Enskilda enkäter för Exchange report. 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT 2015)

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1 Person 113 Basic Information 1. Name Linnea Hjorte 2. address: 3. Exchange university McGill University 4. City Montréal 5. Country Canada 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT 2015) 7. Academic year 2015/16 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Psykologi, franska, astronomi och lite annat 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Psykologprogrammet 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 3 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... Man får vara beredd på att det är väldigt mycket plugg, mer än här hemma. För mig som är van vid att läsa en kurs åt gången blev det lite av en chock att läsa alla kurser parallellt och sen dessutom ha alla tentor samtidigt. Under perioderna för midterms och finals var det rätt jobbigt. Jag blev dessutom sjuk och inlagd på sjukhus i slutet av höstterminen och missade alla mina finals, vilket innebar att jag fick skriva dem precis efter mina finals för vårterminen. Det var inte så kul, men otroligt nog så gick det. Det är mycket multiple choice på tentorna i stället för de uppsatsfrågor jag är van vid hemifrån. Det kan ta ett tag att vänja sig vid det, för det är mycket svårare än vad man tror. De flesta professorerna är dock mycket engagerade och hjälpsamma och det finns ofta teacher s assistants som kan hjälpa en att svara på frågor eller om man har det svårt. Det är lite mer formellt än här hemma och man säger oftast professor till sin lärare i stället för förnamnet som vi säger här i Sverige, men annars skulle jag nog säga att förhållandet mellan lärare och studenter är rätt likt här. Klasserna var betydligt större än jag var van vid, mellan studenter i de flesta kurserna, framför allt psykologi. Då blir det så klart mer opersonligt och det är svårare att lära känna andra studenter. Som tur är finns det många andra sätt att träffa människor på. Generellt sett tyckte jag att de kurser jag läste höll hög kvalitet och jag har verkligen lärt mig otroligt mycket det här året. En del stora kurser spelas in så man kan titta på föreläsningarna online, vilket är skönt om man vill resa eller om man blir sjuk. Det finns massor av bra bibliotek på campus och tillgång till datorer, skrivare osv. Jag läste på Faculty of Science och hade därmed en jättebra och engagerad studievägledare som heter Mary. Hon hjälper en med allt möjligt. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 341 av 440

2 Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Jag kom till Montréal tidigt, nästan en månad innan skolan började. Det behöver man inte göra, men jag tyckte det var kul att lära känna staden ett tag för sen när skolan började hade man inte så mycket fritid längre. Jag bodde på vandrarhem en vecka först och hade några visningar inbokade sen innan. Ingen av de lägenheterna var dock särskilt trevliga men jag hittade ändå boende snabbt och lätt (se nedan). Jag tyckte att det var lätt att träffa människor i Montréal, de är mer öppna och sociala där än här och har ingenting emot att prata med främlingar. Det är skönt eftersom det kan vara svårt att lära känna sina kursare när klasserna är så stora. Det finns också ett enormt antal klubbar på skolan (se nedan) där man kan lära känna folk. De fanns en del insparksaktiviteter för internationella studenter som man kunde haka på. De har även nollning, Frosh kallas det, men det verkade inte vara så kul och det var mest 18-åringar som deltog, så jag valde att inte delta i det. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? Jag bodde i det så kallade McGill ghetto, ett område mitt i stan precis vid skolan där det bor många studenter. Jag rekommenderar det verkligen! Min lägenhet låg tre minuter från skolan, fem minuter från stans största park, tunnelbanan och de största gatorna. Man kan definitivt bo billigare i Montréal, men jag betalade 4000 kr för min etta, vilket jag tyckte var överkomligt. Det är betydligt lättare att hitta boende där jämfört med i Uppsala. Jag bara gick längst en gata och ringde på porttelefonen i ett hus där det satt en skylt om lediga lägenheter (och sådana skyltar sitter överallt) och fick några lägenheter visade för mig, varav jag fastnade för en och sen flyttade jag in två dagar senare. Jag hade gärna delat lägenhet med andra, men jag var nöjd ändå. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? Det är lite svårt att säga nu när systemet är ändrat, för jag fick mer pengar än vad de som åker nu kommer få, men man kan nog klara sig bra på CSN. Jag hade sparat ihop ganska mycket pengar innan så att jag kunde resa. Jag reste väldigt mycket på helger och lov och det gick en del pengar till det, så man kan definitivt leva på mindre pengar än jag hade. Det mesta är ändå billigare i Montréal, som till exempel att äta ute, och försäkringen får man gratis via ett avtal mellan Sverige och Québec. Kurslitteraturen är i många fall orimligt dyr, men det beror på vilken kurser man tar för till ganska många av mina kurser behövde man inte köpa någon litteratur alls. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? Det fanns extremt många klubbar på skolan, som presenterades under två dagar i början av året som kallades Activity night. Det gällde att vara där tidigt för det var långa köer för att komma in och kolla vilka klubbar som fanns. På McGill finns det verkligen klubbar för ALLT. Sport, spel, musik, sång, dans, konst, diskussion, religion, olika länder, astronomi, HBTQ osv. En av de mest populära är McGills quidditchlag, som har uttagning i Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 342 av 440

3 början av året. Det tyckte jag var ganska kul, även om jag inte deltog själv. Det är lite olika hur mycket aktiviteter de olika klubbarna anordnar, dock. Det finns massor av aktiviteter för internationella studenter, eftersom McGill är ett väldigt internationellt universitet, men jag vet inte så mycket om det för jag hade fått vänner på annat håll. Jag vet i alla fall att de ordnar resor och sånt. Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. Jag är så oerhört nöjd med mitt utbytesår. Jag kan verkligen inte nog rekommendera Montréal, det är en fantastisk stad som är väldigt mångkulturell och har allt man kan önska. Man kan till och med hitta saltlakrits! Det finns också väldigt mycket kultur, konst, musik osv. Det är också ett bra uteliv om man gillar sånt, öl är billigt. Det är också väldigt gayvänligt. McGill är ett bra universitet och jämfört med många andra skolor är det rätt lätt att registrera sig på kurser och så. Campus är jättefint och ligger verkligen mitt i centrala Montréal. Man behöver inte kunna franska eftersom det är en i mångt och mycket tvåspråkig stad, men det kan vara bra och man får många chanser att öva om man vill. Någonting som är rätt krångligt är att man behöver två visum, ett för Québec (CAQ) och ett för hela Kanada (study permit). Kom ihåg att skaffa det för Québec först! Trots att jag blev sjuk och hade ett par väldigt jobbiga månader under hösten så kunde jag knappt vara mer nöjd med det här året. Jag vill redan tillbaka! Ett allmänt tips är att ta med varma kläder, för på vintern blir det rejält kallt och vintern pågår länge, så pass länge att det inte kallas för vårtermin utan vintertermin. Sommaren är dock jättevarm och härlig. Om du har några frågor är det bara att höra av dig, jag hjälper gärna till :) Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published and used in Uppsala University s marketing of international exchanges Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 343 av 440

4 Person 59 Basic Information 1. Name Joel Lidén 2. address: 3. Exchange university McGill University 4. City Montreal 5. Country Canada 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT 2015) 7. Academic year 2015/16 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Mathematics 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Mixed undergrad/postgrad 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Mathematics 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? Two Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... Studying at McGill was quite different compared to Uppsala. First of all, the workload at McGill is generally heavier than I m used to. There were more assignments (I had about four assignments per course), and the midterms and finals were usually all scheduled within a few days from one another. So I had to study quite intensively during these periods. The grades at the McGill math courses are also weighted so that about 25% of the grade consists of assignments, 25% of the midterm and 50% of the final. In Uppsala, I m used to having a 100% final in most of my math courses, so that the final exam determines the grade completely. I m also used to having more time to complete an exam, so writing exams at McGill was a bit more stressful than I m used to. For example, the final exam at McGill must be done in three hours, and at Uppsala I m used to having five hours to complete an exam. I took eight math courses in total at McGill, and three of them were 500-level courses (i.e. Graduate-level). The courses I took were Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos, Mathematical Statistics 1, Sampling Theory and Applications, Regression and Analysis of Variance, Generalized Linear Models, Mathematical Finance, Theory of Interest and Introduction to Partial Differential Equations. I thought that the Graduate courses were quite a bit harder than the Undergraduate courses. So I would recommend to be a bit careful when choosing Graduate courses, because you will most likely have to work quite a lot. I think my professors at McGill held a high academic standard and they were all very professional. McGill is a great university and it shows. The students are really hardworking and study a lot to maintain a high GPA (Grade Point Average). This is also something that I found a bit different from Uppsala University, where grades matter but perhaps not as much. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 182 av 440

5 At McGill, students who have received a scholarship in order to pay their tuition fees are under a lot of pressure since they need to have a high GPA in order to not lose their scholarship. So in general, I would say that McGill students are under more pressure and have to work harder than what I ve seen back home. Academically I m very happy with the courses I took while on exchange, as I feel that they were interesting, relevant and I also learned a lot. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Coming to Montreal for the first time was exciting! Especially since I m from the small city of Uppsala orignally, it was a large contrast to what I m used to. Montreal is a beautiful city, and there s always something to do! At first I lived in a hostel for a few days, since I didn t know where to live. So while in the hostel, I looked for rooms to rent, while also doing a bit of sightseeing with people I met at the hostel. It actually didn t take long until I found a room that I decided to move into. It s actually quite easy to find housing in Montreal, and I used Facebook groups (McGill Housing and International Roommates in Montreal) to find a place to stay. However, it s also quite common that one has to sign a lease agreement for a whole year (or at least a few months). I only had to sign a lease agreement for three months, though. I would also like to stress that I don t speak any French at all. However, I didn t experience any problems because of it, since almost everyone in Montreal is bilingual, so English works fine. Overall, moving to Montreal and settling in was actually quicker and smoother than I had anticipated. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? At first I lived in a room in Monkland Village, which is close to the Villa Maria metro station. I shared the apartment with three other people, a Canadian, a German and also an Italian. There was also a cat living there named Jean. This place was decent, but it was quite far from the McGill campus, so I definitely had to take the metro to get there. I lived there during the Fall semester but during the Winter break I decided to move to another place closed to McGill. The new address was located in an area of Montreal called the Plateau, which is a more central area about 30 minutes walking distance from the McGill campus. I shared this apartment with five other McGill students (three Canadians, one Malaysian and one American), so it was quite different since none of my former roommates were studying at McGill. I liked my new home better than the last one, since it was closer to McGill and also a more social place to live, since we hosted parties and had a lot of fun together. On the Plateau, there are also many restaurants and bars, so the nightlife is quite nice. It was also nice to not have to worry about when the last metro was leaving, since I could just walk home. There are night buses in Montreal, but taking the metro is a lot smoother. Since I arrived in Montreal on the 20th of August (i.e. about two weeks before the semester began), I was a bit stressed to find a place to stay. So I would advice future students to arrive in Montreal a bit earlier if you don t know where to stay. I would also really recommend to live on the Plateau, since it s quite central and also close to the beautiful Mont Royal park. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 183 av 440

6 Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? The cost of living in Montreal is actually quite cheap considering that it s a city with a population of about 1.65 million (3.8 million if one includes the entire metropolitan area). In Monkland Villiage I paid 475 CAD per month (hydro and internet included), which is about 3100 SEK. On the Plateau I paid about 575 CAD per month (hydro and internet included), which is about 3800 SEK per month. So the rent in Montreal is actually quite similar to the rent in Uppsala. I was also a bit lucky since the Canadian dollar was quite weak while I was there. I found groceries to be slightly more expensive in Montreal than Uppsala, but of course it also depends where you do your grocery shopping (I did most of my shopping at Provigo, which is one of the most common supermarkets in Montreal). A monthly metro card costs about 84 CAD/month but there is also a student discount so you can get four months for about 180 CAD if you re under the age of 26. This card is valid on all kinds of public transportation (metro and buses), so it s really convinient and quite cheap as well. Cell phone plans are a bit more expensive in Montreal though (i paid about 50 CAD/month for unlimited calls within Canada and 1 GB of data per month with an operator called Fido). A meal at a cheaper restaurant is about 20 CAD (including tips and taxes). Something to consider is that the taxes are not included in the stated price, so you always need to add 15% to the stated price in order to find out what you will actually have to pay. CSN was adequate (I had the same amount as I do in Uppsala), but I had also saved up money prior to my exchange. I did not undertake any kind of part-time work during my exchange. I thought studying at McGill was work enough! Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? In my free time I mostly hung out with my roommates and other friends that I made at McGill, and also two other Swedish exchange students from Uppsala. There are so many things to do in Montreal, so you ll never be bored! I also travelled to Toronto (for the film festival), Ottawa and Quebec City and I also went with some friends to New York during the Winter break. I travelled to all of these cities by bus (it takes about eight hours by bus from Montreal to New York, and about six hours from Montreal to Toronto). When the second semester was over, I also went to California on a roadtrip with a couple of friends from McGill. The trips were all great and I really recommend travelling as much as possible, since you will have opportunity to do so. McGill has many student clubs (anything from sports to board games and classical music), so you can always find something that suits you. Personally I attended the McGill Table Tennis Club (it was all recreational, but you can also get really competitive if you want to), The Film Society and also the McGill Students Astronomy Club. The clubs don t assume any prior knowledge at all, so everyone is welcome, even if you re a complete beginner! In the beginning of the Fall semester there is something called Frosh Week (which is similar to nollning in Sweden). I didn t attend Frosh Week, but I did however attend the Discover McGill Day, which included some welcoming activities and also a tour of the McGill Campus. I did not attend any specific activities for exchange students. In Montreal, I would recommend visiting Old Port, which dates back to the 17th century when Montreal was founded. It s right by the Saint Laurent river so it s a perfect place to take a walk and stroll around. The Mont Royal park on the mountain is a must, which has a great view over Montreal, so if you want to take pictures of Montreal, this is where to go! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 184 av 440

7 I also really enjoyed visiting the Montreal Botanical Garden (Montreal Jardin Botanique), which is the home of not only plants but also butterflies, snakes (don t worry, they re in a terrarium) and insects of many different species. As a Swede, I also had to go to a mandatory NHL-game at the Bell Centre located downtown Montreal. It was a really nice experience, the Montreal Canadians beat Tampa Bay Lightning by 4-2! Buying tickets for a hockey game can be expensive, but cheap tickets can sometimes also be found at StubHub. I also watched a hockey game where the McGill Redmen were playing, which was also interesting to see. Quebec is also the home of many National Parks, and I went to Mont Tremblant which is about a one and a half hour drive northwest of Montreal. I really enjoyed going on a hike there, even though we lost track of the trail in the end. Overall, I m very happy with what was to offer by McGill in terms of welcoming activities and student clubs. There s always something for everyone, no matter what you re interested in! Montreal is also a big city which offers a huge variety of things to do, no matter which time of the year or day of the week. Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. My exchange was honestly an amazing experience. Montreal is a beautiful place to live (although a bit cold in the winter), and I thought that it was easy to find new friends and things to do. People at McGill are very open, friendly and welcoming, and if you say that you re an exchange student, they ll definetely want to get to know you. McGill is also a very international environment, so I met people from all over the world, which is quite exciting. I would advice future exchange students to not underestimate the Montreal winter (even if you re from Sweden). When I was there the temperature got down to -30 C and then there were also windchills, so the experienced temperature was even colder. And that was apparently a mild winter. If you re looking for housing in Montreal, please also be aware that it s illegal to demand a deposit when signing a lease or subletting agreement. So if someone tries to charge you a deposit when you re looking for housing, don t pay it. I lived in Montreal for a total of ten months, and I m very thankful for my time spent there, as I got to see and experience so much and I also think that my time there has changed me as a person. Therefore, Montreal and Canada will always have a special place in my heart. While writing this, I ve only been home for a few days, but I already miss Montreal! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. The first picture is taken from Mont Royal which overlooks Montreal. The second picture of me is taken during a cold night in February Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 185 av 440