I attended Saint Mary’s University (SMU) from the beginning of September to mid-December 2006 as part of the “automn terms”. My experiences at this university were mixed, with the positive ones predominating.
Getting there:
On the trip to Halifax in the east of Canada, I took the opportunity to spend a short vacation in Boston. The winter in the Canadian east should be very cold, so I recommend everyone to soak up another week of sun in Boston.
In order not to get into the university stress of the first few days, I arrived in Halifax a few days earlier. The flight from Boston to Halifax only takes about two hours. As an international student, you then have the opportunity to use the university’s free limo service. You will be picked up by a limousine at the airport and then taken to your accommodation in the city. The airport is about 50 km outside of Halifax. A taxi ride costs between 50.00 and 60.00 CAD – this is one reason why you should take care of the shuttle service in good time. Once you have booked the flight, you can register online with the shuttle service from Germany with the flight number and arrival time.
If you don’t feel like spending the first few nights in a hotel in Halifax, you should find out about accommodation for the semester abroad before you leave Germany. However, caution is also advised here.
I myself lived in a house with an old “lady” in Gottingen for the first few days. The neighborhood is one of the more dangerous areas of Halifax. The reason for the move was not least the distance to the university – rather, the rental conditions were subsequently “renegotiated”. You are only lucky if you have not yet signed a rental agreement. In the end, that was my salvation. The semester abroad only really started for me after moving. Visit ehuacom.com to get information about CSUN study abroad program.
During the first few days of lectures, I got the tip from a fellow student at SMU to ask for a room in the AST student dormitory.
AST is an ecumenical college for the training of clergymen of all Protestant faiths. The campus is small but very nice and well-kept. The AST dormitory is located in the immediate vicinity of the SMU campus and directly on the Atlantic Ocean. From my room I had a wonderful view of the marina on the other side of the bay.
The dormitory administration was also very courteous. Because I only moved in in mid-September and moved out again in mid-December, I was waived a whole month of rent payments.
The rooms are very spacious and offer enough space for suitcases and cloakrooms. You can choose between a meal plan or self-sufficiency. It is only a 5-minute walk to the lectures at the SMU.
Other fellow students lived in the Loyola-Residence, a dormitory of the SMU. The accommodation in the Loyola Residence, however, includes a meal plan that had a more than bad reputation and has forced many of my fellow students to eat out.
Accommodation at AST is also a real alternative in terms of price. Overall, I can only recommend accommodation at AST to everyone.
Saint Mary’s University:
Saint Mary’s University is one of the best universities in Canada. The Sobey School of Business is regularly listed among the top 10 business schools in Canada. The campus is located in southeast Halifax and is relatively well maintained.
In addition to the lectures, there is a wide range of sports activities for students. From the bus stop on campus, you can use almost all major bus routes to get to popular destinations in Halifax. The campus is also approached very late in the evening. After midnight, however, you should opt for a taxi.
Courses:
The SMU offers an extensive program of courses that can be taken as a foreign student. Basically, it can be said that studying at the SMU is much easier than at German universities. Just the existence of a mid-term halves the subject matter of the final exam and makes it really easy to pass the courses.
In addition, there is consistently friendly support from the professors. If you then show interest, a fraction of the usual exam preparation is enough for a really good grade. I myself have taken two economics courses and one business administration course and have achieved very good results with little effort.
You shouldn’t forget the fun factor either. Halifax and the surrounding area in Nova Scotia offer a lot of attractions. The nightlife in Halifax is also quite varied and offers a lot.
Basically, I can recommend studying at the SMU to everyone. I spent a great time there. I would also use MicroEDU to plan my stay abroad at any time in terms of support in planning the semester abroad.
