I can’t believe that there’s less than 5 weeks until I land back in England! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. With only two weeks of exams left at UofC, goodbyes have started and there are a lot of emotions flying around. I’ve loved this year so much, but I think I’ve said that quite a lot over these blogs, so I thought I’d give some other people the chance to share their experiences!

BEA (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

Most Canadian Thing You’ve Done:
Buying a Tim Hortons every time I started a roadtrip

Biggest Mistake You’ve Made: 
Every time I’ve lost my UCID over the year – I’ve lost it at least 5 times!

Best Thing You’ve Done: 
Every road trip to the mountains I’ve done with the amazing people I’ve met, but especially driving through the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper

Advice for Someone Else Coming Abroad: 
Don’t have expectation for your year abroad; your exchange will surprise you

FLORA (Durham University) 

Best Thing You’ve Done: 
Hiking up Ha Ling Peak (just outside Canmore) and being rewarded with one of the most incredible views I’ve ever encountered

Hardest Thing You’ve Experienced: 
The conflict between wanting to stay here forever and wanting to go home and see my friends and family

Advice for Someone Else Coming Abroad:
Bring lots of hand cream and moisturiser – it’s very dry in Calgary

Something You’ve Learned: 
You can learn a lot about yourself and your country by travelling, and you can learn new and different ways of being just by being in the company of foreigners

DECLAN (University of Kent)

Most Canadian Moment:
Going back country camping in the snow in mid-winter

Favourite Memory You’ll Take Home: 
Standing at the viewpoint in Banff

Advice to Someone Else Coming Abroad: 
Explore as much as you can and take every opportunity you can

Something You’ve Learnt: 
I’ve realised I don’t like the cold

ANNA (Durham University) 

Hardest Thing You’ve Experienced:
Saying goodbye to the people who only stayed for one semester at Christmastime

Favourite Thing You’ve Done: 
Learning to ski properly and the Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff

Biggest Mistake You’ve Made:
Spending $140 on non-refundable bus tickets for the wrong day and sleeping through my exam!

Something You’ve Learned:
This year has made me stress less; things go wrong but there’s nearly always a solution

TASH (University of South Australia) 

Most Canadian Thing You’ve Done: 
Gone swimming in an outdoor pool in winter (late December), and when I got out I warmed up with Poutine

Biggest Mistake You’ve Made: 
Thinking at the beginning that 4 months is a long time… It’s really not, so you have to make the most of the experience from the first day, instead of waiting until you’ve got a month to go and realising you haven’t done as much as you would’ve liked

Best Thing You’ve Done: 
Put myself out there to meet amazing people. It would’ve been a completely different experience without the people I met, and I’m really glad I got to spend it with them

Something You’ve Learned About Yourself: 
This time last year, when I was planning this trip I was really worried about going oversease for the first time completely alone. Now having done it I know that I can do anything I choose to do. I also realised that your support system is everything. I could never have had the time that I did without my family and friends back home, but even more so with the friends I made in Canada

BEN (University of Exeter) 

Most Canadian Thing You’ve Done 
Making maple syrup taffy after snowshoeing in the backcountry of Kootenay National Park, BC at -32^oC. Even though it was stupidly cold, it was an amazing bright blue day and I’d do it again tomorrow.

Biggest Mistake You’ve Made
Not getting to Canadians sooner! I’d highly recommend getting to know people from the country you are studying in – if nothing else they will probably have a car! Another regret is not finding out about the once a month $2 lift pass at Mount Norquay until February!

Favourite Memory You’ll Take Away
The best thing about Calgary is being 90 minutes away from some of the best and biggest ski hills in Western Canada. Even though I’d never skied before, being so close meant I could go regularly and now I can ski black diamonds.

Advice for Someone Else Coming Abroad 
If you can, take electives – I’ve been able to take Business and Philosophy classes, which took me outside of my comfort zone but turned out to be more fun than my degree classes.