Maria Isabella Brancato

Host University: University of Waterloo
Year of Study Abroad: 2010-11

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

Student housing for international students. Yes, I would recommend it. The houses are nice and in a very beautiful area. The houses are shared between 4 students, with a shared bathroom.

Which department(s) did you study in?

Engineering

How does the workload/classes/teaching styles vary to Sheffield?

There are more assignments given during the semester and,depending on the course, weekly laboratories. The teaching style is similar to Sheffield. Students will have to sit a midterm, ie an exam in the middle of the semester, which happens to be the most stressing part of the semester.

Exams for the first semester are sat during December, before the Christmas holidays,and during April/May during the second semester.

What did you do for fun at the weekends and during the holidays?

I only had the Christmas holiday and a one week Spring break during February. I went home for Christmas and stayed on campus during the Spring break.

Did you join any societies or clubs?

Yes. I took taekwondo classes for my first semester and was part of the English tutoring society both semesters.

Describe the University/City/things to do

The University is very beautiful. Waterloo is a small town. It has a lot of nice parks and paths to walk. There are a few clubs and pubs, a bit far away from the university but accessible by bus or taxi. For shopping trips, there are a couple of shopping malls, one close and one a bit further away, where you can also eat and watch cinema.

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

Getting a visa is easy and takes less than a month. Toronto airport is the closest airport to Waterloo. I would advise to get the airport shuffle service to and from the airport, it is a bit expensive but worth it.

Could you give any advice or tips to a student preparing to go or tell them anything you wished you knew in advance?

Exams are more difficult than the ones in Sheffield. Study well for the midterms. Prepare to spend almost every night doing assignments and lab reports. If you can't do or can't understand anything about a class, change module as soon as you can.

Would you say it is cheaper or more expensive to live than Sheffield?

Student housing is cheaper in Waterloo. Groceries, clothes and others are more expensive than in Sheffield. Prices given for items are not including tax and are calculated when paying( make sure to add!).