By Alesha-Ann De Penning

My semester exchange is definitely something I will remember. It is a chance to discover more about myself through travel as well as experiencing a whole other culture. I would say that despite Canada being quite similar to New Zealand, there are still some minor differences which take adapting to.

The Highlights I Loved

The highlight of my exchange has definitely got to be the opportunities I have had for travel. While I’ve been in Calgary for study I have also taken the opportunity to visit Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake, Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Seattle (USA). This is so much more travelling and exploring than I anticipated when catching my flight bound for Canada, and I am so grateful for the friends I have made and shared these memories with.

Along with the travelling came the new experiences, or cultural shifts as a highlight of my exchange. Experiencing snow properly for the very first time was amazing, and it just makes everything seem so magical. Despite getting a lot colder than the rest of Canada early on, I am glad I chose Calgary as it gave me lots of opportunity to do snow activities like learning to ski and snowball fights with my friends. 

One of my favourite weekly activities was actually line dancing. Calgary is known for the Calgary Stampede in Summer, and there are some “honkytonk bars” which offer free line dancing lessons weekly. A large group of exchange students went regularly and along with the mechanical bull it became something which everyone looked forward to.

The challenges I overcame

Moving onto challenges while abroad, I would have to say that prioritisation was one of the biggest. There is so much that I wanted to do this semester, and it felt like such little time at some moments, especially with wanting to do all the touristy things while still studying. This was especially a challenge when deciding what to do for the reading week, as there were many suggestions. I wanted to see the most of Canada as possible which is why I went to the eastern cities, however jam packing all this travel whilst still studying for assessments and final exams definitely tested my time management skills. 

I know for some people who went on exchange the change in teaching style was also a struggle, but I found that it was largely similar to Waikato, with the exception that a lot more of the business courses have multiple presentations, mid-term and final exams.

The reflections I had

In the future, I think my exchange will mean that I am more likely to travel and also am more appreciative of what New Zealand actually has to offer. Although I am sad to leave Canada and that this chapter of my life is complete, I have definitely missed home and the simplicity of being in my home country.