Exchange Report
University of British Columbia
William Lam
Year 2
FINA & IS
Exchange in Spring 2013
Part 1 - Monthly Activity Log
Jan 2013
I found it quite helpless during the first week in UBC. The campus is so big that you
can easily get lost even with the help of a map. Most of the stores and restaurants
close as early as 6 p.m. You dare not to go far away from the campus because you
were so new to here. But still, I got through this very quickly because locals there are
so nice and very willing to offer me their helping hands. Remember to download the
‘UBC’ apps into your smart phone. You may need it when you want to look for the
campus map, transit or dining.
After the first week of ‘torture’, I started to plan for my visits to almost every
attraction in Vancouver, like the Dr Sun Yat Sin Garden, Granville Island, Queen
Elizabeth Park, Science World and even Stanley Park! Glad that I could finish all of
them before my first mid-term on Jan 25. What I really did not expect is that I could
have my first ski in Grouse Mountain. Trust me, you will never forget the beautiful
night view of Vancouver when you stand on the slope of the Mountain.
Feb 2013
Although I had at least one midterm every week, I grabbed every single chance to
travel during weekends.
My first 4-day-3-night trip started at Seattle and Portland. It was so much fun
travelling with a group of friends that we booked our own shuttle, chose our favorite
hotels and designed our itinerary. Enjoying a cup of coffee from the First Starbucks
outside Farmer’s Market is a must. Going up to Space Needle for the night view is a
good try. If you enjoy shopping, you should never miss Woodburn Company Stores in
Portland. Although apparels there are generally cheaper than those in Hong Kong,
styles and sizes are limited. But trust me, no one will leave the outlet empty-handed.
Remember to book a taxi in advance for a return trip if you did not drive.
During the reading break, we joined a local tour to visit East Coast of US. We went to
New York, Washington D.C., Boston and Niagara Falls. It is always the best choice to
join local tours to US unless you or your friends know how to drive. In fact, I wanted
to stay there longer but as exams started right after the break, I needed to go back to
get myself mentally prepared for the exams.
Mar 2013
This is the happiest month I have ever had in UBC. I joined ‘Storm the Wall’ which is
an annual competition in which participants form a group of five to sprint, bike, run
and storm the wall. The team which finishes the above challenge in the shortest time
will be the champion. I enjoyed this experience so much even though our team could
not enter the final round. I also made use of my time to visit the Museum of
Anthropology and Wreck Beach in UBC with my friends. During weekends, I also went
to Vancouver Island (Remember do not join a tour but go by yourself!) and
Whitehorse for aurora (March is too late for aurora, go there earlier!).
Here comes the most unforgettable trip during my exchange – The trip to Rockies
Mountain. Glad that we know some of the exchange students in SFU (about 1.5 – 2
hrs bus ride from UBC), we finally had 11 people joining the tour to Rockies. Our
4-day-3-night trip was full of laughter. During the days, we visited Okanagan Lake,
Last Spike, Banff National Park and Lake Louise. At night, we held parties in our
rooms and played room games like freshmen till the next morning.
Apr and May 2013
Time flies and here came to the last month of my exchange life. April is the final
exam month in Canada, a month earlier than that in UST. Workloads for finals really
depend on which courses you have taken and who your professors are. For me, I
could still handle my 5 exams quite easily because two of them are non-accumulative
and none of them is an accounting course.
I finished my exams quite early but I dared not to go out too frequently because I
was sick again. We waited until every one of us finished the finals before holding a
farewell party. We had a great time in one of our friends’ residence but sad that I
needed to leave earlier to catch an early flight to Los Angeles.
I spent a week in Los Angeles and Las Vegas with my friends. Rides in Universal Studio,
cartoons in Disneyland, stars in Hollywood and beaches in Santa Monica are famous
attractions you do not want to miss in LA. When it comes to Las Vegas, you must
spend at least a night walking along Las Vegas Boulevard to experience what a city of
entertainment really looks like. Spare a day for Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam will
make your trip much more fulfilling.
Part 2 - General Exchange Information
1. Visa Procedures
It is unnecessary to apply for Canada Visa as long as you stay there for less than 6
months. You are strongly advised to apply for US visa (B1/B2) at least two weeks
before departure using the following two links if you want to visit US,
http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/niv_apply.htm
https://ceac.state.gov/GENNIV/Default.aspx
2. Orientation activities
I was sick right after I arrived at UBC and therefore I did not attend the
orientation organized by ‘Go Global’. As far as I heard from my friends, it was a
good event to let you know more about UBC and Canada. For students going to
exchange in Fall, it is more like a must because you will almost meet all the
exchange students who will probably be your travel companions later on. Try
your best to look for a friend who knows how to drive!
3. International Services & Activities
There is a Global Connect Orientation and Reception organized in few weeks after
you arrive. Remember to register for a Sauder Buddy who will show you around
the campus and give you some tips regarding the lifestyle in UBC.
4. Accommodation
Names of Residence
Features
Totem Park
-
Place Vanier
-
Co-ed with single gender on most floors
Shared double, triple, quadruple and single rooms
Almost everyone living here is new to UBC
A meal plan needs to be purchased because of the
lack of cooking facilities
15 minutes from business building but far away
from UBC Bus Loop
Shared double, triple, and single rooms
Almost everyone living here is new to UBC
A meal plan needs to be purchased because of the
lack of cooking facilities
5 minutes from business building but far away from
UBC Bus Loop
Rits-UBC House
-
Walter Gage
-
Fairview Crescent
-
Marine Drive
-
Four private bedrooms and shared living area in
each unit
Smaller residence community but more
independent lifestyle and good scenery
6 private bedrooms, shared living area and
washroom in each unit.
Filled mostly with a fun-loving crowd of upper-year
undergraduates
Conveniently located beside Student Union
Building, the Student Recreation Centre, pools and
the bus loop but 10-15 minutes from class
No meal plan provided
A bit older than Place Vanier and Totem Park
Four to six bedrooms and shared living area in each
townhouse
A pleasant mix of graduate and upper-year
undergraduate students
The private entrance, multi-level layouts and
comfortable furnishings make it easy for you to feel
at home.
Two-, three- or four-bedroom shared units
For details, please refer to the following link:
http://www.housing.ubc.ca/student-residences-van/choose-the-right-residence
5.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Courses Registration
ECON 102 - Principles of Macroeconomics
PHIL 220A - Symbolic Logic I
COMM 377 - International Financial Markets and Institutions
COMM 474 - Fixed Income Markets and Management
COMM 477 - Risk Management and Financial Engineering
6. Teaching & Assessment Methods
(a) ECON 102
Principles of
Macroeconomics
OR
ECON 2123
Macroeconomics
Lecturer
Gateman, Robert
No. of Credits: 3
Cumulative?
Only for final
Tutorials and Quizzes
Mid-term I
Mid-term II
Final
15%
20%
25%
40%
Comments
- Professor is fun and you will not get bored during the
class, even it is a 3-hour night class held once a week
like what I attended
- Go through the notes and textbooks (if time is
allowed) will be enough for exams
- Concepts are more important than calculations
(b) PHIL 220A
Symbolic Logic I
OR
HUMA 1720
Logic
Lecturer
Jonathan Jenkins
Ichikawa
No. of Credits: 3
Cumulative?
Only for final
Participation
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Midterm 3
Final
5%
15%
25%
25%
30%
Comments
- Homework is optional but once you register for it,
the assessment will be slightly different from above
- Attendance is very important for both participation
scores and understanding of the lecture material
(c)
COMM 377
International
Financial
Markets and
Institutions
OR
FINA 3404
International
Finance
(d) COMM 474
Fixed Income
Markets and
Management
OR
FINA 4304
Fixed In
come Securities
Lecturer
Harjoat S. Bhamra
No. of Credits: 4
Cumulative?
Partially
Class Participation
Homeworks
1 Midterm
Final
10%
20%
30%
40%
Comments
- Easier than equivalent UST courses with 2
assignments only
- Professor requires students to share financial news
and answer questions
- Exam questions are more or less the same as
homework and sample midterm questions
Lecturer
Robert L. Heinkel
No. of Credits: 4
Cumulative? No
Class Participation
Assignments
2 Midterm Exams
Final Exam
Comments
- Don’t be late if you choose to attend the class
- Remember to grab a hardcopy of sample exams
including both midterms and finals in class
10%
20%
40%
30%
-
(e) COMM 477
Risk
Management
and Financial
Engineering
OR
FINA 3204
Derivative
Securities
Group presentations on articles are counted as class
participation and there are exam questions regarding
the article details
Lecturer
Tan Wang
No. of Credits: 4
Cumulative? No
Class Participation
2 assignments
Project
1 Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
5%
10%
25%
20%
45%
Comments
- As long as you can work well with Excel for the
Project, this course can be handled easily
- Professor assumes every student knows some of the
material beforehand and thus sometimes skip topics
Note that textbooks and the relevant course material can be purchased in either
UBC Bookstore or Discount Textbooks. You may consider buying second-hand
textbooks online in the FaceBook group of UBC Incoming Exchange Students.
7. Sports & Recreation Facilities
You can work out in the Student Recreation Centre (REC) which is opposite to
Walter Gage. Go http://rec.ubc.ca/dropin.cfm to check for the free drop-in
schedule before you get changed. Skating in Thunderbird Sports Centre or
swimming in the UBC Aquatic Centre is another alternative.
8. Cost/Expenses
Type
Accommodation
1. Application fee
2. Deposit
3. Term 2 (Jan – Apr) Installment
Amount (in CAD)
50
800
1885
IMED (Health insurance) for exchange
213
UPass (Traveling pass within Vancouver) for 4 months
120
Course Material
UBCcard plan for food and non-alcoholic beverage purchase
Living expenses
Telecommunication
60
240
3740
90
Air fares (HK <-> Vancouver)
1880
Travelling
5800
Total
14878
9. Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities
For me, I did not officially join any of the social clubs but just liked the Facebook Page
of the clubs I was interested in. Not only did this keep me update with the new
events, but it also helped me save up a lot of membership fees.
10. Health & Safety
The easiest way to pay your iMED and U-Pass fees is by Visa or MasterCard on the
SSC. Once you have logged in, select "Financial Summary". For alternate methods to
pay your fees, please visit Awards, Fees & Finances. Fees will not appear on the SSC
until you have been registered in your first class. Note that IMED for exchange
students is CAD 213 instead of 150. Send an email to info@david-cummings.com for
any amendment.
11. Food
Food in the campus is acceptable but it is cheap only when you purchase it with a
UBCcard Plan. If you miss Chinese food somehow, I suggest you enjoying your meal in
UBC Village at Alison Road. A discount is usually offered after 0800 pm. A number of
good restaurants can also be found along Sasamat Street and even West Broadway.
At weekends, you may go to Chinatown for yum cha or even Richmond for a variety
of dishes. For those going to UBC in Spring, you should not miss an event called ‘Dine
Out Vancouver’ in which high-class restaurants offer value menu to customers so
that they can enjoy quality food at a lower price.
12. Transportation
With your U-Pass, you are eligible to have unlimited use of buses, Skytrain and
SeaBus transportation services across Metro Vancouver. You can pick up your U-Pass
each month at the Carding Office at The UBC Bookstore. Bear in mind that you can
text the bus stop locator number (printed on the bus stop sign) to “33333” to receive
a text message telling you exactly when the buses will arrive at the stop.
13. Climate
Enjoy every sunny day as much as you can because raining days are so common here
in Spring. The weather is not that cold so you don’t need to bring many thick clothes
to keep warm. After all, no one will miss the chance to buy cheap clothes of famous
brands here in Canada.
14. Communication
Fido and Rogers are common telecommunication service providers among my
exchange buddies. Prices vary from CAD 10 to 60 depending on your preference and
usage. Ask and look for more details before you sign the contract because similar
plans among different companies may vary a lot in terms of price.
15. Other notes (if applicable)
- If you wish to have your UBCcard and U-Pass available once you arrive, you are
required to apply online before the deadline indicated in the email
- Printing card which costs CAD 1 (refundable) can be purchased in any of the
school libraries while laundry card which costs CAD 5 (non-refundable) is
available at the dispenser in the Commonsblock
- In Vancouver, people usually use either credit or debit card (EPS) when making a
purchase. There are 2 banks in campus which offer free service to exchange
students. ATM machines can also be found in the campus
- Bargains can be found in the Real Canadian Superstore in Richmond which sells
almost everything you need including furniture, electronic appliances and snacks
Part 3 – Items to Bring and Contacts
10 most important items
1. Passport, Visa and UBC Acceptance Letter
2. CAD for first few weeks
3. Electric plugs with 110V
4. Moisturizer
5. Water proof clothes for skiing and snowboarding
6. Bed sheets and pillow case (only a mattress and pillow would be provided)
7. Medicine
8. Camera with international warranty, extra batteries and SD cards
9. Financial and numerical calculators
10. Business suit
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to
help you. If more information is needed, please feel free to get my contact from SBM
Exchange Team by emailing at bmugexch@ust.hk". Wish you good luck and an
unforgettable exchange experience!