By Ellie Deane

I’m Ellie Deane, a 4th-year student studying a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting. I am excited about my exchange to the University of Calgary, where I will be studying law papers. I chose Calgary due to its close proximity to the Rocky Mountains provide an abundance of outdoor opportunities, as well as its high-quality law program and the different papers on offer compared to New Zealand. When I first started looking at universities and found that Waikato had an exchange program I knew that it was something I wanted to do as it allows me to make the most of the time I had at university. Having a long degree, being able to go on exchange allows me to continue to study while having a break from doing the same things. I have always wanted to go back to Canada to spend time there since I visited in high school and when I found out I could do an exchange there, I knew it was where I wanted to spend six months. 

I have arranged to flat with a Canadian uni student and am excited to be able to travel around and learn about Calgary with her, as well as being able to visit her family and learn how they do things differently in Canada. I am also fortunate to have family friends who live in Calgary and have offered to show me around, so I am excited to spend time with them. I am hoping to form friendships and relationships that I can continue to build on in the future, both personally and professionally.