Application process
Unfortunately, after I could not be considered for the allocation of study places at partner universities, but my desire to study for a semester in Canada was very great, I decided to apply as a free mover at Vancouver Island University.
The application process has facilitated me, MicroEDU.com, an agency that students in the selection and application of international universities advises. The advice from MicroEDU consisted of the fact that the application was processed directly through the agency and that the course preselection was also coordinated. The service was rounded off by arranging contact persons for problem cases and sending information material on all aspects of the course. With this help, the application to the university in Canada went pretty smoothly.
Travel arrangements
Using a checklist sent to me by MicroEDU, I worked my way through planning and preparing for my semester abroad, step by step.
When I had the semester dates for Vancouver Island University (VIU), I was primarily concerned with a flight. Lufthansa offers direct flights from Frankfurt to Vancouver. From there it is only about 2 hours by bus or ferry to Nanaimo, where the VIU campus is located. At Canadian universities, it is a legal requirement that students obtain health insurance through the respective university. You can be exempted from this obligation (opt-out clause), but you must then prove that you have an existing health insurance covers several months of study with adequate performance. However, this is not the case with most statutory health insurance companies, but this was pointed out by MicroEDU at an early stage. If, on the other hand, you are privately insured, the exemption seems to be possible without any problems. In addition to the tuition fees of CAN $ 6600, there are also costs of CAN $ 299 for health insurance. Get more student review on Vancouver Island University on jibin123.
Arrivals
The flight from Frankfurt to Vancouver takes about 9 hours, but the Canadian way of life including ice hockey and Tim Horton’s coffee as well as the glass construction typical of Vancouver await you at Vancouver airport.
An aerial tramway / subway runs from the airport to downtown and will take you to the Vancouver City Center stop in around 25 minutes. From there, most downtown hotels can be reached on foot and despite your luggage. Downtown Vancouver as part of the Metro Vancouver regional district is a brilliant place to start your semester abroad adventure. From cozy Canadian restaurants and high-class sports entertainment to great shopping opportunities, British Columbia’s largest city offers everything your heart desires. From there there is also the possibility of starting a round trip by rental car. Personally, I set out to travel north around the Golden Coast to explore and then crossed from Powell River to Cortenay on Vancouver Island. From there I drove about 300 kilometers (with a stop in Nanaimo to store a suitcase) to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia and the heart of Vancouver Island. Victoria offers plenty of attractions and the opportunity to get to know the people and nature of Canada’s west coast. From there a ferry goes to Port Angeles ( USA ), from where it is about 2 hours by car to Seattle. After a few days in Washington State, we went back to “True North” and Vancouver by car and overland.
To get from Vancouver to Nanaimo, in addition to seaplanes (for students CAN $ 70, including a breathtaking view of Downtown Vancouver and the Strait of Georgia), the ferry connection from Vancouver Horseshoe Bay directly to Nanaimo is ideal. From downtown Vancouver you can reach Horseshoe Bay by express bus in a good 30 minutes. The ferry takes about 1 hour 40 minutes and costs CAN $ 16 for foot passengers. How to get to Nanaimo using the Vancouver Island University campus.
Nanaimo
With around 80,000 inhabitants, Nanaimo is comparable to Bayreuth, although it must be mentioned that Nanaimo, like the rest of Canada, is very spacious. The VIU is about 10 minutes by bus from downtown Nanaimo, which makes this part of the city with its harbor and cozy parks very suitable for off-campus housing. On the vrbo.ca site you can find some good, but not always inexpensive apartments, which are often fully equipped. My apartment was a block from the harbor and in a minute’s walk had beautiful views of the Straight of Georgia, the Rockies in the background, and Newcastle Island and Protection Island, two offshore islands that are ideal for excursions and picnic areas. A small ferry takes about 20 people there every hour.
Downtown there are some nice international restaurants as well as good shopping opportunities for groceries and clothes, all of which can be easily reached on foot. The best way to get to the university is the central bus station Prideaux at Fitzwilliam. From there bus line number 4 goes directly to VIU. A semester pass for all bus connections in Nanaimo is available in the VIU Students Union building for CAN $ 176.
