Hello everyone! This is going to be my new blog where I share my experiences on a (hopefully) weekly basis in English and French and give helpful tips. I have finally arrived in Montreal today to start my semester at the University of Montreal as part of National Student Exchange.
Hello everyone! This is going to be my new blog where I share my experiences on a (hopefully) weekly basis in English and/or French and give helpful tips. I have finally arrived in Montreal today to start my semester at the University of Montreal as part of National Student Exchange. In this first post, I’ll tell you a little about my arrival and give some helpful tips for preparing.
Travelling by car to Montreal is really the best way from Rhode Island (or any New England state). It’s about 8 hours, depending on traffic and the number of people in customs. There isn’t much to see on the highway, but you can stop in Burlington or the towns near Lake Champlain.
Most of southern Québec near the border is farmland and has a very rural feel. There isn’t very much to see here, but it resembles the Midwest of the US quite a bit, especially with all of the corn this season.
It takes about an hour more to reach Montréal. I have to rent a place for the first night until I can move into the university housing, so I’m staying in an apartment in downtown near Rue St. Catherine (the heart of the neighborhood called the « Gay Village »). I’m too tired to really go anywhere else today, but I’ll keep you all updated. It’s a big city and I can’t wait to explore more of it!
Useful pre-departure tips for exchange students:
- Pick your classes and speak to your advisors at both schools ASAP. It takes forever to get registered in advance and you must go through multiple people. If you’re going to UdeM, you can find classes here by selecting your major/minor.
- If you’re doing one semester, as a US citizen you do NOT need a student visa (permis d’études) or a CAQ (certification d’acceptation au Québec). All you will need to upload for the school is a copy of your passport and an entry stamp. (If you’re crossing the land border, they will not stamp your passport unless you ask them).
- Have a copy of your acceptance letter at the border/airport. While I was able to get through without having it on me, they did want to see it.
- You’ll need to get a student id card that you can order in advance here.
- If you’re living in the university housing, you need to have renter’s insurance with liability. It’s part of the lease you sign with them.
- The housing (which is done via a third party company) does NOT accept credit cards. Debit cards, cash or check only.
- The university will charge you $350 CAD for health insurance. Unless you open a Canadian bank account, they will only accept check or Western Union.
- If you’re going through NSE, make sure that Financial Aid knows that, even though the program is technically international, you’re financial aid is still applicable because tuition is billed through your home campus (if you selected that on application).
- Sign up for the Passerelle program. They connect you to a student at the university who can answer any questions you might have. Mine has been very helpful so far!
- The BEI (bureau d’étudiants internationaux) is the most helpful and important office to be in touch with. They can help answer questions that are confusing for international students.
- Make sure to arrive before classes start so you can attend orientation (which starts on the 26th of August). If you’re doing university housing, you’ll need to let them know that you will be arriving early so that you can check in.
- If you’re a full-time student, you can get a card for reduced fares on public transit (I haven’t used it yet, but it is much more efficient and accessible than RIPTA).
I hope this helps! À la prochaine fois !
Anthony à Montréal 