MCGILL
EXCHANGE
REPORT
Exchange Report
SUMMARY
Don’t be afraid! This is an all you need to know
guide about going to McGill University for
Exchange! Get ready to have the best time of
your life!
Kevin Siu Tong Yuen
Part 1 – Monthly Log
August
Before I arrived at Montreal for Exchange, I spent a month traveling in California and Vancouver because Montreal
doesn’t have an international airport so it is wise to travel before and after to make travel easier. Both are
wonderful cities and are worth spending sometime during your exchange trip to go there. Throughout my travels
in San Francisco I went to various famous tourist destinations such as: Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland Zoo,
Fisherman Warf, Union Square, and Oracle Arena. During my travels I went to a few Major League Baseball games
as California is home to two teams (Oakland As and San Francisco Giants), I personally believe it was one a great
experience to attend these games. After San Francisco I stayed in Vancouver for a week and went to: Stanley Park,
Grandville Island, Extreme Airpark (Trampoline Gym) and UBC. Stanley Park is absolutely beautiful, almost picture
perfect with many interesting tourist activities such as an outdoor concert, biking trails (very worthwhile) and
great scenery. Finally in the end of August I arrived at Montreal, it takes around 30-40 minutes taxi ride to McGill
University and costs a fixed price of $40. There are other cheaper options such as a bus.
San Francisco and Vancouver
September
In the first few weeks, I attended various orientation activities such as Discover McGill and the one for Exchange
students. Both are useful and helps you get to know your new campus and meet new friends. McGill has a policy
for all exchange students that we must pay for school international insurance which costs around 300CAD, make
sure you have a bank account or a friend with one to help you pay for it. Within the first few weeks I quickly got
my textbooks bought through McGill’s own classified website or on the “Free & for sale” facebook page. This
facebook page is very useful to get 2nd hand furniture or cheap things, be sure to join it! Additionally, similar to
HKUST there is something called activities night whereby you can join student organized clubs, some clubs I joined
was: Hong Kong Student Network and McGIll Chinese Student Society. I went to both club’s orientations night and
it was a create chance to meet new people. During September, the weather is still very good, with sunshine and
clouds as a result I went to Old Port which is a famous tourist destination within Montreal. Old port was very
beautiful, you can see old buildings, a beautiful water front and luckily when I was there were many street
performances and art. It is definitely somewhere worth going to. Besides Old Port, I went to Montreal’s Olympic
park to visit the museums. Within the park there are two notable and interesting museums the Biodome and
planetarium. Both the museums were very interesting and are unique in its own way, I even saw a penguin!
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Montreal (Biodome and Old Port)
October
October is a special month for Canadians, it is the month for the Canadian thanksgiving (different to the American
one). For Canadian thanksgiving, me and some of my new friends made a delicious dinner involving a whole
turkey! It was great fun being involved in the unique Canadian culture (very different to American) and learning
to cook a very traditional dinner which contained turkey, mashed yams, cranberry sauce (which I made) and
stuffing! Overall I had a great time learning about Canadian culture and what makes that day so different and
special. Besides thanksgiving, another special event during October was Halloween. During Halloween there are
a lot of different event hosted by the various student clubs, the one I went to was the masquerade party organized
by the McGill international students society, it was great fun dressing up and meeting new people. Luckily during
October two NBA teams had come to Montreal for a “preseason” game or a friendly game, the tickets were cheap
and easy to get on http://www.evenko.ca/ (great website to get tickets for concerts and ect.) The game was
exciting and it was my first time watching a NBA game live, even though I have been a fan for many years. Other
than the various special holidays in October, the midterms had begun. When midterms arrived everyone get a lot
more serious and study extremely hard, very much like HKUST. The libraries are all pack and full of people, a good
library to study in is the Music library located on Sherbrook Street, as it is very quiet. Although it was midterm
season, me and a few friends went on a day trip to Quebec City. It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen
and you can easily go there through inexpensive bus tours (make sure you go there earlier, before the snow.)
Thanksgiving Dinner!
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November
November was a great month! Most of my midterms had finished and I took this opportunity to travel to the great
city of New York. To save money I took a bus to New York, it is wise to book 2-3 weeks in advance when the prices
are much lower. Me and my friends took the Greyhound bus and it took an approximately 8-9 hours to get there
(very uncomfortable, but there were electric plugs and a pleasantly clean bathroom.) When we arrived in New
York it was 8 in the morning but the city was already alive. It was wonderful! A close comparison would be Central
in Hong Kong but a lot more extreme. New York was probably the highlight of my exchange trips! We stayed at a
safe hostel called YMCW Westside which cost around 40USD per night and had Wifi, a communal bathroom and
was a 10 minute walk from the subway. During my stay in New York I was luckily enough to watch two famous
Broadway shows, Wicked and Phantom of the Opera. Both were amazing in their own way and was definitely
worth the price (very expensive), Broadway shows in New York are a must watch/see tourist activity. Additionally,
we went to watch a real NBA game in the home of basketball, Madison Square Garden. It was the Knicks versus
the Spurs, although the price of the ticket was really expensive (100USD), it was well worth the money, the
atmosphere was amazing, I’ve never felt this anywhere! Also a must watch in New York. Furthermore, I walked
around Rockefeller Center, saw the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, walked on the Brooklyn Bridge,
walked through Central Park and Time Square which was absolutely overwhelming. Overall the New York trip was
amazing, although it was short (3 days), we made the most of it. During the end of November (11/27), I walked
outside and it was snowing. This was the first time I’ve ever seen snow and it was so beautiful! Pure, white and
innocent McGill also has many intermural sports competitions, and in the spirit of doing new things I joined
intermural Volley ball! I meet many new friends and I learned a completely new sport. The competitions lasted
for the entire semester and was great fun although we ended the year with a losing record (4-5.)
New York and Mount Royal
December
Although finals were approaching, I wanted to make most of my time in exchange and as a result I woke up at 6
in the morning to hike up a frozen famous mountain called Mount Royal. It was tiring, cold, snowing, slippery and
dark but it was worth it. The view on top of the mountain was stunning and the sun rise made all of it worth it.
You could see the entire downtown of Montreal, stunning, just stunning. However, reality set in as I had to start
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preparing for exam. Unlike the current HKUST, McGill doesn’t have a study break just before the exams as a result
I had to cram everything in within a few days (both my exams were on the same day.) The exams were slight easier
than the ones in HKUST but I believe it really depends on which classes you take and much like Hong Kong it is
also extremely competitive. After the exams, me and a group of friends went on a 5 day “Canada” trip which
involved stopping at Toronto, Niagara Falls and Kingston. First stop Toronto! Unluckily, the few days we spent in
Toronto were dark, gloomy and rainy but on the Brightside there weren’t many lineups at the main tourist
destinations. We went to CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, Hockey Hall of Fame and St. Lawrence Market. For dinner
we went to somewhere very special, it was called Famous People Players. It was a 3 course dinner accompanied
by a performance by the waitrons and chefs who served you. After Toronto we headed to Niagara to see the Falls,
it is wise to a get a pass in order to see all the tourist destinations easily. I think it would have been better if I went
before the snow but it was still very breathtaking. The natural wonder is more beautiful in real life. Besides the
Falls, we went to see the butterfly conservation, Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum and finally we ended our trip
with a Magic Show called Greg Frewin's "IMAGINE." It was a great show, not what I had expected! We ended our
Canada Trip in Kingston a little city just south of Montreal where we had a tour of Queen’s University Campus.
After our “Canada Trip” I then went on a one day ski trip. Skiing is absolutely amazing, although it was my first
time playing this sport, it was thrilling and undeniably a great experience. Make sure you have all the gear and
always safety first! By the end of December my exchange experience was practically over. I was extremely sad to
leave behind the beautiful and cold city of Montreal with its mixed and rich culture and was even sadder to leave
my new friends. Overall it was a life changing experience as my perspective of the world became wider and richer
than ever before.
Niagara Falls, Skiing and Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum
Part 2: General Exchange Information
Visa Procedures:
Luckily, if you are a Hong Kong citizen and only staying in Canada for 6 months then there is no need for any Visa
procedures. However, if you decide to go to America (like me) then you should quickly apply for a visa. It usually
takes 2-3 weeks to for it to process.
Orientation Activities:
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If you are arriving for exchange in the fall term then it is wise to arrive a week or two earlier. This allows you to
join the infamous “Frosh” week, which is an orientation camp for freshman or exchange students. On the other
hand, there are other orientation activities such as Discover McGill and the one provided by the exchange
department. Orientation activities are definitely useful and help you meet new people.
Accommodation:
I lived 5 minutes away from campus on a street called Durocher. This street is usually filled with small suitable and
affordable apartments and is commonly known as the “student ghetto” because of the massive student
population in the area. It is very close to campus, closer than some on-campus housing. I lived with my girlfriend
(who studies there), so it only cost me 300CAD per month including all the utilities. However, realistically it costs
around 600-700 CAD for an unfurnished studio apartment on Durocher and 900-1000 CAD for a furnished one.
My apartment!
Course Registration:
I was very lucky that I was able to register for all my classes before I reached Montreal. You do this through the
system Minerva, which is very similar to HKUST’s SIS system. However, for business specific courses I had to email
the exchange coordinator from McGill (beforehand) for permission and they will put you in the courses you
requested –only if you have the prerequisites. The exchange coordinators are extremely nice and helpful, here
are their emails:
heather.mccombie@mcgill.ca
giulia.campofredano@mcgill.ca
Essentially they sent me a excel form regarding which courses I wanted to register for and within couple of weeks
I was enrolled in those classes.
Course Details:
MRKT452 – Consumer Behavior (McGill)/MARK3420 – Consumer Behavior (HKUST)
This was a great course, wasn’t extremely difficult and having a textbook isn’t necessary. Most of the notes are in
the slides provided and the content was very interesting. My Professor, Robert H S Soroka is very detailed and
interesting, he will use many metaphors and stories to depict his knowledge. However, there are 4 different
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quizzes 15% each but no final. There will also be an intensive final report with teammates, if you find a good team
this would not be a problem.
Difficulty – Easy, Workload – Low
MRKT355 – Services Marketing (McGill)/MARK3470 – Services Marketing (HKUST)
This course was taught by Professor Mary Dellar, she is a very optimistic and free instructor. Her teaching
technique is very discussion based and as a result her classes are very participation based. There are 3
presentation, 1 case, 1 mid project and 1 final project presentation but only one exam. It is important to find a
good group and participate in class. The exam is difficult and very subjective, however, there isn’t a true need to
buy the textbook.
Difficulty – Medium, Workload – Medium
PSYC 215 – Social Psychology (McGill)/ SOCI Elective (HKUST)
Very difficult course, a lot of memorization and readings. Although there aren’t many assignments the mid-term
and final was extremely difficult. On the other hand, the content for the course was very interesting, really opened
up my eyes and helped me understand a lot. The professor, Professor John Lydon is very good and clear, he is
also very interesting and informative. However, there is just too much content to learn especially for someone
who has never taken any courses on psychology. Buying the textbook for the course is a must – or else you will
fail. Even though the lectures are recorded, do not miss them! It is much better to listen to him live as sometimes
there are technical issues that result in no recordings.
Difficulty – Very Hard, Workload – Medium
SOCI 250 – Social Problems (McGill)/ SOCI Elective (HKUST)
This course was taught by Donald W. Hinrichs, he is a very informative and clear professor. He is very interesting
and definitely keeps you engaged in his courses even if it is an 830AM course. You can tell he is very passionate
about teaching and wants you to learn. However, he will not provide you with any lecture notes or slides, so you
will have to listen to him very carefully and jot down a lot of notes. But the content of this course isn’t hard so it
isn’t too important to write down all the notes. His exams are easy, but only if you listen in class. Those who don’t
will surely fail as the readings provided won’t help that much.
Difficulty – Easy, Workload – Medium
Transportation:
You will be walking a lot in Montreal as everything is walkable distance (also part of their culture), however, there
are occasions where you must take the public transport. Montreal has a subway system very much like Hong
Kong’s MTR and it is very efficient and useful, however, it costs 3CAD per ride or 5CAD round trip. If you plan to
travel outside of Montreal and go to places to New York, Toronto and ect. There are two major bus companies
that are useful: Greyhound (https://www.greyhound.com/) and Mega Bus (http://www.megabus.com/).
Food:
70% of the time I would cook inside my apartment as it is very expensive to eat out. To eat out, it costs around
10-30CAD excluding tax and tip. In Montreal, there is a 15% tax and you are expected to pay 15% tip, as a result it
can be extremely expensive to eat out. On the bright side, cooking with friends/roommate is extremely fun and
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cheap, you can easily get groceries nearby (I usually go to Provigo, they have student discounts from Monday to
Wednesday.) Some of the famous places to eat in Montreal are Schwartz (Montreal’s Best Smoke Meat), Boustan
(Best Delivery), Devi (Best Indian), Moisher (Best Steak! $25 after 9PM on select days), Cacao 70 (Best Chocolate,
you will get so sick of chocolate) and Universal Grill (Best all-around western food.)
Insurance:
All international and exchange students are required to pay for international school insurance which cost around
300CAD. This covers most medical costs. Purchasing your own travel insurance will be wise if you want to travel
outside of Canada.
Climate:
For the Fall semester the weather was very nice around 15-20 degrees in September, it started to get cold late
October and it became negative during late November (snow!) It is wise to bring thermal underwear and a down
jacket. However, down jackets from Hong Kong are probably not warm enough so you might want to buy a second
hand one. I recommend buying Canada Goose, they are extremely warm and can help you survive the -30
temperatures. It is also recommended to bring think gloves, a beanie and scarfs!
Canada Goose Jacket!
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Part 3 – Budget/Spending
Flights
HKD
23,000
Notes
This includes the flights from
San Francisco to Vancouver,
Vancouver to Montreal and
Montreal to San Francisco
Insurance
2,250
Mandatory International Health
Insurance
Transportation
2,000
Buses to Toronto, Niagara Falls,
New York, Quebec City
Food/Groceries
15,000
50CAD Per Week + Eating out
Phone
1,200
40CAD Per Month
Housing
Miscellaneous
11,000
25,000
Total
79,450
Shopping, Furnishing,
Entertainment, Hostel ect.
Essential Check List (Tick to Check)
Down
Jacket
Thermal
Underwear
Jeans
Scarf
Neck
Warmer
Gloves
Camera
Credit
Card
Phone
HKUST
ID
Beanie
Wool
Socks
Long
Socks
Laptop
Long
Sleeved
Hoodies
(Many)
Sweat
Pants
Cream
Power
Bank
Don’t
bring
shorts
(Gets very dry)
Part 5 –More Information Details
I had the best time of my life there, but I had a lot of help from my friends who study there locally so it was much
easier for me to adapt to the new environment and get ready for the exchange. If more information is needed,
get my contact information from SBM Exchange Team by emailing at bmugexch@ust.hk.
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