I have decided on the UNB as these for my degree program in Civil Engineering is the best course selection offered in combination with affordable fees. Compared to other universities in Canada, the fees at the UNB were rather low and affordable with some options such as BAföG, which I will go into later.

The preparation was really “easy” thanks to the friendly and quick help of the MicroEDU staff. It is of course a lot of paperwork and requires a high level of initiative to organize such a semester abroad. But MicroEDU ‘s support makes it a lot easier

Once you’ve worked through the checklist that you received before you register, you’ve done almost everything.

Now specifically about my semester at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton:

My flight went with Air Canada from Frankfurt via Montreal directly to Fredericton. Although the city has only about 50,000 inhabitants, there is an airport there from which smaller propeller planes fly. Others flew to Halifax or Montreal and then took an eight-hour bus ride to Fredericton – you have to see what that makes up for the costs. The flights there and back cost a good € 1,000.

When I arrived in Fredericton, I was picked up at the airport by a student from the Student Union. This service was offered to all international students on two specific arrival days. So at 11 p. m. I had someone who helped me to get a key to the dormitory on campus and to find everything in the first place.

The first week was like free time. It was the so-called “Orientation Week” for all international students and of course it was completely organized. Activities and barbecues every day where you can get to know and connect with lots of people straight away.

I lived in the “Mc Leod House” dormitory, where most of the international students were accommodated. It is, so to speak, the international dormitory in which 90 students live, around half of them foreign students.

The dormitory life was really great, as you eat three times a day with your friends in the dormitory’s own Mealhall and are with people the whole time. The dormitory was a bit older and we often had problems with the central heating, but on the whole life there was really great.

According to toppharmacyschools, the UNB university campus is located on a mountain and is really beautiful. Especially with the great weather (80 days of my stay there was hardly a cloud in the sky) the campus with the chic buildings is a real feast for the eyes. In September it was still really warm, up to 30 ° C. October and November were really autumnal until there was up to one meter of snow in December.

At the UNB you don’t have to worry about getting bored. The Curie Center is a huge fitness studio / sports hall, which all students can use, and is well equipped. There is the SClub and the cellar for evening entertainment. The former is the student disco on campus with really cheap prices (a beer for $ 1. 25 during happy hour). And the Celler is a great pub in the basement of the Student Union Building. The legendary Wings Night takes place every Wednesday and is also a super cozy pub where American sports are played all day.

I used a long weekend every month with my friends to go on a trip. We were in Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, St. John and in the American Baxter State Park, where there was beautiful nature to see. The prices to rent a car were really not high.

In addition, there was at least one ice hockey game roughly every other weekend in the arena on campus. The games were always a highlight, especially since the university team is one of the best in Canada.

The Canadians, as prejudice suggests, are very friendly and helpful. The students are generally wrapped in cotton wool there, everything is quite socially oriented. In order to relieve the stress of learning, you could, for example, play with therapy dogs or get a massage. In the dormitories, Canadian students are employed as supervisors, so to speak. They live there for free, but take care of the people and the dormitory itself. They also offer a lot of things such as round trips. Of course, nobody has to take part here.

The quality of the lectures is actually very good. It’s also not very difficult to get good grades. Most of the grades from the German students were 1. 0-2. 0 (or A + to B). With regard to the exams, it’s a little different than in Germany: You don’t take an exam at the end of the semester, but there are constant learning controls and submissions. I usually had 4 assignments, i. e. homework with tasks that had to be handed in, and 2-3 exams spread over the semester (mid-term and final exams).

The university’s equipment is of course very good due to the high fees, there are many work opportunities in the libraries and good computers.

Now for the cost. Don’t let the high sums put you off! I was able to finance the tuition fees and the dormitory completely with foreign BAföG and a student loan from Kfw-Bank.

The tuition fees were around € 5,400, the dormitory including meals around € 4,000 and the flight around € 1,000.

That sounds like a lot for just 4 months, of course. But if you get BAföG abroad, tuition fees of up to € 4,600 and € 1,000 flights will be covered in full. This means that even if you only get a little student loan, the tuition fees and the flight to Canada are covered with a flat rate of € 1,000. And for a semester abroad, you usually get a student loan from the Kfw Bank. So with BAföG, almost € 8,000, and the loan of € 4,200 I had paid all the fixed costs to the university and also had a little bit of it for other things.

Attention: The fees for university, dormitories etc. have to be paid at the beginning of your studies at the UNB, i. e. not monthly. You have to think about it beforehand. I took out a loan beforehand and then paid it off with the monthly BAföG payment.

If you don’t live in the dormitory, everything is a little cheaper. A little tip: You can first register for a dormitory, live there for the first week, and then move out again and look for a room around the campus without incurring any costs. The small houses in which many students live are all located directly on campus and in some cases even closer to the university than the dormitories.

All in all, the UNB is really a good choice! The area is a bit more rural and there is really no big city bustle. But that was exactly what I found very pleasant and the city of Fredericton is very cozy and beautifully laid out.

I can definitely recommend the university and the city!