Studying Abroad Diaries🍁
The Journey of a Brit in Vancouver
20th July 2022
Having spent nearly 2 decades in London, I am over-the-moon to be studying
abroad in the gorgeous and mountainous Vancouver...or are those
nerves? Studying abroad will inevitably come with its challenges and
rewards, so here are some of my preparations and what I plan to pack.
My preparations so far
Thankfully, on the logistics side, UBC's comprehensive
checklist for international students has
been very helpful to know what to do after receiving our admission letter (e.g: getting our study permits and U-Passes). Additionally, joining the UBC Facebook group has not
only helped to overcome similar problems but has also reminded me that I
am not alone admidst the admin.
To get a feel of the community and life in Vancouver, YouTube is a gem. Watching
Campus Crawl,
@itsyvn’s day in the life, and
@rrdancel's channel who talks transparently
about education, rent, loneliness, have all been eye opening to see what
life might be like there. And of course, following
UBC
’s Instagram like
a true UBC’er.
To help with budgeting, I have used
NUMBEO
to compare costs of living
(London is more expensive than Vancouver apart from groceries). I also
use an app, called “Currency”, to understand Canadian dollars relative
to British pounds, and finally, the
budget sheet UBC provides.
What I plan to pack
Apart from the non-negotiables: passports 🛂, medicine 💊, study materials 💻, one thing that has been on my mind as a raging Brit, is the weather.
Although Canada is legendary for its snowy winters, Vancouver is
situated on the SW of BC, so the water buffers extreme temperatures.
Nevertheless, it still gets
rainy and cold in winter
(slightly colder
than London), so I will pack jumpers 🧥 and buy rainboots 🥾 once I arrive.
UBC also lists some
suggested items
when moving into UBC accommodation.
Selecting which memories I bring will be tough. My little sister
had made me an “Ultimate guide to Vancouver” map for my birthday, which
includes all the recommendations she had researched and wants me to
experience. I plan to cross them off one-by-one and aim to finish them
all!
What I am looking forward to
From my past 2 years at university, connecting with people has become a
passion of mine. I believe that you get out what you put in, so I am
ready to throw myself into the deep end and see what happens. Lastly, I
am looking forward to seeing the scenery in Canada. The mountains and
greenery are what attracted me to BC– after all, it doesn’t have a
(maple) leaf in its flag for no reason!