HKUST SBM Exchange Report - York University, Schulich Business School Canada - Spring Semester 2018 Akanksha Dixit - York University, Schulich ...

HKUST SBM Exchange
Report - York University,
Schulich Business School
                 Canada
           Spring Semester 2018

                 Akanksha Dixit

Table of Contents

MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG                                                                2
DECEMBER, 2017                                                                      2
JANUARY, 2018                                                                       3
FEBRUARY, 2018                                                                      3
MARCH, 2018                                                                         4
APRIL, 2018                                                                         4

GENERAL EXCHANGE INFORMATION                                                        4
VISA PROCEDURES                                                                     5
ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES                                                              5
INTERNATIONAL SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES                                               5
ACCOMMODATIONS                                                                      5
COURSE REGISTRATION                                                                 6
TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS                                                     6
SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES                                                  6
FINANCE AND BANKING (INCLUDING CURRENCY AND EXPENSES)                               6
SOCIAL CLUBS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES                                           7
HEALTH AND SAFETY                                                                   7
FOOD                                                                                7
TRANSPORTATION                                                                      7
CLIMATE                                                                             8
COMMUNICATION                                                                       8
CAUTIONARY MEASURES                                                                 9

THINGS TO BRING                                                                     9

USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS                                                           9

BEST PRACTICES OF HOST UNIVERSITY                                                   9

Monthly Activity Log

December, 2017
I took a direct flight from Hong Kong and arrived Toronto on December 30th, 2017. I
arrived a week before my semester at Schulich Busines School started, as I wanted
to buy some essential items and settle down into my new home for the coming four
months. I was welcomed by the warm welcome of my family friends and chilling
temperatures of -8 degree Celsius, which is excluding the wind chill. My flight
landed at around 8 pm Toronto time but, as December is a peak time for first time
students entering Canada, the immigration process took about an hour, and I could
exit the airport at only around 10 pm. So, please plan your flight timings taking into
account this delay at the airport if you are alone.

My family friends helped me buy my two best friends to survive Canada winters – A
winter coat and winter boots. I celebrated my new years with my family friends.

January, 2018
I spent my first few days exploring the city, particularly downtown Toronto. On
January 3rd, we had our orientation at Schulich Business School where they provided
us with important information related to local culture, courses, travelling, US visas
etc. We met other exchange students from different parts of the world and
familiarized ourselves with the campus as well. Our semester started on January 4th,
2018. For most of the month, we were busy finalizing our classes during the add and
drop period, familiarizing our self with the professors, course content, and
upcoming deadlines.

The Open Arms Committee, is a student organization at Schulich that welcomes and
organizes activities for exchange students. They even pair you up with a like-minded
buddy to ease your adjustment into Schulich. They had organized orientation
weekend long activities such as meet and greet sessions, exploring downtown
Toronto areas near the CN Tower, ice skating at Nathan Phillips Square, meals at
exciting places like Maddy’s, Rec Room etc. This was the perfect opportunity to meet
new people as well as explore the city. We were a lucky batch of students as the
York University subway station started functioning from December 2017. One of the
best parts of the orientation activities was that the local students encouraged us and
taught us how to travel by public transport.

We visited the Niagara Falls while they were partially frozen due to low
temperatures. It was a breath taking sight but we couldn’t stand near it for longer
than 3 minutes.

My classes were scheduled only thrice a week, hence, I planned a 4 daylong trip to
Orlando, Florida, USA to visit Universal Studios and Disneyland. I had applied for my
US visa well in advance in Hong Kong. For some of us, our Canada tourist visa is a
single entry visa, however, you can re-enter Canada on the condition that you have
travelled only to the US. You can meet local visa advisors at Schulich to provide you
more details on this so you can travel worry free to the US, in case you have a single
entry Canada visa like mine.

February, 2018
Similar to HKUST, the course load rises up in the second month with many
assignment deadlines and mid terms starting. To compensate for this, we had a
reading week towards the end of February where most exchange students plan
trips. My friend and I planned a weeklong trip to Vancouver. Flight fares within
Canada are very expensive in comparison to flying out of Canada. Hence to stay
within a student budget, we booked a one-way bus ticket from Toronto to

Vancouver and a flight back to Toronto. This was a very different and fun experience
for me as the bus ride was 3 days long from one end of Canada to the other. This
journey was undoubtedly tiring yet the breathtaking views made it worth it.

In Vancouver, the weather was more pleasant; hence we could walk and explore the
city. We visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Granville Island. We also went
cycling at Stanley Park, explored downtown, Gastown and Yale town. We took a one
day trip to Whistler mountain for snow tubing.

We returned back to Toronto to tons of work and had to study for midterms.

March, 2018
My friends and I got a little hyper in the start of the exchange semester and planned
a lot of trips. Hence, 3 days after coming back from Vancouver, as our school week
was relatively free of assignments, we planned an eight day trip to New York City –
Philadelphia – Washington. We visited the mainstream tourist destinations such as
Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Central Park in New York. We
were unlucky in terms of the weather as the severe Eastern storm hit New York one
of the days we were there. However, new Yorkers are always out and about no
matter what the weather, so we enjoyed the storm too. We then, took a bus to Philly
and spent a relaxing day walking along streets. We saw the Liberty Bell, Reading
terminal market, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Our last three days were in
Washington DC exploring historical monuments and the White House of course.

Back at Schulich, the last two weeks of presentations for the semester were going
on; hence all students were busy in that, we returned from our trip and got to that as
well.

April, 2018
As my courses had no final exams, I completed my reports and assignments by the
last day of the semester and on the last weekend in Toronto, I visited Montreal and
Quebec, as these places would have warmed up slightly. The cities were beautiful
and very different from the other places that I visited as these cities gave a very old
European feel rather than Canadian. I tried and bought a lot of maple candies from
here as well. Before my 3-week long trip to the US, I visited some more tourist spots
in Toronto like the St. Lawrence market, High Park, Art gallery of Ontario.

I then travelled to Houston and San Francisco where my relatives reside and
explored those cities before returning to Dubai for the summer.

General Exchange Information

Visa Procedures
As semesters at York are less than 6 months, you will not be required to apply for
the Study permit unless you plan to stay there for longer. I simply had to apply for a
tourist visa through the Canadian immigration website, which was quite simple as
they provide you the form and the checklist of documents required. This can be
submitted online; you will only need to physically go to their location to give your
passport for the visa stamping once your visa is approved. Overall, the process took
about 7 days for me (Indian passport holder).

Orientation Activities
The orientation held by Schulich Business School at York was very useful in giving
us all basic information required in terms of getting around the city, courses,
travelling to the US, Canadian Culture etc.

The OAC (Open Arms Committee) a student run organization partnered us exchange
students with buddies to ease our transition phase. Additionally, they also organized
activities like the buddy meet and greet, roaming around touristy places in Toronto
etc. During the reading week, they also organized an optional trip to Montreal and
another trip to Niagara Falls later on in April.

International Services and Activities
The International Relations team is always available for any questions exchange
students might have. They may also advise additional contact points for any other
queries such as course enrollment, travelling to the US etc.

Accommodations
They have on-campus accommodation, which are offered exchange students. The
International Relations team provides the forms and other information to you in due
course of time. They have several halls and types of room (single and double) where
prices differ as well as the style (apartment style or dorm room). You may give your
preference and you will be allotted based on availability.

Additionally, for accommodations, which don’t have kitchen facility, purchasing a
meal plan that gives you access to all on campus eateries is compulsory. Please note
that this meal plan money is non refundable. As I eat less and I travelled a lot, I had a
lot of meal plan balance at the end of the semester and could not get it refunded
which was quite upsetting.

I lived in a single room in Tatham Hall. It is quite centrally located and everything is
about 5- 7 minutes walk away. The dorms have 24/7 security, and you can enter the
accommodation only with your key card. Hence, it is safe in that way. However, as
the campus is an open campus and the York area is not particularly safe, therefore, it
is not advisable to stay outdoors alone after it gets dark on campus.

Course Registration
Similar to accommodation, the International Relations team also sends the course
registration form to you. They give you the list of courses available for that semester
with the timings available and you can form your tentative timetable, prioritizing
courses. Exchange students need to enroll in minimum 4 courses or maximum of 5
courses, but we need to list down 8 courses. Out of your 8 choices, courses are
assigned to you based on seat availability. This procedure is entirely handled by the
International Relations team. However, for any changes that need to be made later
on (add and drop), waitlist management needs to be managed by us alone using
their online course enrollment system once the semester starts.

Teaching and Assessment Methods
I found the overall teaching and studying atmosphere very similar to HKUST. The
classes are quite diverse and so is the teaching faculty. The general components of
the final grade include assignments, mid terms, presentations, reports and finals.
The grades are curved as well. Classes at Schulich are 3 hours long and are held once
a week. Assigned readings are a must do before attending class as the lectures are
based around discussing those readings. Most part of the class is spent on
discussions rather than fixed class content. Apart from textbooks, professors at
Schulich also have courseworks with additional readings required for class. These
can be purchased from the library.

Sports and Recreational Facilities
I purchased a yoga mat from Walmart and did yoga in my single room. However, I
heard from my peers that the Tait Mckenzie Centre has good gym and pool facilities
for the students. However, to access the facilities, students are required to pay a
nominal fee of around $10 - $15 for the entire semester.

Finance and Banking (including currency and expenses)
I personally found the cost of living in Canada more expensive than my home
country (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). My overall approximate exchange expenses
are listed below. Please note that the overall cost depends upon your individual
living style and travel plans.

Item                                        Approximate Cost (CAD)
Accommodation and Meal Plan                 3900
Travel                                      3900
Flight to and fro Canada                    1100
Groceries     and    Living (including      800
telephone bill)
Total (For 3.5 months)                      9700

Social Clubs and Networking Opportunities
Similar to HKUST, there are many societies at Schulich for students. Though I was
not a part of any, I remember being invited to booths to register for various
activities to interact with other students.

Health and Safety
All exchange students are required to purchase the mandatory UHIP (University
Health Insurance Plan) even if you have your own health insurance from your home
country. This costs approximately 204 CAD. UHIP covers services such as doctor’s
visits, hospital ward accommodation, non-routine dental treatment (covers dental
care as a result of a major accident) and limited coverage for medical care outside
Ontario or Canada. (Note: this plan does not cover medications therefore it is
recommended that students purchase supplemental insurance to cover such items).

As mentioned above, as York is an open campus, it is particularly not safe to walk
outdoors alone after sunset as there have been reported robberies and suspicious
people spotted on campus with knives. The university has a good safety initiative
known as GoSafe, where between 7 pm to 2 am you may call the GoSafe staff to walk
with you from one location to another (For Example: your dorm). I used this service
all the time walking from different parts of the campus after sunset. Also, make sure
to call them at least 30 minutes prior to when you need them, as they can get
particularly busy at peak hours. The staff members are very courteous and helpful,
so you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Food
As I had purchased the compulsory meal plan, I tried to eat on campus most of the
time except when I was travelling. The campus has a place called ‘York Lanes’ where
it has most of its eateries. The food options on campus are vast, catering to needs of
almost everyone. They have western, Asian, Indian food options, coffee shops, fast
food chains, juice bars etc. Your meal plan money is stored in your YorkU card,
which may be used in all of the campus eateries, you are even tax exempted on
campus. Hence, the food prices are as they are seen on the menu and not 13% hiked
up. I found the food to be expensive for the taste, and the food on campus is not
subsidized, like it is in Hong Kong. In fact, I think it is more expensive.

The grocery store on campus is called Shoppers Drug Mart, however, the variety is
very limited. Additionally, I found it to be more expensive as well. I’d suggest you to
go nearby stores such as the Real Canadian Superstore for variety.

Transportation
As mentioned earlier, the York University Subway station has started functioning
from December 2017. It is now the most convenient way to get to Downtown
Toronto. It is just one 45-minute metro ride to get to the heart of the city. To get to

places nearby York, buses operated by TTC and Viva can be used. You can buy a
Presto card (similar to Octopus card), recharge it and use it on all modes of
transport. TTC have a fixed $3 charge, irrespective of your destination. Other
companies like Viva and Go bus charge based on the different routes and distances.
The presto card system is relatively new, hence you might face troubles while
tapping in and out, or while recharging your card. Just be sure to keep all receipts
with you in case of any problem and the Presto customer service will be able to
assist you.

The most convenient way to get to the airport is by taking the subway to Highway
407 station and taking the bus to the airport (ask customer service, as the bus
number keeps changing). This full journey takes about 30 minutes.

Climate
For the harsh winters of Toronto, with lows of – 20 degree Celsius, be sure to buy a
knee length winter jacket (preferably from Canada itself, as it is cheaper as well as
more suited for the weather). I bought mine from Aritzia. It is like an investment, as
you will be wearing this jacket for most of your time in Canada. The tag on my jacket
said that the jacket is suited for temperatures as low as -40 degree Celsius, so I knew
it was the perfect jacket for me. Make sure the jacket is hugging your body so as to
prevent the cold from creeping in. Additionally, winter boots are a must and are also
an investment. I bought mine from Sorel, they were strong and sturdy for Canada
winters. As per popular choice, UGGs are great at keeping you warm, however, they
get spoilt quite easily when in rain/snow. Apart from this, carry many thin clothes to
layer under your jacket such as warmers, gloves, beanies and scarfs.

Indoors are heated and hence can get really warm. This is where it is beneficial to
layer so you can remove the clothes as per comfort. Heaters generally make the air
very dry and would cause my nose to bleed very often. It helps to get a small
humidifier, or else, I would just switch off the heater, open the windows slightly and
sleep under my big warm blanket.

Communication
Telecommunication companies like Rogers and Telus refused to give me a sim card
as I didn’t have any Canadian ID. Hence, I bought a sim card with a monthly plan
from Fido for $45 excluding taxes per month. On top of this, they charged a base
charge of $25 for the first month. This included 3 GB data along with benefits
relating to local and international calls and messages. Be sure to understand the
terms and conditions of cancelling your contract after your exchange period, and
other clauses to avoid getting overcharged or getting cancellation fee. Another
popular company among exchange students was Freedom.

Cautionary Measures
Don’t stay out too late alone, either off campus or on campus.

Things to Bring
Passport/ ID                      Medicines
Schulich       Acceptance         Bedding
Letter
Mobile Phone                      Formal Clothes
Laptop                            Water Kettle
Chargers/         Portable
Charger
Cash/Credit Cards
Winter clothes – Warmers,
Gloves, Scarf, layering
clothes, socks
Stationary

Useful links and Contacts
http://schulich.yorku.ca/current-students/

International Relations | Room W262P
Schulich School of Business | York University
4700 Keele Street Toronto, Ontario Canada, M3J 1P3
Tel. 416.736.5059 | Email: exchange@schulich.yorku.ca

Best Practices of Host University
During my exchange, York University was going through a labour strike, which was
quite disrupting to many classes. Luckily, Schulich Business School was not that
affected. However, the faculty at York and Schulich did their best to avoid any
disruption in our studies or examination pattern, which was noteworthy.