Calling all first years and second years (third years can also read up and learn, but fourth years should only read to hear about missed opportunities)! One of the great things that UW offers is the ability to be at school in a completely different country while earning credits toward your UW degree! We, as engineering students at the University of Waterloo, have the opportunity to be a guest student at over 70 schools in Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, and even Mexico. Why should you go on an exchange you ask?
Well, why not? Having been on an exchange in Denmark during the fall 2013 term, I can (and do) recommend a wild, unknown experience to mostly everyone I meet. I was not only able to get to know beautiful Copenhagen intimately, but also to visit many places I’ve been itching to go to for a long time. From Denmark, I went to 11 cities in 7 countries. I also lived with and met hundreds of other exchange students from all over the world. We had regular group dinners, where people would cook food from their home countries. I got to meet and hang out with the awesome Danish locals. I did all this while also (kind of) being in school as I normally would. It was an experience of a lifetime for sure, and it’s still hard not to bring up things that remind me of Europe on a daily basis.
But what about my money? What about my grades? What about my friends and family? Well, kind soul, let me tell you about it. Of course, you will most likely be paying more money on an exchange than if you were to be in school at Waterloo – but probably not as much as you think. Because UW has a bilateral agreement with these schools, you are actually paying UW’s tuition fees, so you are paying the same amount of tuition as you normally would.
As far as food and accommodation expenses, they vary greatly depending on which region of the world you are visiting. Some places will be more expensive than Waterloo, and conversely, some will be cheaper. What you almost certainly will be paying money for is the best part: travelling. Travelling can cost a lot of money (again, depending on the location and the mode of travel…try taking a super cheap boat between Indonesia and Singapore!!!), but it is up to you to travel as much as you want. It is important to live within your means, but these are experiences that you are paying for. I’m honestly not sure if there’s a better way to spend your money.
If we are talking grades, you do need to have a minimum overall 70 average for UW to accept your exchange application. However, some schools may have higher averages required, especially if it is a popular school with a limited number of exchange students. Of course, the higher average you have the better, but if you have a 70 average you still shouldn’t feel discouraged. There are many schools that want to have you!
The deadline to apply for a Fall 2015 exchange (1Bs: your 2B term; 2Bs it will be your 3B) is this November 1st! So you should get a move on now and do research on the schools you want to go to! To learn more about exchanges, how to apply, and have all your questions answered by the right people, please come to an Information Session on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 5:30 PM in CPH 3607.
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