Entry
Since I myself was a bit afraid of the entry and the associated “questioning”, I just introduce my report with the topic. When it comes to immigration, you can really only say that it was relatively relaxed with three to four questions and it is always good to have a printout of the confirmation of admission from the university with you. Entry was not a problem for my fellow students either. I experienced a somewhat larger survey when I traveled to the USA (Boston) for a few days, but that was definitely feasible as well.
Reside
Most of my fellow students, including myself, lived off-campus, which I can recommend. I lived on the second shopping street (Quinpool Road). There you will find many restaurants and shops are also in the immediate vicinity. Due to the bus connections in the evening, however, it is advisable to find a more centrally located flat share, e.g. near the university or in the city center. However, if you don’t mind driving a little further to the university and into the city (approx. 20 minutes to the university and 15 minutes to the city), the area around Quinpool Road is not bad in terms of apartment prices and the proximity to various shopping opportunities Choice.
I lived in a large multi-party house that was used as a flat share. Unfortunately, I have not found a flat share with students from my university and have therefore mostly lived with working people. The living conditions were very relaxed, but I would have liked to have communicated more in English with my roommates, who were often not there because of their job. Some of my fellow students lived in the dormitories on campus. However, these are relatively expensive and not particularly well equipped. The regular English communication is of course given here.
Halifax
I liked the city very much, in my opinion it is perfect for a semester abroad. The city is not too big, easy to explore and there are a lot of pubs, bars and restaurants. In most pubs live music is often played even during the week and clubs with different musical styles also invite you to party on the weekend. My favorite places were the waterfront and Point Pleasant Park. The waterfront is very modern and looks very inviting due to the wooden walkways and various stands. Point Pleasant Park is very suitable for relaxing or jogging, as it is isolated from the city and is really spacious. In general, most destinations within the city can even be reached on foot or by transit. However, this one is not always the most reliable!
University
Courses
I took two Masters courses and a Bachelor course at Saint Marys University. These were Project Management and Strategic Human Resource Management in the Master and Introduction to Computer Applications in the Bachelor. The two master’s courses were relatively demanding.
Project Management consisted of a large group project, where we planned a wedding during the semester and had to submit it at the end in the form of a presentation and a report. In addition, we had to write a paper, take two online quizzes and create and hold a short presentation on the status of our project at each appointment. The course was structured like a seminar and there were only four mandatory appointments all day on certain Saturdays.
Strategic Human Resource Management consisted of a total of three papers and a final presentation. Two papers were created in-house and the last paper was a group work (3-4 people). The professor in this course was very helpful and took special care of the international students.
The Bachelor course wasn’t particularly difficult if you are reasonably fit in Microsoft Office. I chose the course to learn Access. However, much of the course was basics of Excel, so the course was pretty easy to pass.
Campus
The campus is really perfect for doing sports in your free time. There are many different sports that are offered. You can compete against each other with teams of your choice in the “Intramurals” competitions or simply go to the gym. The activities as well as the fitness studio are financed by the tuition fees and therefore there are no additional costs.
The food in the canteen is okay, but relatively expensive. However, there are also other points of contact on campus, so that you can get a little variety. If you prefer to cook yourself, it is better to live off-campus and not take a “meal plan”, which you have to book with some dormitories on campus. This one is rather expensive and I would say that despite the higher prices for groceries, it is possible to cook cheaper for yourself.
Trips
During my time in Canada I went on several trips, which was definitely possible with three courses! There are many beautiful places around Halifax that are worth exploring by car. I can recommend the lighthouse route and the Kejimkujik National Park. Further afield, destinations such as Prince Edward Island or the Bay of Fundy with the Fundy National Park are definitely worth seeing!
My absolute favorite is the Highlands National Park on Cape Breton Island. You have to see this beautiful national park and it is worth it both in winter and when the sun is shining. If the chance is there, definitely go there during Indian Summer.
In addition, I was in Montreal and Boston by plane, because the destinations are worthwhile in terms of flight time and price. Both cities are really beautiful and when visiting Montreal it is advisable to rent a car to visit cities such as Quebec or Ottawa.
Conclusion
All in all, the semester abroad was an experience that I wouldn’t want to miss under any circumstances. I am very happy that I chose Saint Marys University and therefore Halifax and had a great time! I particularly liked the people there, who helped you with pretty much every concern and were super open. I did my semester abroad, like most I think, mainly for three reasons: getting to know different cultures and nice people, improving my English skills and exploring new countries / cities. In conclusion, I would say that I got my money’s worth on all of these points.
SAINT MARYS UNIVERSITY
It was a good time. My aim was to bring home very good grades and to get to know the country and its people. Since I had to spend a lot of time to achieve the former, the latter came up a bit short – that was a shame. My impression, as well as that of many fellow students, was that courses traditionally attended by many Germans were “attracted” in terms of the scope of work. This can also be partially proven. Read more student reviews on Anycountyprivateschools.
That Canada is a great country and that Nova Scotia also has real highlights to offer, I don’t need to mention here.
Anyone who attaches great importance to “speaking English” should not move to the YMCA. They speak German there… otherwise it offers a lot of advantages (group work at the university, plenty of sports, sauna, socializing…).
