University:
The university is simply great in terms of the study conditions. Small groups, very committed professors who always have time and are open to all kinds of problems. The sports facilities at the university are fantastic. The fitness center offers an all-round package (squash courts, sauna, equipment room, various sports courses and endurance) and can be used free of charge by students.
The cafeteria is less recommendable, but compulsory for residence students. You can endure it for four months, but then really not longer. The suspicion arose that the salad buffet contains as many vitamins as the daily burger with fries. In addition, the cafeteria does not open until 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and closes at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday… otherwise always at midnight.
In general, the university takes excellent care of foreign students. It starts with the pick-up service from the airport and the successful introductory week. A small team at the university organizes trips, events, excursions and is always the point of contact for any problems that arise.
You should definitely take part in one of the many university student groups (I recommend AIESEC) The advantage is that you get to know a lot of people in a short time and get a lot more of the university, its advantages and life in Halifax in general. As a result, I quickly got in touch with local companies, among other things, and was able to talk to them on my own and with their representatives. The university information and useful tips that you get in such a student organization are irreplaceable anyway. In addition, certain friendships last forever afterwards. Since the SMU is very international, you also get interesting new travel destinations. Read more student reviews on Ehuacom.
I lived in a single room and was very satisfied. It’s small and you have to submit to the meal plan, but since you only need it to sleep, you can stay in there for four months. (but absolutely quiet floor) The advantage is that you take part more in the evening university events, have even more contact with other students (e.g. corridor events) and always get dry feet from the room to the lecture (in 5 minutes without a long journey like the others ) In terms of price, it doesn’t take a lot compared to other off campus rooms and there are no landlords or flat share problems.
I applied for my room in residence three days before departure and got it the next day. So don’t be afraid if you don’t apply in time.
There is a supervisor on every corridor who is always available as a contact person and who can also come up with nice meetings and events. A nice corridor community only makes the stay better and is then basically like a large flat share. Another advantage is that the residence’s bathrooms are cleaned twice a week. In some off-campus shared apartments that didn’t even happen during this time. Washer and dryer are available around the clock for one dollar each.
Lectures:
As in Germany, only smaller groups, more discussions and a significantly lower level. The mathematics area at the SMU is not recommendable at all and, especially in the area of stochastics, only has upper school level.
On the other hand, the business administration and economics courses are okay, but also not comparable to the German level, i.e. everyone takes their A’s and B’s home with them.
You have to get used to the constant homework and weekly tests. The workload is significantly higher than in Germany and one often asks oneself about the meaning of certain tasks, as they are sometimes viewed more as occupational therapy.
You have two weeks to look at all the courses and then you have to decide on your selection. In retrospect, you could simply sit down in certain courses by arrangement and simply listen. Of course, the performance for this course could not be credited, but you saved 700 euros.
In some courses there are attendance lists, in other courses the professor does not notice whether you are absent. The university network is excellently tailored to the students and offers a lot of materials and information that can be easily downloaded from the professor. For many courses, however, you need books that are very expensive and can usually only be sold for less than half the price if you can get rid of them at all.
Nightlife:
In Halifax, drink prices at night are comparable to ours in Germany. The bars and discos close at 2 a.m., some at 3:30 a.m., which of course takes some getting used to. The police presence is very large and, in contrast to Germany, you cannot discuss it with a police officer. The bouncers sometimes act too arbitrarily. Otherwise you meet all styles of music and I particularly recommend the smaller clubs and pubs that have live music. A nightly bite at the pizza corner is a must on the way home. Taxis don’t cost the world then either.
If you don’t want to walk that far, the Uni Pub on campus also offers good entertainment, especially since football is also broadcast. =)
Shop:
If you live off campus, you have to take care of yourself. My impression was that the groceries are significantly more expensive than in Germany and that self-catering is not necessarily cheaper than taking the meal plan (the smallest of the four). Otherwise off to the shopping malls, because the clothes are cheap =)
Other tips:
If you live in residence you have a telephone with answering machine in the room and all local and cell phone calls are free. So buying a cell phone on site made no sense at all.
If you arrive earlier, I recommend HiHostel Backpackers on Barrington Street. Clean, close to the university, downtown and very nice staff.
The TravelsCut on the university campus offers very good prices and good organization of weekend trips (we had a very nice trip to Toronto with them)
Be sure to see several Mooseheads ice hockey games and just use the bus pass and drive through the area.
The Atlantic Ocean is next to and Cape Breton with the Indian Summer in autumn is simply fantastic. You just have to go on trips for the weekends, otherwise you will miss a lot.
Student life in Halifax is very enjoyable and I haven’t heard from anyone that they didn’t like it at all. I would go there again anytime.
