My stay in Canada
Krystian Dudziński

Here are some details from my visit to Canada. I hope my webpage will encourage those of you who are considering taking part in EU-Canada Students Mobility Program. It will be an experience you'll never forget!

From the three universities that were available in the exchange program that I participated in, I decided to choose DALHOUSIE UNIVESITY in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It turned out to be a great choice. The first thing that I noticed after my arrival was that people there were very polite and easygoing. All of the Canadians that I have met during my semester abroad were very open and full of a positive attitude towards life.

During the first few days the International Student Association has organised a number of orientation meetings, in order to introduce new students to the University and its community. Also, a number of less formal meetings were organized by the Dalhousie Student Union. These allowed the new students to get to know each other better. All the professors were extremely helpful not only during the first week but throughout the semester. The faculty of Computer Science offered variety of fascinating courses to choose from, raging from basic to master's degree level. the courses that I have chosen were taught in a captivating way, and professors were putting a lot of effort into exciting and catching attention of their students.

The international student body within the University was very well organized. The abundance of social meetings and student parties helped people to socialize and fill their leisure time apart from studying. Every Friday afternoon, in the Computer Science building a special kind of party, called the "geek beer" was organized. It was a great opportunity for the CS students to relax after a week full of work, socialize and hang out wtih friend. The most popular type of a party among the international students was a potluck. An occasion for people from different cultures to bring their own unique types of food and drink to share it with others. It was a great opportunity to exchange stories and experiences from all around the world.

There is plenty to see in Halifax and Nova Scotia. During my stay I was able to explore not only the area of the city (which is well worth visiting by itself!) but I also made a few field trips to more distant parts of the province.

The national sport of Canada is lacross, however in terms of popularity the ice hockey definately wins the first place. As every university in the country, Dalhousie has it's own team. But there is not only one team! Every department and a residence house has it's own representation, and the teams often compete with one another in the University competitions. Dalhousie offers it's students a great opportunity to participate in all kinds of sports and activities. There is a large number of varsity teams that students can join. The large sport complex that is located on campus, called the dalplex, contains of a swimming pool, gym, cardio room, volleyball and basketball courts, a rock climbing wall and a number of other attractions that people can use on their own time.

The semester that I spent at Dalhousie University was one of the best experiences in my life. The diversity of people that I have met and cultures that I've become familiar with during my stay in Canada were the best reward for the effort that I had to put into the transition process of becoming a foreign exchange student at Dal.

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This is a picture from the international orientation, the first meeting of all the students who arrived for the exchange program at Dalhousie Main campus, in the back Henry Hicks Academic building where most of the academic offices are situated The other two Polish students and I in front of Henry Hicks building	This is the view from my window in the Fenwick Place - a 31 floors high residence building for international students, the highest building in town the same window view, by day Fenwick Place, the tallest building in Halifax

my friends were afraid of how much Canada would change me:)