UNB Review
I have from early September to the end of December 2009 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton in the Department of Administration Business studies.
Application
The application for the university went through MicroEDU as promised and was flawless and stress-free. The employees were always there and also gave me tips on my documents, so that the whole procedure took about two and a half months until I was accepted. I didn’t have to worry about a visa, as German citizens are allowed to stay in Canada for 6 months without a visa.
Education
Arrived in Canada, I went to the UNB. I was pretty impressed with UNB because it was really beautiful. According to liuxers, the first week an introductory week was offered for the newcomers and everyone took part, including many international students. This also gave me the opportunity to get to know people directly and make new contacts.
Usually the courses are quite small and each course has around 20-30 students. This gives you the opportunity to contact the teacher! The content in each course was to do homework and actively participate in class. You always have to participate, as there is a grade for oral participation. For the most part, you have to take part in the online case studies and quizzes from home. In some subjects, instead of an exam, you simply have to hand in a scientific paper covering several pages and present the results of the work before the entire course. In some subjects nothing has to be done, so there is no written exam and no scientific work at the end, Instead, active participation and homework during the semester are decisive for the final grade. In these subjects, it can get a bit tight for the international students, because you don’t dare to report during the class and actively participate in the class. Therefore, I advise everyone against taking such courses. The courses with the exams at the end are the most recommendable, as you can prepare well for the exam.
Most assignments (homework) are done in groups, so in the first lesson the professor forms groups at random, which have to stick together until the end and have to do most of the tasks together. But you shouldn’t think, because you’re not a Canadian, that it will help him or that you have to do less. The principle of equality applies!
I lived in a student dormitory on campus while studying abroad, which I definitely recommend. This way you get to know a lot of people and in your free time you can take part in activities that are dependent on the residence hall. The best house on campus is the Neville Jones and that’s where I lived; o) But it’s a man’s house! This way you can get to know a lot of Canadians and get in touch with them, which is good for the language. I am still in contact with some friends from Canada.
In the house you have to share the shower and toilet with the other students, but it is cleaned daily and is therefore in good condition. The bathroom is usually equipped with several showers and toilets so that they can be used by several students at the same time. You don’t have a kitchen in the house, but on the first floor, where there is also a launch, where you always meet in the evening to play poker or billiards, there is also a microwave for emergencies. As a rule, you have a student card with which you can eat three times a day in the cafeteria.
The food in the cafeteria is not bad, it is American and very unhealthy, but you can eat it.
There are also several bars on campus that you can visit in the evening. Every Wednesday is wings night in cellers and I can recommend that to everyone. At the WE you can also stay within UNB, as there are also several parties in the residential buildings and also in the disco (social club) of UNB. So, I recommend everyone to live on campus and enjoy real student life.
Like all things in life, there is one big problem and that is cost. A room on campus with 12 meals a week costs almost $ 5,000. In addition to the $ 6,000 tuition fee, it can get quite expensive. Many people therefore live off-campus, ie outside of the UNB, but unfortunately I cannot give you any information about this, as all of my friends lived on campus.
Fredericton is a pretty small town but there are many students living in the small town and therefore the town has a special flair. There is something for everyone in the city. You can go shopping and there are also many discos in town. The city is the capital of New Brunswick but also the cultural capital of the area and therefore festivals are very often held there. The Saint John River, which divides the city in two, is very beautiful and you have the option of getting on a canoe to explore the river.
The only problem with Fredericton is that it is very far from the other big cities like Montreal or Quebec City, but everything can be done with a car.
Travel
We traveled a lot in Canada and looked at whales, were in Halifax as well as Montreal and Quebec City. Once you’re in Canada, you have to look at all of these things. The problem was that the cities of Fredericton are a long way away, but we rented a car and went to see a lot within a week. You have the option of sleeping very cheaply in a hotel and even renting a car with several colleagues and driving through Canada.
The Canadians are very warm people and are very open and interested in other cultures. In Canada, people are not excluded because of their language or nationality, etc. , but are warmly welcomed and welcomed. So I think Canada is the right country for those first experiences abroad.
