In the international exchange program, experiences vary widely
With exchange applications due earlier this month, many 2Ls are now eagerly anticipating the results of the lottery to find out where they will be spending, in many cases, the first half of their 3L year. The 25 eligible host schools for U of T students are spread across 15 countries, and accordingly, the students who went on exchange last Fall had vastly different experiences depending on where the lottery sorted them.
Even those who embarked upon the exchange with little consideration of academics in mind (let’s be honest, who does have academics in mind?) found their experience to be educationally valuable. For example, those who went to Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 found that they learned a lot about European Union law and French civil law, both fields for which there are few opportunities for exposure at U of T. Similarly, at the National University of Singapore, students had the chance to learn about public international law, Singaporean regional policies, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—all topics foreign to our relatively corporate-focused institution.
For some students, an education (gasp!) was the inevitable consequence of the new academic culture they experienced abroad. Some host schools impose attendance requirements, such as Tel Aviv University, where administrative policy requires that students miss no more than four classes a term. As a result, some classes had sign-in sheets, and certain professors would factor attendance into grades.
Consequences at the National University of Singapore were even more serious, where official immigration policy requires that students cannot miss a full week of class, or they risk being sent home. However, in practice, students found that missing class was only consequential if professors reported absences to administration, and this was not a problem among their cohort. Despite stricter attendance policies in some places, many students found host school programs to be decidedly less rigorous than U of T, whether they were in Amsterdam, Sydney, or Singapore. This may make transitioning back to U of T a bit of a challenge, but we don’t call it 3LOL for nothing.
Aside from academic differences, students going on exchange should not neglect the potential for significant cultural difference. Impressions of exchange cities ranged from “staid” and “dreadful” (Geneva) to “super modern” (Singapore) to fun and interesting (Amsterdam).
Matt Prior (3L) characterized Amsterdam as “massively international,” and therefore not as severe of a culture shock, but he did have to adjust to the mundane realities of living in the Netherlands, such as bureaucratic inefficiency and the two months it took him to get a bank card. Inna Feshtchenko (3L) experienced similar issues: “getting a Dutch bank account is the equivalent of going through Kafka’s The Trial”. Cultural difference can manifest itself in uglier ways as well: Sara Tatelman (3L) was shocked by the amount of racism and antisemitism she experienced in Geneva, even from her host family.
Both oppressive and relatively benign cultural differences can cause students to feel isolated. However, students found ways to mitigate these effects. According to Feshtchenko, the University of Amsterdam has the largest exchange group from U of T, so “it was really nice to hang out” with the group. In addition to the ten U of T students, Amsterdam hosted other Canadians from Osgoode, Calgary, McGill, and UBC, and a number of other international students.
All in all, students agreed that living in a city was really the best way to understand the culture. Samantha Rosenthal (3L) explained that because Israel could be seen as a country of contrasts—secular and religious, ancient and modern, Jewish and democratic— “it is only by seeing it with your own eyes that you can understand how these seemingly contradictory aspects fit together.”
Many students took the opportunity to travel widely, which was for many the highlight of the exchange. Rosenthal (3L) recommends studying in Tel Aviv because the semester starts at the end of October, giving students time to travel or take on internships before school even begins. Tatelman travelled 10 of the 13 weekends she had in Geneva, and visited a number of countries across the continent. From his base in Amsterdam, Prior travelled both within and beyond Europe, to countries including Portugal, Hungary, and Morocco. Feshtchenko, also attending the University of Amsterdam, was able to travel to a staggering thirteen countries during her exchange. In another part of the world, students in Singapore travelled across Asia and Oceania, visiting Cambodia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, among other places. But many didn’t even have to leave the city to find something interesting and unique to do. Students occupied themselves with enjoying the lake in Geneva, going to the beach in Tel Aviv, exploring Amsterdam’s diverse neighbourhoods, or strolling the riverside areas of Lyon.
Despite some challenges, students who went on exchange unequivocally recommended it to others as an opportunity to meet new people and travel before starting your punishing legal career, regardless of where you go. For Feshtchenko, the University of Amsterdam was her third choice, and she has no regrets about where she ended up. She “loved everything about it,” from the courses she took, to the friends she made, to the adventures she had. Though you may have your heart set on a host school, keep an open mind, as the most unexpected experiences can turn out to be your best experiences. Bon voyage!
