A CompSci student in Canada

by Megan van Zyl

Bonjour, je m’appelle Megan, and I completed a spring semester exchange to Canada in my third year of BCMS(Hons) as a double major in Math and Comp Sci at Waikato University.

One of my traits is that I love making the most of opportunities by seizing every chance to have adventures, learn new things, meet different kinds of people, and grow through unique experiences. After eight years of trying, I was over the moon excited to finally be able to study abroad.

Pre-exchange thoughts

I chose the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) because it’s a perfect match for my interests:

1. Academic Excellence: uOttawa has an incredible math and computer science program, including some cool courses in dynamical systems and artificial intelligence.

2. Natural Beauty of Canada: Canada’s known for its stunning landscapes of mountains and lakes, so there’s no shortage of exploration opportunities.

3. Language: Being the largest bilingual university means I can study in English while diving into French, a language I have always loved learning.

4. Cultural Exposure: Visiting a different continent is the perfect environment to soak up a diverse culture and way of living.

Studying abroad isn’t just a one-off thing. For me, it’s opening a door to what could be endless possibilities. It’s a chance to gain new perspectives, make connections, and set the stage for more global explorations.

Post-exchange thoughts

I saw my flight to uOttawa as a fresh ticket to new experiences, immersion in a different world, and personal growth. And it absolutely fulfilled those expectations.

Highlights from the global experience

1. Academic Excellence: The courses were more intensive than my home university, but that may be due it adjusting to a different education style and a university four times larger. I was more than happy to learn about new topics and advanced my education into these fresh distinct worlds. It was also interesting seeing how they were applied in the field through my professors’ projects.

2. Natural Beauty of Canada: I chose the perfect time of year to experience two seasons we cannot compare with in New Zealand. From summer to fall, the change in colour was spectacular. Every week, the streets I regularly walk looked completely different. While we may have a few non-evergreens back home, it was a whole other world being completely surrounded in this ever-changing view. Hiking in that environment, I thought nothing would be as good as this. Boy was I wrong when a snowstorm hit. It was truly the most magical experience, exactly how you would see in films, and I spent the rest of my trip falling in love with my first ever snowfall season.

3. Language: While I wasn’t completely immersed in French in Ottawa, because the main language is English; you could see French everywhere. Every sign, train announcement, and website had both languages. It was an excellent environment to be comfortable doing the difficult stuff (like lectures) in my first language, while still being able to converse and train in a language I wanted to learn. My most immersive experience was visiting the French side of Canada, the Quebec province, where I got to practice French all day.

The majority of my friends spoke French too. This was quite interesting as they came from all sorts of countries such as Canada, France, Mauritius, Tunisia, and Togo who spoke it as their first language and even more people from other parts of Europe who spoke it as a second language. While it was the same language at heart, you could clearly see and hear the difference in their cultures just through their French.

4. Cultural Exposure: The Canadian culture was wonderful and there were some unique traits about them. However, despite being in a new continent on the other side of the largest ocean, it didn’t feel like a big step away from home. That expected culture shock actually came from meeting loads more international and exchange students! Mostly from Europe in fact, which makes sense as they are relatively close by.

In terms of Canadian culture, I cannot understate their devotion to hockey and maple syrup. In honesty, I thought it was exaggerated online but it is absolutely true, including that they are some of the nicest people on the planet. As I was the first New Zealander most people have met, I was commonly mistaken for Australian which of course became a funny running joke.

The biggest challenge from my experience

Academic workload and stress were by far my biggest challenge. I started off my trip already burnt out, plus taking 5 courses instead of the usual 4 felt more involved. I thought this would be fine as I wasn’t working unlike usual, but one specific course was having a strong effect on me. I was struggling so much with this class despite the amount of study and help from my amazing peers. As someone who pushes through, I kept trying my hardest all the way up until the midterms. When the results came through, they were far too poor for the amount of work I had put in, plus it had impacted my performance in my other classes.

Up until the midterms I had spent a 30-minute commute going to university every day, arriving before sunrise, and staying close to midnight studying all day. I was tired of not eating better due to lack of cooking time, never going on walks, and of missing out on weekends with my international friends who were exploring the town and enjoying travelling.

I decided to make this trip not just about academics but also about self-growth and having a global experience. I let go of that course; a small change but the difference felt like night and day. With no more migraines, I drastically improved my understanding of my other courses, was able to spend time outside with friends, and travel more. By putting my mental health first and remembering this was more than just a university, I was much happier and was able to make the most out of my experience.

I had many incredible, diverse friend groups of extremely smart, kind, supportive, fun students who made this experience memorable both inside and outside of university. The whole experience would not have been the same without them in the least.

What I learned from this experience

Having a global experience and learning how to navigate alone through a new country, you quickly feel quite independent, and I realized how pleasantly easy it was to be flexible in unexpected situations.

Personally, I have a lot of social anxiety, but once I reached Ottawa I felt significantly more confident right off the bat. I surprised myself with how comfortable I was making so many new friends all at once. I learnt just how much I loved to travel and how I was thriving through these new environments.

Learning from my biggest challenge of starting the trip burnt out, I recommend preparing yourself to start off any new journey fresh and ready for action. It takes a lot of thought and energy to plan, adapt and navigate through those situations whether it is school, social life or travel. All of which are more than worth it for the education, emotions and memories they bring.

How I see my experience impacting my future

This trip fueled my passion for travel and inspired me to do more after graduation. I loved New Zealand’s nature long before I went to Canada, and after venturing through their mountains, forests and waters, I only want to explore my home country more. Most people in Canada don’t explore their own country or see their landscapes as highly as I do. This is fine, but it makes me appreciate our land more and how we try so hard to

protect it. So, this experience has made me prioritize exploring both New Zealand more and other countries in the coming years if possible to enjoy their naturistic scenes and culures.

Having gained access to subjects not available in my home university, it has steered some of my career aspirations. I was able to study topics I have always found interesting growing up but was never able to study in school. They were every bit as exciting and fascinating as I had hoped, which has made me want to carry on pursuing them through the rest of my degree. I also formed close connections with the professors and other students at uOttawa. This has been impactful on my career as I am able to work with them when returning to Waikato through my honours project in cryptography and by working in collaboration on club activities.

Through my exchange and further travels inside of Canada, it was incredible meeting so many people from different countries who all had something in common. We all felt a connection and grew closer through our time together. As I want to venture to Europe someday, I am much more excited now that I know I will have a warm welcome. And, if any of my friends come here, I would be ecstatic to introduce them to my home country.

Through global experiences and travelling overseas, the world feels much more accessible and real. While still uncertain, it’s not nearly as scary as I know there will always be incredible new people to meet no matter where you go.