UNB SAINT JOHN
STUDENT HANDBOOK
FOR
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
STUDENTS
Welcome to UNB Saint
John!
Phone: (506) 648-5618
Oland Hall Room G14
Congratulations
on
your
acceptance to UNB Saint John!
We are excited to have your
join us at UNB Saint John as
participants in the Student
Exchange Program.
We hope that your time here
will be a wonderful personal
experience! We think that New
Brunswick is a pretty great
place to live, and we hope
that you will have a great
time here. The campus is small
and welcoming, and is host to
students
from
many
nationalities. It overlooks 2
beautiful
rivers,
and
is
located minutes from uptown
Saint John.
In order for you to get off to
a good start at UNB, we want
make sure that you have the
right information about what
to expect when you get here.
Please
make
sure
to
read
through
the
following
information.
If
you
have
questions or need to have some
information clarified further,
please
contact
me
at
akberg@unb.ca.
Feel free to contact me with
any questions that you may
have.
I look forward to meeting you
and welcoming you to the Saint
John Campus in the fall!
Ase Kelly Berg
International Programs Advisor
E-Mail: akberg@unb.ca
1
ARRIVAL INFORMATION
2
Arrival
IMPORTANT: you must request
and register for this service:
www.unbsj.ca/international.
Select the airport pickup tag
and complete the form.
When should I arrive?
It is recommended to arrive a
few days prior to your classes
start in order to get settled
in, explore Saint John, and
become familiar with campus.
This will also allow you to
participate in the orientation
session, activities, and meet
other newly arrived students.
Please contact the
coordinator
for
dates.
Orientation
In the beginning of each term,
the
International
Student
Advisors organize orientation
sessions for newly arrived
students. The sessions will
introduce you to live at UNB
and in Canada, and student
volunteers will help you take
care of practical things.
During orientation, there will
also be several activities
scheduled, such as city bus
tours, kayaking and river boat
cruises, so it is a good way
of
getting
to
know
other
students on campus.
exchange
specific
How to get to Saint John?
Saint
John
Airport
has
connecting flights from the
major
airports
in
Canada
(Toronto,
Montreal
and
Halifax). The airport code is
YSJ,
and
the
website
is
www.saintjohnairport.com
You can also choose to arrive
in a bigger city and make your
way to Saint John via bus or
train. It’s a good way of
seeing a bit of Canada prior
to starting your studies. For
information
about
transportation option, please
consult later pages in this
document.
Important Dates
The below dates may help you
plan your time in Saint John:
Winter term 2010
*New Year’s Day
Friday January 1
Start of Classes
January 5
March Break
Airport Pick-up
*Easter
UNB Saint John provides free
airport pickup services upon
arrival to the Saint John
airport. A taxi will take you
to the campus residences or
local accommodation.
Tuesday,
March 1 – 5
Break
Last Day of Classes
April 1
April 2 – 5
Monday,
Last Day of Exams Saturday, April 24
* The university is closed
3
The on-campus residences open
on
Sunday
January
3,
and
orientation
is
offered
on
Monday January 4.
4
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
5
Academic Information
Your student number is a 7
digit number, and your log-in
ID consists of numbers and
letters. You also need your
date of birth.
The
Canadian
post-secondary
system likely is different
from what you are used to, and
it may you a little bit of
time to get used to. The terms
are only 13 weeks long, and it
will go by very fast. Most
students find the academic
terms quite intensive with
assignments being given after
the first class.
Textbooks
The textbooks required for
your classes can be bought at
the UNB bookstore. Estimated
textbook costs are about $150
per class. You may be able to
keep textbook costs down by
purchasing books used.
In the first week of each
course, the professor will
give you a course syllabus,
which will list assignments
and how grades are given. Some
professors will use Blackboard
–
the
electronic
course
management system.
Once you have activated your
electronic services, you can
access Blackboard to see if
your
professors
are
using
Blackboard:
http://learning.unb.ca
The
UNB
Student
Representative
Council
organizes book exchanges each
year, which may allow you to
purchase some of the books
second-hand.
For
more
information, please visit the
SRC website: http://unbsrc.ca
Coursework
The requirement of exchange
students at UNB Saint John is
to take at least four (4)
courses.
Each 3 credit hour course
entails
three
hours
of
instruction per week. Along
with the instruction hours,
you should expect to spend
around 3 hours of preparation
time
for
each
hour
of
instruction. In other words,
your
studies
should
be
perceived as a full-time job
with about 40 hours of work
per week.
Courses & Time Table
UNB has an online time table
which will allow you to search
for courses offered in the
upcoming term. There is also a
short course description. The
table
can
be
found
here:
http://www.unb.ca/schedules/ti
metable
In order for you to register
in classes, you must first
activate your UNB e-Services.
Your
letter
of
acceptance
includes the directions to do
this.
Student
Services
offers
advice
for
a
successful
academic term:
6
www.unbsj.ca/studentservices/
study
You may also use the writing
centre to have reports and
assignments reviewed prior to
handing them in. This service
is available through Student
Services.
End of Term
Once your term or terms at UNB
Saint John are completed, the
Registrar’s
Office
will
forward an official transcript
to your home university. If
you require a personal copy of
the
transcript,
you
must
request
one
from
the
Registrar’s Office.
If you need a copy of your
transcript after you return to
your home country, you can
request
a
copy
of
your
transcript
from
the
Registrar’s Office:
http://www.unbsj.ca/registrar
HOUSING (on and off campus)
7
8
Living On-Campus
Admission
to
residence
is
offered when you have been
accepted to study at UNB.
UNB
Saint
John
has
2
residences on campus: The Sir
James Dunn and the MacKay
Residence.
Please note that applying to
residence does not guarantee a
place in residence.
MacKay Residence
Students must complete all of
the following items before a
room can be assigned to them:
 Have
a
letter
of
acceptance to a full time
program.
 Forward
the
required
$300.00 Residence Deposit
and sign declaration form
to
the
Residence
Admission Office.
 Return
the
signed
Residence Agreement Form,
Residence Meal Plan Form,
and Quiet Floor Request
to
the
Residence
Admission Office.
170 beds in spacious double
suites, which include:
 2 single bedrooms
 Kitchenette
with
microwave and fridge
 Bathroom
with
toilet,
shower and sink
 Meal plans are available
but not mandatory
 Each
room is furnished
with a bed, closet, and
desk-set
The Sir James Dunn Residence
Accommodates 71 individuals in
mostly single rooms, which
include:
 Furnished
with a bed,
closet and desk-set
 Bathrooms are shared and
residents are required to
select a meal plan
The first students to return
all of the necessary paper
work will be the first to
receive a room. Acceptance
into residence will be based
on the availability of vacant
rooms.
Incoming exchange students can
move in a few days before
classes start. Please check
with the residence coordinator
for the exact dates.
Please
note:
in
order
to
complete
your
application,
please remember to send the
$300 deposit along with your
application. The deposit form
can be found at:
www.unbsj.ca/resconf/residence
s/Deposit&DeclarationForm.pdf
Residence Application
Process
Students requesting residence
must complete and submit a
residence
application
form.
The application form can be
submitted at the same time as
the
application
to
UNB.
Paying your Residence
Fees
9
Please
note
that
while
students can pay the $300
residence
deposit
with
a
credit card, UNB does not
accept
credit
cards
for
regular
fees,
such
as
residence fees. International
students
can
may
their
residence payments online. To
find out how, please visit the
below website:
http://www.unb.ca/services/fin
ancialservices/CustomHouse.htm
Cost of Living in
Residence
To find out the cost of living
in residence, please visit the
below website:
www.unbsj.ca/resconf
10
Living Off-Campus
UNB Saint John Some students
prefer to live off-campus.
Please contact Bonnie Sudul,
the
off-campus
housing
coordinator
for
more
information or visit the offcampus website:
http://www.unbsj.ca/och



Looking for Off-Campus
Housing


The
local
newspaper,
the
Telegraph-Journal,
has
classified ads for apartment,
roommates
and
rooms.
Newspapers can be purchased
from most corner store. To
view
the
rental
listings
online, go to:
http://telegraphjournal.canada
east.com

Some disadvantages include:

On the left-hand side of the
page, find the “Classifieds”
box, and select “For Rent”. In
the
keyword
box,
you
can
specify
your
search
by
requesting
specific
housing
option such as “furnished”.



Off-Campus or On-Campus?

The
following
list
some
advantages and disadvantages
of residence life from the
view
of
former
exchange
students:
Advantages
include:

of
residence
library
–
no
transportation costs
It is easy to meet other
students and there is
always somebody around to
talk to
You do not need to worry
about finding a room or
furniture when you arrive
because
you
have
everything you need at
the residence
Management takes care of
any repairs
You have free Internet
and cable-TV access
You may have a meal plan
and do not need to worry
about groceries
Residence
organizes
activities, such as movie
nights
and
sport
competitions
If living in James Dunn,
you must buy a full meal
plan
You may want to rent a
fridge
There are limited cooking
facilities
Transportation costs off
campus
It is expensive
Advantages
of
campus include:

life
Short
walk
to
your
classes as well as to the
11
living
off-
You can find a room in
different
price
categories
(depends
on
room size, amenities and
location)




Going out and shopping is
within walking distance
It is possible to live by
yourself (no roommates,
housemates)
Cheaper option compared
to living in residences
on campus
You don’t have to buy a
meal plan
Some disadvantages include:




You will be by yourself,
which can get lonely.
You have to cook your own
meals
It can be difficult to
find furnished off-campus
housing.
You have transportation
cost and time
12
PLANNING FOR YOUR STAY IN SAINT JOHN
13
Study Permit/Entry Visa
longer accepts credit cards
for student payments, such as
residence and meal plans. You
can
visit
the
Financial
Services website for different
payment options to find out
which payment option will suit
you best.
www.unb.ca/services/financials
ervices
Students from most countries
who are staying for less than
6 months (one term) do not
need a study permit. If you
wish to work on campus during
your stay, you will need to
have a study permit. (Please
note that on-campus job are
highly competitive, and there
is no guarantee that you will
be hired for an on-campus
job.)
The information will be under
“Information for Students”.
Please
visit
the
Canada
Citizenship and Immigration
website
for
specific
information
at:
www.cic.gc.ca,
or
the
Canadian
Embassy
in
your
country.
Budget
The below budget may help you
estimate
your
budget
for
living in Saint John. How much
you spend overall is of course
very individual, so the below
is
mean
to
provide
broad
guidelines for you.
Citizens from some countries
need an entry visa to enter
Canada. To check if you need
to apply for an entry visa,
please visit
www.cic.gc.ca or the Canadian
Embassy in your country.
Housing
(Off
campus)
$500/month
Food
$300/month
Cell phone
$40/month
Utilities
$75/month
Internet
$40/month
Bus Pass (unlimited)
$55/month
Books
$150/class
Money Matters
Branches of all major Canadian
banks can be found in Saint
John: Bank of Montreal (BMO),
Canadian
Imperial
Bank
of
Commerce (CIBC), Hong Kong
Shanghai
Bank
of
Commerce
(HSBC), Royal Bank of Canada
(RBC), Scotiabank and TD Bank.
Health
Insurance/Medical
Coverage
Health care is very expensive
in North America, and it is
important that you are covered
in case of an emergency.
You can either purchase your
own
international
health
insurance before you arrive in
Your
bank
may
have
a
partnership with one of the
above Canadian banks.
Due
to
charges,
high
credit
card
UNB Saint John no
14
http://www.saintjohntransit.co
m
Canada, or you can purchase
UNB’s insurance. Upon arrival
you will need to show proof of
coverage
to
the
Financial
Services office.
The bus from uptown to the
university is the number 15
and 16 Hospital/UNB. One bus
ride costs $2.50. If you
would like a monthly bus
pass, you can purchase them
at the UNB bookstore. You can
buy either a monthly pass for
$55 or trans-cards of 20
rides ($40) and 10 rides
($20).
UNB Saint John has a health
centre
on
campus,
which
provides services to students
on campus. If you are covered
under the UNB insurance, your
visits are covered. If you
have your own insurance, you
will have to pay for the
services and get reimbursed by
your own insurance. To read
about the services at the
Health Center, please visit:
www.unbsj.ca/studentservices
For
travelling
within
New
Brunswick and Eastern Canada,
Acadian
Buslines
provides
services between cities in
Canada. To see their routes,
please visit their website:
www.acadianbus.com
Voltage and Plugs
If
you
bring
electronic
equipment, be sure to check
the amperage, so that you can
determine
if
you
need
a
voltage
converter.
The
electricity
in
Canada
is
120Volts
at
60Hertz.
New
electronic equipment, such as
laptops and digital cameras,
can convert the electricity
without a voltage converter,
but check this before you
arrive in Canada. Because of
the different plugs in Canada,
you will probably need a plug
adapter, which you can buy
either at home or in Canada.
Another
opportunity
is
ViaRail,
Canada’s
national
rail company. Their website is
www.viarail.ca. ViaRail gives
student discounts to holders
of
The
Travel
Cuts
“International
Student
Identification Card”.
Weather
If
you
arrival
is
in
September, it is a good idea
to bring a light jacket and
autumn clothes. You may still
experience some warm summer
days, but fall is arriving
soon. Most likely you will
experience a snowstorm at some
point in December and also
some quite cold days.
Transportation
Saint John transit is the
public transportation service
in Saint John. To learn more
about schedules and routes
visit:
If
you
are
arriving
in
January,
you
are
sure
to
experience
a
full-blown
15
Canadian winter with snowstorm
and subzero temperatures. Be
sure to bring warm winter
clothes,
such
as
boots,
mittens and a winter coat, or
plan
to
buy
these
things
shortly after arrival to Saint
John.
track on campus available to
all
students.
www.unbsj.ca/athletics
While winter can be long and
cold, Saint John on average
experience more sunny days in
the winter than in the summer.
There
are
still
lots
of
outdoors
activities.
Icehockey is Canada’s unofficial
national sport, and is often
played on frozen lakes. Please
visit
www.daytrippingnb.com
for lots of suggestions of
winter and summer activities
in Saint John.
You can also plan a ski trip
to Poley Mountain, which is
located about 40 minutes from
Saint John. Usually a student
organization organizes a ski
trip during the winter term:
www.poleymountain.com
Student
Campus
Activities
on
UNB has over 75 countries
represented by international
students.
Many
clubs
and
societies
celebrate
this
multicultural diversity on the
campus. For more information,
and for details on getting
involved,
visit:
www.unbsj.ca/clubs
UNB
Saint
John
offers
a
selection
of
varsity
and
recreational
sports,
along
with gym facilities and a
16
SAINT JOHN & NEW BRUNSWICK
17
Saint John
www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca
Saint John is a small city
(125,000 inhabitants) located
in the southeastern part of
the picturesque province of
New Brunswick on the Bay of
Fundy on the East Coast of
Canada.
The Bay of Fundy boasts the
highest tides in the world,
and its effect is seen in the
Saint John River, which runs
backwards.
To learn more about bars and
restaurants
visit:
www.saintjohn-nb.worldweb.com
/RestaurantsBars/
The legal drinking age in New
Brunswick is 19 years. If you
travel, make sure you do not
violate the drinking rules
because it differs between
Canada and the US.
Saint John has many prominent
landmarks,
histocial
buildings, the steepest main
street in North-America, the
old City Market, which is a
popular place to enjoy a cozy
Saturday morning bunch. You
can experience Saint John’s
waterfront
on
the
popular
Harbour Passage, and the wild
Canadian nature is within easy
reach in Saint John’s large
Rockwood Park or the Irving
Nature Park.
Shopping
Retail shopping in Saint John
is
a
steadily
growing
industry. The East Side of the
city
houses
a
number
of
shopping centres and retail
outlets. Uptown contains the
City
Market,
which
is
an
authentic Saint John cultural
experience. Stores and shops
are open 7 days a week, but
hours on Sundays are limited
from 12pm to 5pm.
Tourism Saint John provides
lots
of
information
about
activities
in
the
city,
suggestion for what to visit,
and maps and schedules. The
website is an excellent first
place to go to plan your time
in Saint John.
http://tourismsaintjohn.ca
Exploring Canada
As part of your time in
Canada, you may want to see
more than just Saint John.
There are many day and weekend
trips within easy reach. A
couple
of
suggestions
for
interesting trips include:
Entertaining

Relax from your studies and
watch a movie
www.cinemaclock.com/SaintJohn.
html,
or
a
show
at
the
beautiful Imperial Theatre in
Uptown Saint John:





18
Prince Edward Island
Cape Breton
Halifax
Lunenburg
St Andrew’s
Grand Manan
For inspiration and tools for
planning your trips, please
visit Tourism New Brunswick:
www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca
Students
can
also
explore
other regions of Canada and
the USA. Toronto, Montreal,
New York and Boston are all
within a day’s drive of New
Brunswick.
We
encourage
exchange students to fully
savour
the
Canadian
experience; from our diverse
cultures to the great Canadian
outdoors, and the many natural
and historic sites.
Different student associations
on campus organize regular
trips to New York, Montreal
and other destinations. These
events are usually promoted on
campus, and are very popular
with students.
CAMPUS LAYOUT
19
Checklist
Pre-Departure Checklist











Valid passport
Study Permit (if needed)
Letter of acceptance from UNB Saint John
If living in campus residence - room allocation
If living off-campus – confirmation of
accommodation, or booking for temporary
accommodations while looking for housing
Submit the airport pick-up form
(www.unbsj.ca/interntional/services/pickup.php)
Medical and travel insurance
Course registration is complete
Activation of your UNB e-services (see acceptance
letter)
Banking decision
Have some cash on hand
Upon Arrival Checklist





Stop by the International Student Services to let
us know that you have arrived
Participate in orientation and various events
Show proof of insurance or sign up for UNB health
coverage
Obtain UNB Student ID card
Start courses and have fun in Saint John!