
Course code &
name
Master/
Bachelor
Prerequisites
Approved
as
Comments
None
Mandatory/
Elective
Very relevant but too
broad
Bachelor
Final
Exam
form
3-hour
multiple
choice
None
COM 361/ IB 301
– International
Business
COM 400 –
Strategic
Management
ENT 402 – Small
Businesses &
Entrepreneurship
COM 390 –
Canadian Business
Environment
COM 206B –
Business
Communications in
English
COM 450 – Social
Entrepreneurship
Bachelor
None
Mandatory
A lot of work,
excellent professor
Bachelor
None
None
Mandatory/
Elective
Bachelor
None
None
Elective
Bachelor
None
None
Elective
Bachelor
None
None
Elective
Final project
demanding. Excellent
professor
Not worth taking. No
relevance. Unmotivating teacher
Easily understandable.
Raised confidence in
English. Excellent
professor
Very interesting but
lacked international
aspect
We are both extremely happy we took the opportunity of the exchange program
offered by BI. There has not been a moment of regret or homesickness when surrounded by
so many nice, adventurous and cool people it’s hard to not have a good time and experience
here at UVic. If there is anything you are wondering about, please feel free to contact us, as
we are more than happy to provide tales of our time spent here.
Whistler
Tofino
Best Regards,
Please do not hesitate to contact us through international office if you have any question