EXCHANGE REPORT

McGill University, Canada

Desautels Faculty of Management

Melanie Hsu

Fall 2018

PART I – MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG

August

Since there is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Montreal,

I chose to fly to Toronto first and explore the city. There

are special discount airfares offered by Cathay Pacific

Airways and Cathay Dragon, which is a good choice to

save some of your exchange cost (or else the air ticket

could cost almost double!). I travelled around Toronto for

a few days before heading to Montreal, for instance CN

Tower and the Niagara Falls, which was a good experience

as the vibe and environment is quite different from

Montreal.

After arriving Montreal, I checked in to the student

residence in 3601 University Street, which is 10 minutes

walk from main campus. Since there are no lift in these

shared-facilities housing, it was a hard job taking up my

heavy luggages upstairs, especially as I was living on the

top floor. Settling down, I started preparing for my

upcoming living in the city, such as opening a bank

account and buying a local SIM card. I also participated

in some orientation activities and information sessions

to learn more about McGill and meet some new friends

from around the globe.

September

It was an uneasy time confirming the courses. You will need to go to the faculty office in person during

add-drop period to make alternations to courses registration, and there was always a long queue that

might take you 30 minutes for waiting. Fortunately I was able to take all the courses that I wanted to

take and transferred in total 17 credits back to HKUST. On the other hand, as the workload in September

was not that heavy, I was able to have short trips during weekends and travel around Canada, in Ontario

and Quebec provinence. I went to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, which is a small city with various

government buildings, and had a tour inside the Parliament. I also travelled to Quebec City, the capital

of Quebec provinence and one of the oldest European countries in North America. Moreover, my

housemates, who were also exchange students from other countries, and I drove for 2 hours to Mont

Tremblant to hike and enjoy a night there. To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival in mid September, my

friends and I made rice dumplings and introduce this culture to other exchange and local students. It was

a great start of this exchange journey and I started to adapt to the life there.

October

The weather got cooler and

maple leaves started turning

red, thus it is the best season for

apple picking in Oka. As part of

a course project, I also went

volunteering in Les Amis de la

Montagne, a non-profit group

dedicated to the conservation

and preservation of Mount

Royal, and protect, improve and promote the sustainability of the mountain. During Saturdays, my

groupmates and I went up to the mountain (which is right next to McGill campus) and cooperated with

other volunteers to plant the vegetation and remove foreign invasive species which would harm the

growth of local greenery. The aim of this project is not only to contribute to Sustainability Development

Goal #11, but also to provide us a chance to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses as leaders and

followers. It was a unique experience to learn more about the local community, while working with local

students to bring positive societal impact to the city.

November

Having most of my midterms in this month, I used quite a lot of time

preparing and revising. Yet, I still left some time to explore around

Montreal, visit the famous spots and try different cuisines with my

friends. (P.S. it is cheaper to have French cuisin in Montreal than in HK!)

It started snowing in early November, which the temperature went

straight down and many of my friends caught a cold due to the sudden

change in weather, so becareful not to get sick.

December

Since I only have two exams in late December, I enjoyed some winter activities before starting to revise.

Starting from early December, there were various kinds of Christmas markets around Montreal, and it

was a great chance to explore more about different culture. The weather is also cold enough for the

outdoor ski rinks to be built, including the one in Mount Royal and Old Port, so we can try skiing in the

park (which is impossible in Hong Kong) and there were also fireworks during Saturdays. I also joined an

exchange student event to learn ice hockey and enjoyed the sport with my friends. Most importantly, I

flew to Yellowknife to see the northern lights, which was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience as I was

lucky enough to see the aurora. That’s one thing off my bucket list!

PART II – GENERAL EXCHANGE INFORMATION

Visa Procedures

If you are holding a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, an Electronic Travel

Authorization (eTA) is required to stay in Canada for 6 months or less. As the exchange period is generally

4-5 months, a study permit is not needed for the stay. To apply for eTA, you can simply fill in the online

form through www.canada.ca and pay CAD$7, and applications are usually approved in short time.

Orientation Activities

There is an array of orientation activities organized by different departments in McGill University. Here

are some activities that you can take part in:

1. Events Organized by International Student Service

- Send us your Parents

➔ Service for parents who want to know more about McGill, where they can inquire about

on-campus services and resources, meet representatives from the Alumni Association

and other McGill groups and services

- Meet & Greet Lounge

➔ Meet and chat with other new international students

➔ Find tips about navigating McGill and Montreal

- Orientation Info-Session

➔ A short presentation about immigration, health insurance and Montreal

- Bitesize MTL

➔ Short weekend tours to immerse yourself in the iconic Montreal neighbourhood

➔ Enjoy quintessential local snacks

2. McGill Orientation Week

- Discover McGill

➔ A campus-wide University welcome day to experience with the entire incoming class,

which includes University Orientation Welcome Event, Services for Student Fair,

campus tour and Faculty Orientation session

- Frosh

➔ Multi-day events coordinated by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU),

Faculty or Non-Faculty clubs and associations, similar to OCamps in HKUST and prices

vary

➔ A good opportunity to meet both local and international students, but no

accommodation is provided for the event

3. Management Exchange Students Orientation Session

International Services & Activities

The Desautels Exchange Network (DEN) is a student-run organization which organize various events for

exchange students studying in Faculty of Management during the semester, such as day trips to Ottawa

and Quebec, and traditional Canada events like Montreal Canadiens Hockey Game and the Sugar Shack.

On the other hand, the McGill International Student Services also help to support international students

with different programs, services and events. For instance, the Buddy Program pairs new international

students with current students to help students settle into McGill and Montreal. My buddy was very

nice to help me with all the questions that I had before I arrived the city, and we also went out for meals

and chats.

Accommodations

McGill University provides Shared-facilities Houses for exchange students. They are located steps away

from McGill, and you can experience an independent lifestyle while living among other exchange

students. Heating, hot water, electricity, internet and furniture are included. I lived in a small room in

3601 University, where the rent is around CAD$700 per month. Although there might be cheaper

options renting a house outside McGill campus, I believe it is still a more convenient choice (and

economic since the travel cost is very high in Montreal). However, if you want to get a place in any of

the Student Housing, make sure you email Student Housing Office when the residence accommodation

application opens. The online application form will only be opened to full-time students through Minerva

(the McGill system), so you will not see any residence application form on the system, but the only choice

is to email the office by yourself and ask for a space in residence.

Course Registration

Since most courses in Faculty of Management require prerequisite courses, you cannot enroll into

classes directly through the McGill system. After you are successfully admitted to McGill University as

an exchange student, the BCom office (Desautels Faculty of Management Office) will send you an

exchange student request form to register into courses. Simply browse through the course catalog and

write down the courses that you would like to take, complete the form and send to BCom office together

with your HKUST unofficial transcript. You can also request for course outlines to apply for credit

transfer course mappings if the course is not listed in HKUST Course Equivalence Database. I strongly

recommend you to settle all courses before the first day of school, since if you want to change the

courses during the add-drop period, you will need to go to BCom office by person, which I had once

waited for 30 minutes due to the long queue.

Teaching & Assessment Methods

The assessment methods are similar to that in HKUST, including mid-term and final examinations, group

projects, essays, etc. The grading scale can be referred as below:

A 85-100% B 70-74% C 55-59%

A- 80-84% B- 65-69% D 50-54%

B+ 75-79% C+ 60-64% F 0-49%

Although an absolute grading system is being adopted, the class average must be below 75% in

accordance to Faculty guideline. Hence, bell curving may apply at the end of the term.

Sports & Recreation Facilities

The McGill Athletics and Recreation is located in 475 Avenue des Pins, arounf 15 minutes walk from

main campus and near to Student Residence. You can use the Sports Complex for free, but access to the

Fitness Centre is limited to member, which the membership fee is CAD$42 per semester.

Finance and Banking

There are a few banks within walking distance from downtown campus, including Bank of Montreal

(BMO), Scotiabank, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), TD Bank and CIBC. I opened

a bank account in BMO, which provides student banking account that is free of charge but with a

transaction limit of 30 per month. It is relatively easier to open a bank account in BMO than other banks

as it only requires your passport, visa (eTA) and student ID, and the whole process lasted less than 30

minutes. You can have access to online banking services and a debit card will be given, which is really

useful for paying school fees and other expenses.

Health and Safety

Montreal is ranked among the top 20 safest cities to live in, according to The Economist’s 2015 Safe

Cities Index. McGill also has a multitude of resources in available to ensure students feel secure on and

around campus.

1. Security Services

It aims to provide a safe and secure environment for students through guidance, prevention and

response. The services they provide inclue Security Safety Escort and exterior emergency

phones.

2. McGill Student Emergency Response Team (M-SERT)

It is a volunteer service supported by SSMU, whose members provide emergency first-aid

services.

3. Walksafe

Walksafe is a student run volnuteer service that provides free accompaniment for students

walking in Montreal at night, and can accompany you on metro, bus or taxi.

4. Drivesafe

Drivesafe is a volunteer SSMU service that operates vans which can drive students safely home

for free every Thursday, Friday abd Saturday night from 11pm to 3am. You can call and request

a ride if you feel unwell or unsafe getting home on your own.

Food

As a multicultural city, Montreal is full of all kinds of cuisines, including French, European, Chinese…

Here are some suggestions if you don’t want to go far from campus:

- Fast Food: Tim Hortons, A&W, Subway, McDonald’s and Burger King are within short

walking distance near the campus

- Japote: probably the cheapest restaurant that you can find near campus, which serves

Japanese donburi bowls and bento boxes

- Opiano: a Korean (and Japanese) restautant near Faculty of Management, will give out

coupons for some menu

- Universel Dejeuners et Gillades: a place for brunch which is only 5 minutes walk from

Faculty of Management, a good place to stay if you have some time between lessons

- Lola Rosa: a small vegetarian restaurant on Rue Milton, famous for its veggie menu

There are a lot of famous restuarnts in Montreal, especially near the La Plateau area. It’s good to use

YELP to search for different cuisines. Some famous dishes in Montreal are poutine, smoked meat

sandwiches, bagels and (of course) things with maple syrup. There are also a number of Asian restaurants

in Chinatown and next to Concordia University.

Transportation

The public transit system, named la Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) provides bus and metro

services for you to go around the city. There are four lines in the metro system, and the nearest station

to McGill University is McGill station, which is around 10 minutes walk from campus. A single trip costs

CAD$3.25 (same for metro and bus), and a one-day pass costs CAD$10, but you can also transfer onto

the bus from the metro or vice versa for free. If you are frequently travelling with public transportation,

you can consider purchasing a student OPUS card for reduced fare. The card itself is CAD$15 (without

any money in it), and the reduced fare is CAD$51 per month (only monthly passes available, no discount

for other types of regular ticket). In most time, I would prefer walking as it is a good exercise and it

actually helps save quite a lot.

Climate

Montreal has a semi-continental climate, with a warm, humid summer and a very cold winter. During

summer, the weather is more or less similar to that in Hong Kong (maybe a bit cooler), but most of the

accommodation do not have air-conditioning so you may want to bring a small fan or stay in library. In

winter, the sunshine duration is short, and it usually gets dark at around 5pm. There are also heavy snow

in December and January, so make sure you bring enough winter clothing.

Communication

Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. The city’s official

language is French, so the written signs are majorly in French (e.g. road sign, menu, product description

in supermarket). As a bilingual city, there is no difficulty to communicate verbally in English, but it may

take you a bit of time to familiar with the signs around. You can take this opportunity to learn French

through registering in McGill French course (FRSL), or SSMU (student union) also provides basic French

courses in a low price.

For mobile phone plan, I subscribed Chatr’s prepayment plan, which is CAD$40 per month (exclude tax)

for 4GB of data, unlimited Canada-wide talk and international text. Since I was living on campus, I mostly

used Wi-Fi in school, so 4GB of data is very enough for me. It is also really convenient to have a Canadian

phone number when you have to make reservations or register for some services in Montreal. If you

think it is too expensive, you can also buy some prepaid card in Hong Kong (around HKD$100 –

HKD$150) before departing to Canada.

PART III – ITEMS TO BRING

Clothes for summer and winter

Stationery

Personal computer

Medicine

Camera

Charger

Money

You can always buy things in Montreal if needed as it is convenient to go around. IKEA, Dollarama,

Costco, Walmart, Metro and Provigo are good choices for daily goods!

P.S. There are Black Friday Sales in November and Boxing Day Sales in December where shops offer

lots of discounts!

PART IV – USEFUL LINKS

McGill University:

https://www.mcgill.ca/

McGill International Student Services:

https://www.mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/ OR https://www.facebook.com/mcgill.iss/

Desautels Exchange Network:

https://www.facebook.com/desautels.exchange.network

Know More about Montreal:

https://www.mtl.org/en

Chatr Mobile:

https://www.chatrwireless.com/web/chatr.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PlanBrowse

**Remember to always check your email (@mail.mcgill.ca) as all the important information will be sent there!