Since I am studying English, a stay abroad is planned as part of my studies. Nevertheless, my decision to go abroad was made quite spontaneously, so that in the end I applied for the University of Winnipeg at very short notice and without thinking too much about it. I got in touch with MicroEDU , submitted all of my records as quickly as possible, and waited for feedback without much expectation. Two weeks later I had my confirmation from the university in my inbox. The journey could begin!
Arrive
I flew two weeks before the start of university to take a look around the city and get used to the time change, because it takes a while for the seven hours difference to reach my body. In August and also in September it is still very warm in Winnipeg and I experienced a really nice late summer with maximum temperatures of 30˚C. Visit act-test-centers.com to get information about top 5 schools of medicine in the USA.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg itself does not have the typical cityscape, where there is a city center, where everything happens and around it are quieter residential areas. Instead, the city is spread out with many corners where there is something to experience. But once you have an overview, you can do many different things and discover new places again and again – there is something to experience for every taste. What is always worthwhile is to watch a sporting event, be it ice hockey, Canadian football or baseball. Tickets for the Winnipeg Jets, the ice hockey team, are unfortunately very expensive, but to get an impression you can also have a look at the second team, the Manitoba Moose, it’s worth it!
The University
The University of Winnipeg is a smaller university with around 10,000 students, but it puts all the more emphasis on the well-being of the students. There are a total of five small restaurants available and a lot of places where you can take a break from studying. My personal highlight: a relaxation room where you can not only learn in a concentrated manner, but also sleep if necessary! A power nap between the courses is not a problem here and the students like to take advantage of it.
The campus is divided into a main campus, the administrative area next to it and two other buildings on the other side of the street. The buildings on the main campus are connected to each other via certain corridors so that you don’t have to go outside as much as possible in the cold in winter. The university’s fitness studio (also on the main campus) is included in the tuition fees and is therefore freely accessible to students after registering in the studio. It is a bit smaller, but offers everything you need for “basic training”.
Education
Studying at the University of Winnipeg is very enjoyable. In terms of size, the courses are very manageable (the largest course I had had about 30 participants) and the professors really go out of their way to support you as much as possible with every issue. In my case, the course content matched the course content in Germany, so that I can credit two of my three courses in Germany. You definitely have to find out about this in advance and then choose the courses in Winnipeg.
The University of Winnipeg stipulates that every student must take at least three courses per term. The course itself is different than in Germany. Submissions or presentations are already pending during the semester, which are ultimately included in the final grade. Oral participation in the course is also occasionally graded. Although this requires a lot of effort during the term, it also takes the pressure off the exams at the end.
Living
An apartment was basically very easy to find, because the university offers both dormitories and host families. I had rented a room in the McFeetors dorm, which I have to advise against. A place in this dormitory is very expensive and involves the obligation to book a meal plan, for which a credit of at least 1,700 CAD MUST be spent in the restaurants of the university. The money is not refunded. The comfort in the dormitory is also not convincing. Furniture is available, but both bed linen and cleaning utensils have to be purchased separately, which means that costs are incurred again. Washing costs extra and is only possible after you have picked up a laundry card from the student service. You can only get a mailbox key on request and if you want to have internet access in your room, you have to sign a contract with an external provider. However, I have heard from my fellow students that the host family program is absolutely recommendable!
Conclusion
Apart from the dorm, my stay abroad was super nice. The university has a great range of activities and takes great care that you can quickly find your way around Winnipeg and the campus. MicroEDU provides very good help in taking the first steps, everything else is usually clarified with the local university. You quickly meet new people from all over the world and can really experience a lot. Canada is simply beautiful and it is really worth taking one or two trips to well-known places like Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary. I would not want to trade this experience for anything and can recommend everyone to go abroad.
