A few weeks ago, I and the other exchange students returned to U of T Law to a strange new set of buildings. The application deadline for an exchange abroad next year was a little while ago so, naturally, some of us were asked questions about our experiences on exchange. For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to know anyone who went on exchange or those considering going on exchange the year after next, here are some of the pros and cons. I’ve asked friends who went on exchange to send me pros and cons about their experience, which I’ve included below. The list is not comprehensive but includes what I think are generally the most popular exchanges.
Before I give the specifics of each person’s experience, let me just say a few general things. First, a lot of people wonder if they should go on exchange at all. As I see it, the pros are pretty obvious: experience a different culture, open your mind to different points of view and circumstances, make new friends, better or obtain a foreign language skill (depending on your exchange), ability to travel around and to a new part of the world, learn new things, take different kinds of classes, less work in school, and so forth. Not to mention, for many of us, this will probably be the last time in our lives where we can just live somewhere else for 4 months without a huge opportunity cost of some kind. While you’re a student, an exchange is basically just going to school somewhere else. Any other time in your life, leaving to live in a foreign country for four months is probably a mid-life crisis or an insane thing to do.
That being said, there are some cons to an exchange: it will likely be more costly than spending the semester in Toronto, fear of missing out, classes might not be as useful or interesting on exchange, shifting your life to another country has administrative difficulties, personal difficulties (long distance relationship or distance from family and friends), foreign language difficulties, culture shock, and so forth. From what I can gather, money is often the biggest con for people. There are ways to minimize the cost though. You can apply to the CIE Bursary program for financial assistance – I personally received $1500 and I know others that received similar amounts. You can also put some additional expenses, like your flight to/from your exchange, on your U of T Law Financial Aid application and ask for special consideration. Most important, watch how you spend your money and save where you can. For example, I went on exchange in London, where you definitely have to pay more for rent and transportation than Toronto but groceries, alcohol, phone/internet plans, and sightseeing tend to be cheaper. Taking into account my bursary and excluding my Eurotrip, I probably only spent around $1000 more during the semester than I would have, if I stayed in Toronto.
On the whole, I think an exchange is a really unique and worthwhile experience and the cons can generally be minimized. Anyways, here are some more specific comments people gave about their exchange.
Center for Transnational Legal Studies – London, United Kingdom
(provided by Daanish Samadmoten and Karina Wong)
PROS
- All the other students at school are on exchange as well so you meet people from all around the world
- London is an absolutely amazing city with lots to see and do
- Great art, theater, and architecture (a lot of which is free or very cheap to see)
- Very few bureaucratic problems (no visa required)
- Cheap groceries and cheap phone/internet plans
- Amazing public transit system
- No language barriers
- Locals are very friendly
- Easily able to travel around Europe because of the location and the city’s 6 airports
- There is a reading week mid-semester and attendance is not so strict that you cannot travel extensively around Europe
CONS
- You go to school with very few British students so it’s harder to make local friends
- The program itself is all about transnational law (not the same as international law), which wasn’t particularly interesting or useful for most people in the program
- Rent and transportation are more expensive than in Toronto
- Mandatory attendance (with a certain number of allowed misses for each class)
- The city is big so walking isn’t always a viable option (though there are tube stops everywhere so it isn’t a huge issue)
Université Jean Moulin – Lyon, France
(provided by Lisa Tan and Annie Tayyab)
PROS
- Great for those looking to better or obtain French skills without having to study in French
- Lyon is a quintessentially French city, relatively untainted by tourists
- Lots of things to do in the city
- Once you become friends with the locals, they are extremely genuine and caring
- Good public transportation system and rail network
- For international law enthusiasts, the professors and adjuncts are great contacts to have
- Easy to find a community of Anglophone friends
- School administrator can be very helpful in navigating bureaucracy (and is willing to help translate things for students)
CONS
- The French bureaucracy is difficult at times
- Intermediate level French skills needed to survive on a daily basis
- One has to actively seek out opportunities to practice French because the courses are taken with Anglophones
- People in the city can often be rude, if your French skills are not up to par
- Classes are Masters level and therefore involve a time commitment; take homes on weekends are common
- A higher proportion of students fail classes than in North America
- Everything is closed at lunch time, late evenings, and Sundays
- Difficult to find budget airline flights from the city because the airport is small
- Courses are not very deep: they skim the surface of 10 topics related to European and International Business Law
Université Panthéon-Assas – Paris, France
(provided by Jan Tominska)
PROS
- Study with French locals but Paris is also a big destination for exchange students
- Lots of student events to attend
- Amazing city with lots to do
- School semester is shorter (late September to just before Christmas)
- Immersion into the French culture significantly improves French language skills
CONS
- Paris is an expensive city to live in, especially for rent
- School work is relatively rigorous and time consuming
Chinese University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong, China
(provided by David Atia, Ron Trac, Max Laskin, and Alex Fidler-Wiener)
PROS
- Hong Kong is a fantastic city where you can meet a lot of cool people
- The classes are interesting but also fairly easy
- Easily able to travel around Asia and surrounding countries
- Meet lots of locals and other exchange students
- Great beaches, hiking, and nature surrounding the city
- Great mix of good affordable food and trendy restaurants
CONS
- Didn’t make very many friends at school
- Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in, especially for rent
- Hong Kong is a very commercialized city, which can get a little tiring
- Courses not necessarily relevant to your practice as a lawyer
- Difficult to interact with some locals because of the language barrier
University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong, China
(provided by Terry Doucet)
PROS
- Hong Kong is a great city to live in, has a good balance between Western and Chinese culture
- Less culture shock than in cities like Beijing
- School is fairly easy; there is 70% mandatory attendance at HKU but only around 12 hours of class a week so still plenty of time for travelling
- Hong Kong is a great hub for bouncing around Asia
- Easy to use public transit system
- Lots of fantastic restaurants around (Yardbird, Din Tai Fung, and Nha Trang)
CONS
- If you don’t stay in residence at HKU, it is harder to integrate with other exchange or local students
- Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in, especially for rent
University of Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
(provided by Marianne Salih)
PROS
- School is really easy and located in the heart of the city
- Class schedule is flexible so you can have classes 1 or 2 days a week
- Interesting classes in international law
- Great hub for travelling around Europe
- Very fun and exciting city to live in and explore; lots of museums, bars, cafes, markets, clubs, etc
- Bike lanes are everywhere and bikes are affordable
- Most of the locals speak English
- Lots of other exchange students at the university
- Internships available at international criminal courts
- You can visit the ICC and ICTY in the Hague and watch a trial
- Alcohol and “coffee shops” are cheap and accessible
- Weather is moderate
- Good public transportation system
- Lots of city events and festivals throughout the year
CONS
- Amsterdam is more expensive to live in than Toronto
- A lot of stores and other things close early
- No centralized shopping centers so you need to shop around in various locations
- Takes a while to open a bank account
- Academics are not very challenging
- Dutch are very straightforward, which can sometimes come off as rude or arrogant
University of Glasgow – Glasgow, United Kingdom
(provided by Emilie Lahaie)
PROS
- Classes are generally interesting and challenging but not too difficult
- Lots of social events at the school
- Great pubs, bars, and clubs to visit and a strong drinking culture
- No language barrier
- Great facilities at the university
- Glasgow is a great place to live in the UK without the London price-tag (similar cost of living to Toronto)
- Easy to travel around Europe from the city
- Locals are friendly and lots of fun to hang out with
CONS
- On-campus residence accommodations were pretty bad
- Most of the friends you make at school will be younger, usually between 20 and 22 years old
- It rains quite often
- Grades are not bell curved
- Mandatory attendance for some classes
