SPRING 2020 EXCHANGE REPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA CHOW BELETSKIY KEVIN (QFIN)
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
SPRING 2020 EXCHANGE REPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA CHOW BELETSKIY KEVIN (QFIN)
ATABLE OF CONTENTSNTS
Part I Monthly Activity Log P3-P5
Part II General Exchange Information P6-P8
Part III Items to Bring P9
Part IV Useful Links and Contact P10
2
PART I – MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG
JANUARY 2020
I arrived in Vancouver on 5 Jan 2020. Since we had to check in on 6 Jan, my friend who
accompanied me with the same flight stayed a night in AirBnB before checking in residence
the next day. There was an introductory seminar for all exchange students during the first
day.
During my first few days of stay at UBC, I walked around the campus to familiarize myself
with the environment and adjust to jetlag. I also went to purchase some necessities like
beddings and kitchenware as well as set up student card, bank account, phone plan, and
miscellaneous items. After settling down, I went out to downtown Vancouver to do some
sightseeing with friends and explored around the city.
I also participated in several activities organised by the ESC (Exchange Students Club), a club
that organizes trips and events for exchange students, such as their bi-weekly pub night You-
Only-Exchange-Once and watching a UBC hockey game. It was my first time watching an ice-
hockey game and I do love it. The stadium was full of spirit
My January concludes with a trip to Capilano Suspension Bridge with other exchange friends.
3
FEBRUARY 2020
The first week of February was quite hectic as mid-terms and assignments were piling up.
Nevertheless, I went on my first skiing trip to Cypress Mountain. I was very glad that I was
able to learn how to ski and learning for a whole day.
After that week, our reading break begins, and we had a week of free time to spend. I went
to the Northern part of Vancouver for a hiking trip that starts at Lynn Cannon Park to Deep
Cove. The hikes and scenery along in Vancouver are spectacular and I highly recommend you
trying out hikes there if you are a fan of outdoors.
I also went to Victoria with my friends for a short trip. Although it isn’t a big city, the views are
still breath-taking, and I enjoyed my stay there. Before ending my reading break, I went to
Seattle for a short stay and explored the city.
4
MARCH 2020
During the first week, I went to Bowen Island which is a 20-minute ferry ride away from West
Vancouver. It is quite a small island yet perfect for a day trip under the bright sun and clear
skies. Due to COVID-19, classes have gradually transitioned to online and we didn’t go out
much due to the rising cases in Vancouver. Some of my exchange friends from Italy had to buy
a flight ticket immediately to go back before the border shuts down. It wasn’t that of a
pleasant week as we had to say a lot of unexpected goodbyes. Before I got back to Hong
Kong on 1st April, I just stayed in my residence with other exchange students who aren’t going
back yet. All the lectures were almost done by early April, so I took the online exams after I
got back to Hong Kong.
Although I didn’t get to spend more time in Vancouver, I still had a lot of fun in the past three
months. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to meet international friends and go on trips
together with them. I also enjoyed visiting different spots around the city. From hiking trails to
local markets, I do love the environment there. Going on exchange is an unforgettable
memory and experience for me.
5
PART II GENERAL EXCHANGE INFORMATION
1. Visa Procedures
If you are a Hong Kong permanent resident, you just need to apply for the Electronic Travel
Authorization (eTA) online. The application process is quite simple. If you plan to travel to the
US, I suggest applying for US Visa as soon as possible as the procedures are quite
complicated and time-consuming.
2. Orientation Activities
The Exchange Students Club organizes an orientation week for all exchange students. You can
pay for a fee to get a wristband (entitles you to join all the activities they organize for
orientation week) as well as a membership card which gives you top priority when joining their
future events. You could also get a membership card separately. I highly suggest joining ESC’s
activities or even trips as you can meet many exchange students.
3. International Services & Activities
If you have any inquiries, you can reach out to Go Global. They organize an introduction
presentation within the first few days. A short orientation is also organized where you are
assigned to a small group and join a campus tour.
4. Accommodations
Most of the exchange students I knew lived in either Walter Cage residence or Fairview
Crescent. Walter Cage is closer to the academic buildings compared to Fairview Crescent.
I lived in Fairview Crescent and it is more of a townhouse style, yet it is quite far to the
academic buildings (around 20 min walking distance). Although it’s location isn’t convenient, I
still like how the flats are close to each other and it feels like a small community of exchange
students together.
5. Course Registration
You will receive an email from Go Global to select 10 courses that you are interested in. Note
that you might only get 2-3 courses registered from the list. I suggest monitoring vacancy seats
during Add-Drop and emailing the office to register.
6. Courses
Below are the courses that I took:
6
COMM377 International Financial Markets and Institutions
Foreign currency and international finance stuff. Content is quite easy.
PHIL102 Introduction to Philosophy II
Philosophical theories revolving the concept of happiness/well-being. A lot of readings and
you have to attend bi-weekly discussion sessions.
COGS200 Introduction to Cognitive Systems
An interdisciplinary course involving linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and some computer
science. The workload is quite high.
MATH303 Introduction to Stochastic Processes
Markov chains and Poisson processes. Content is very difficult and weekly assignments are
tough.
7. Teaching & Assessment Methods
I feel that the workload is similar to that in UST as courses here have a lot of assignments and
quizzes too. Students in UBC are proactive in terms of learning so classes generally have a lot
of interaction between professors and students.
8. Sports & Recreation Facilities
There are gyms and a swimming pool at UBC. You can pay for a gym membership. You can
also pay a fee to join different sports activities via UBC Recreation.
9. Finance and Banking
I applied for a debit card through Scotia Bank’s branch on campus. The debit card works like
an ‘Octopus Card’ and you can use it to pay for almost everything as it is much convenient
than carrying cash.
For total spending, 8000-10000 CAD would be enough for exchange. This includes expenses
for entertainment and traveling. I suggest cooking at residence instead of eating out to cut
costs.
7
10. Social Clubs and Networking Opportunities
UBC has a lot of clubs and societies for you to choose from. I recommend the Exchange
Student Club if you would like to meet other exchange students. They organize activities
ranging from dinners, board-game nights, pub nights to weekend trips.
11. Health and Safety
You will be required to enrol in UBC health insurance. You can book an appointment with the
clinics within UBC if you don’t feel well. Vancouver is quite safe in general, but I don’t advise
going downtown alone at night as it could be quite dangerous or creepy.
12. Food
There are many restaurants and canteens inside UBC. They cost around 10CAD per meal. If
you are dining out of campus say downtown, prices could go up to at least 15-20CAD which
could be quite pricey. I usually cook most of the time as you can get ingredients for a fair
price in Save-on-foods (located in the southern part of campus) or No-frills (10 minutes bus
from campus).
13. Transportation
You will be paying a fee for U-pass, which entitles you to use a compass card that allows you
to travel as much as you can through public transport. You can get a compass card in the
bookstore and activate the monthly U-pass. Transportation is generally convenient in
Vancouver.
14. Climate
Being deemed “Raincouver”, expect a lot of rain and occasional snow. It is quite cold from
January to February so remember to bring a thick jacket. It gets warmer starting from March
to April.
15. Communication
I applied for FIDO phone plan which costs around 60 CAD per month. Data plans are
expensive here so you might want to explore other less expensive options.
16. Notes
Remember to pay tips when dining out!
8
PART III ITEMS TO BRING
• Laptop
• Adaptor
• Router (For Fairview Crescent)
• Chargers
• Waterproof jacket
• Winter clothes
• Beddings
• Umbrella
• Acceptance Letter
• Passport
• Canadian Visa
• US Visa (If applicable)
• Personal ID
• Cash
• Medicine
9PART IV USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS
ETA Application
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html
Student Service Portal
https://ssc.adm.ubc.ca/sscportal/
UBC Student Services - General
https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife
UBC courses
https://courses.students.ubc.ca/cs/courseschedule?pname=subjarea&tname=subj-alldepartments
UBC Campus Wide Login (CWL)
https://cas.id.ubc.ca/ubc-cas/login
UBC Exchange Student Club Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/ubcexchange/?ref=br_rs
10You can also read
