Matthew Dalgarno – Film & Media – Level 3
Brock University, Canada
Participating in an abroad exchange opportunity is something I have dreamed of since before I even applied for university. My exchange at Brock University, Canada turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I would consider my time there to be among the best months of my life. Through different challenges and opportunities, I believe I have grown massively as a person and gained lots of new skills that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Brock University Life
Arriving at a Canadian University can come as a huge shock, as the differences become instantly clear. I was luckily enough to have a friend from QMU participating in the same exchange, and we arrived by plane on the 3rd of January 2025. Brock University does not waste much time in January and classes get going pretty quick. Brock’s International Office schedule various welcome events such as an induction, a meet and greet, ice skating and a trip to Niagara Falls. These events are held early on and are where I met my closest friends during my exchange, so even though the first week was overwhelming and nerve wracking, I am so happy I put myself outside my comfort zone and attended as many events as I could.
As my exchange was January-April, I was not expecting it to be warm, however I was shocked at how cold it was! We were lucky enough to get lots of snow that gave a very Canadian feel, however, make sure to pack plenty of layers, including gloves and hats. St Catherines is a small town located very close to Niagara Falls, which you will definitely see a number of times on your exchange. There is a couple of clubs, but nothing like Scotland, and there are some streets Downtown with nice pubs which provided the more chill and social environment I prefer. Ontario very much felt like a world built for cars, and almost nothing was walkable.
However, there are very frequent busses which are paid for through a mandatory bus pass assigned to your student card. Brock University is also a campus university, which is something I liked because everywhere was walkable, you spent plenty of time outdoors, and the university itself was quite nice, featuring various food options such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks right next to your classes.
The biggest difference between Scottish universities and Canadian ones are the absence of kitchens in the majority of the accommodations. Instead, students eat at a dining hall which is included in the accommodation prices. If you stay in the upper year housing/ brock suites, these accommodations have kitchens and therefore the meal plan is optional. While the meal plan is expensive, and might seem strange and unattractive, I actually strongly recommend you get it. Despite the fact I stayed in Quarry View and the meal plan was optional, I decided to get it anyway. Not only was it incredibly convenient for balancing my studies, but it was also one of the most important things for my exchange being as good as it was. The food is pretty good, especially breakfast, but the main positive is the social aspect and getting to eat with your friends every day without ever worrying about food shopping, doing dishes, or missing out on a great social life.
Another massive difference in the universities is the workload. I found Canada’s workload to be considerably more than QMU. I took 4 classes, and the rough idea is that you have an essay, a mid-term exam, a presentation/facilitation (where you lead a class discussion), a final exam, and seminar participation grades (where you are graded on seminar contributions each week). Therefore, your final class grade is made up of 5 differently weighted assessment types.
While this initially appears stressful or may bring anxiety, the content is relatively straight forward and generously marked, especially if you only need to pass. Of course it will differ class to class, but out of all of my friends at Brock, basically all of them only needed a low mark on their final exam to pass the class, if they even needed a mark at all. In my case, I had passed two classes before I even sat the final exams. So, while 5 assignments seem like a lot – you will definitely be okay if you are attending classes and following along.
The professors at Brock are also, from my experience, very kind, helpful and easy to approach. If you are someone who is wanting to take their productivity and work ethic to a new level, an exchange at Brock can definitely help massively with that. Additionally, leading class discussions in seminars also helped me develop my public speaking skills and help with anxiety. This is another reason why reaching out can be so beneficial, as doing so can help pinpoint what you're likely to get out of a particular exchange.
Brock, as with all North American universities, has a big sports culture. I had a great time attending the university's basketball games, and the local ice hockey team as a spectator. Brock also has a great gym that is included in tuition, so it is available to everyone. There is also a great swimming pool, which hosts a fun swim twice a week with diving boards and a Tarzan swing which me and my exchange friends frequently attended and really enjoyed.
Travel Opportunities
Despite a heavy workload, there is plenty of time to explore. Brock is around an hour away from Toronto, which is easily reached through Mega Bus. We also used our reading week to visit New York for 4 days which was incredible, and which is accessible either by bus or an hour by plane. After our last exams, we went to Banff National Park, which took around 4 hours by plane to Calgary. While you will most likely visit Toronto at least a couple of times, I couldn’t recommend New York and Banff enough. If I had stayed a bit longer, I’m sure Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and maybe even more American states would have also been amazing, which says a lot about how much you can get out of this experience.
The Application Process
The application process can seem very stressful and unclear, particularly with what kinds of modules you need to take, what level they have to be, and how many you need to take. Because of this, I strongly recommend that as well as working closely with exchange staff, you should reach out to previous exchange students.
Reaching out to previous students will also be hugely insightful to help you understand what you want to get out of an exchange, because somewhere like Canada might offer totally different challenges and life skills than another location.
My biggest advice, however, would be that despite any stress and difficulties in the application process, an exchange opportunity is life changing and absolutely worth it, so if you are considering it, go for it!
Thank you to Brock University and QMU for giving me such an amazing opportunity. I will miss Canada loads, and I will never forget the experiences I had there.
