Experience report HEC Montréal FALL 2017

Transcription

1 Experience report HEC Montréal FALL 2017 Study program: Organization studies Exchange semester: Fall Academic year: Host University: HEC Montréal Country: Canada 1 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Please, describe: - The city you lived in; Montréal was a really nice, relaxed city to live in. There are so many different people with different backgrounds living in Montréal and this reflects in the city itself. Montréal has the beautiful old port next to the water, with a French architecture style. Here are many nice restaurants and bars. In summer and winter time many events are hosted here. There is a very modern, American inspired city center. Here are the big shopping streets, coffee shops and lots of activities. And Montréal has the beautiful neighborhood Le Plateau where lots of students live. More unique, little clothing shops are here and again lots of restaurants and bars. In the middle of the city is a mountain located, the Mont Royal. Here you can enjoy a beautiful view all over the city. In Montréal there are lots of students, so there are enough activities organized to go to as a student. Montréal is a bilingual city, which means that they all speak primarily French, but most people can switch to English without a problem. I personally never experienced any problems with communicating, although I don t speak French. - Where is the university located in the city? The university is located on the south-west side of the city. If you live in the neighborhood Cote-desneiges, you can either walk to school or take the metro for 5-10 minutes. If you live in the city center or in Le Plateau, it will take you minutes to get to school by bus or metro. - Please describe the campus of your host university HEC is a relatively small compared to Tilburg University. They only have two buildings that are in walking distance from each other. - What is best place to go eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? At HEC, both buildings have a cafeteria. They both serve the same kind of food, so it doesn t really matter to which building you go for lunch. In the city itself I would recommend to go to Le Plateau or the old Port for your lunch or dinner. - What are interesting things to see and do in your host city? There are many things to see in Montréal. I would definitely recommend going up the Mont Royal at least twice: once by day and once by night. The climb is definitely worth the view! Furthermore, you can stroll along the harbor, where many nice little parks are located. The Notre Dam basilique is really beautiful and a must-see. China town is small but worth a visit! Furthermore, take one day to

2 walk in Le Plateau and discover all the beautiful houses, graffiti art work, cute coffee shops, and stunning parks. (Parc de la Fonteine is my favorite!) - What was different than in Tilburg? The biggest difference is that Montréal is a much bigger city than Tilburg. In Montréal, there is always something organized or something to do. Also, it takes a bit longer to go to the other side of the city. Luckily, the public transport is much better than in the Netherlands. The metro goes every 4-6 minutes, so you never have to wait long. - Study structure At HEC the classes are a lot smaller than in Tilburg. You are in class with a maximum of 60 people. The classes are 3 hours long and you ll have every course once a week. The lectures are a combination of a listening part and a more practical part. In the beginning I thought 3 hours was way too long, but in the end I really liked it. Most teachers really make an effort to get to know everyone and there is a lot of time for discussion and sharing your point of view on things. Also, most classes are grading you on participation, so in this way it is encouraged to take part in the discussion. 2 PRACTICAL INFORMATION Information before you left - When did you receive the pre-arrival information from the host university? In the beginning of May. - Any difficulties? No. The mails from HEC where very clear about what I had to do before my arrival, how to enroll to my classes, how I could arrange housing, deadlines and all other things. Visa procedure and arrival - How long did it take you to arrange your (Student) visa (if relevant)? 10 minutes. It was a very short, easy questionnaire and after filling it in it took 5 minutes for me to receive the that stated that I got my visa. I got a visitor s visa, because you don t need a study permit or other visa if you stay for no longer than 6 months. - How much did you pay for the visa (if relevant)? Around 5 euro. - How was your arrival organized? I came 2 weeks before school started, so I could travel a bit before school started. So there was nothing organized for me that two weeks. But if you arrive three or two days before the welcome week starts there is a pick-up service organized by the exchange committee of HEC. In the Welcome Week there was also an introduction at HEC. Here we met our contacts persons, learned about how everything works at HEC, and could ask our questions. - Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival? Yes. I didn t have any problems. Orientation/Introduction

3 - Was an orientation or introduction activity organized? Yes, there was a welcome week. This was mostly organized by the exchange committee of HEC. These are all HEC students who went on an exchange, or are planning to do so. In the welcome week, there were a lot of activities planned. Every day there was a day program and a night program. I met most of my friends in this week and it was a lot of fun, so I would highly recommend going to all the activities in this week! - Did the school s students participate in the reception of the exchange students? Yes. Mostly the exchange committee. They help you with your questions and organize a lot of activities for the exchange students. - Did you have a student mentor/buddy? Yes. The exchange committee has a buddy program. So if you want you can sign up for a buddy. There is also a buddy dinner in the welcome week where you can meet your buddy and ask all your questions. Your buddy is a student of HEC that (probably) also went on an exchange and wants to help you. The purpose of a buddy is to have someone that is local and can help you with your questions or give you recommendations. Housing - How was accommodation organized? I arranged my room by myself. I got my room through the site GetYourPlace. It worked really well. Everything was well organized, and I got all the information I needed on time. - What kind of housing does the university provide? The university doesn t have housing, so you have to find something yourself. The university did send me some helpful sites where you can get a room. Living costs - How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg University? I financed my exchange period with my savings, some money I got from my parents, but it was mostly financed through my student loan. - What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? The living expenses on exchange a higher than in Tilburg. This is because my rent was more than in Tilburg, but also you have more unexpected costs. For instance in the first week of school I had to pay for an insurance, even when I already had one. Food was also a bit more expensive than in the Netherlands. But the biggest difference is the costs in traveling. When I was on exchange I travelled a lot, and this was where most of my money was going to. - Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange (In Canadian dollars): 1. Housing: $ Food: $ Transport: $45 4. Books: $100 (one time) 5. Miscellaneous: $450 (including travelling)

4 Academic Calendar - Arrival date & introductory week: I arrived at the 7 th of August and the welcome week started on the 21 st of August - First day of the semester: The 28 th of August - Last day of classes: December first - Mid-term break October 23 November first - Examination period December 4 th December 19 th The international office - Does the host university have an International Office? Yes, there was an international office. Although I never went there because I had no problems or questions. Sometimes we received s from them with some information. Exchange promotion - What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Tilburg University at your exchange university? I participated in an international fair. Here all the exchange students could promote their own university and show it to the students of HEC who were thinking about going on an exchange. I talked with some students about Tilburg university and the Netherlands in general and I could answer some questions they had. Social activities - Which social activities are organized by the university/students for exchange students? There were a lot of parties organized for the international students. Also, the exchange committee would post on Facebook where they were going out so everyone would go to the same place. This was always a lot of fun because you saw a lot of familiar faces at the parties. There were also trips organized by the exchange committee. So together with them and around 100 other exchange students I went to Quebec city, Boston and Cuba. This was all really nice to experience this with so many friends and you always get to know new people. - Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange? Yes, as mentioned I went to Quebec city, Boston and Cuba with the exchange committee. Furthermore, I also did a road trip along a part of the east coast, went to a couple of national parks and the Niagara Falls, but I also travelled to some big cities like Toronto, New York city and Chicago. Culture and Language

5 - How would you describe your host country s culture? I would describe the Canadian culture as very friendly and open. Most people I met were super nice and helpful. Even though French is the first language in Montréal, everyone was willing to speak in English. I also never felt unsafe in the city, even at night. - Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students? No, everyone could speak English. The only thing I experienced was that I received some s in French, but these s were mostly general information for all students of HEC. - Did you follow language courses during your exchange? No, I did not. It could be useful to do a French language course, but you manage your exchange in Montréal without being able to speak French. Personal development - How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point of view? I think that now after my exchange I am more open to new cultures and more aware of the differences between cultures. I worked together in groups with people from different backgrounds and I learned a lot about cultural differences this way. - How do you think the exchange experience will influence your future career possibilities? I think my time abroad has influenced my career possibilities for the better. I think an international company would prefer someone that is internationally orientated. Also, for me it changed the way I look at work. Because of my exchange I think I will apply sooner for a job that is abroad. - What will you never forget about your exchange period? I will never forget the amazing people that I met and the places that I ve seen. It is a once in a lifetime chance to go and study abroad, and I would recommend everyone to take this chance. 3 ACADEMIC INFORMATION Academic level at a host university - In what language(s) are the courses offered at the partner university? English, French and Spanish - Which courses did you take? Conflict management, Strategic Management in organizations, Human Resource Management and Corporate Social Responsibility - Which courses would you recommend? I would recommend every course I took except for Human resource management. This course is mainly focused on the HR in Canada. So you also have to study some Canadian laws and regulations, this is not really useful when you are not working in Canada. All my other courses I really enjoyed and think they are really useful for my future career.

6 - How would you compare the academic level at your host university to the academic level at Tilburg university? I would say it is similar. The teaching style at HEC is different, as explained earlier, but the academic level is similar to that at Tilburg University. - What teaching method is practiced by the host university: case studies, group work, seminars or lectures? The classes were 3 hours: there was a lecture part but also a practical part were we did case studies, group work, discussions or presentations. What I liked about the classes is that the material was less theoretical than in Tilburg, it was much more practical. I felt like I learned some practical knowledge that I can directly apply to my job later. - How would you describe the relationship between the students and the teaching staff? The teachers really make an effort to get to know everyone. They all know your name and where you re from. I really liked all of my teachers, they were always willing to help me with my questions and they were very friendly. Exams - What types of exams did you have to take? For two courses I had a midterm and for one course I had to take an final exam. The midterms and final exam where a combination of multiple choice questions and open questions. Other - Can students easily access the library and its resources? Yes. The library is in the CSC building on the top floor. It is a beautiful library with public computers that students can use, book you can borrow, and enough learning spaces. Description of courses can be found on the HEC site! Tips for future students: - Would you recommend an exchange period? Yes! I had a great time on my exchange. I met a lot of new people, saw new places, and learned all new things. There wasn t one thing I didn t enjoyed about my exchange. - Would you recommend your host university? Yes! HEC was a really nice host university. They welcome you with open arms, also the exchange committee do a lot for the exchange students. I really enjoyed my classes there and everything was organized well. - Other tips: Don t worry too much about everything in advance. I wanted to start as soon as I heard I was going to HEC with planning and getting things arranged. This is not necessary, you ll receive s from HEC on time with what you have to do and with the deadlines. So don t worry too much in advance, and when you re there: travel as much as possible!