Going on exchange is one of the best experiences that you can get during your masters. Some people will immediately say that is not for me, but I would encourage you to find out more about doing an exchange. It really is an adventure you will never forget. Below I will share some insight into my experience going on exchange to Canada.

I did my exchange in Canada at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. I lived in a house a 10-minute-walk from campus with my eight housemates, who turned out to be my best friends during the exchange. We studied, partied, and travelled together. Living in Kingston was very fun and quite different from living in a big city. Most students live close to campus and when you walk around downtown Kingston, you are surrounded by students. The main street is a 10-minute-walk from campus and it holds the main shops, bars, and clubs in Kingston. Everything that you need is within walking distance. And if you want to go to shops that are a little further away, you can take the bus for free as a Queen’s student.

The education system works a little bit different in Canada when compared to the Netherlands. They do not have 4 blocks per year; they only have 2 semesters per year and the courses are one semester long. I took four courses: Criminal Procedure, Evidence, International Human Rights Law, and Public International Law. Three of my courses had a 100% grade based on a final exam. The grading for International Human Rights Law was based on an 80% paper and two 1-2 page papers. Compared to the Dutch system, you will do more readings per week because you have more courses, and the exam will be about 14 weeks worth of material. Dutch exams are mostly about problem solving - you get a problem and you have to provide a solution. However, the law exams at Queen’s contained three components. Firstly, the issue spotter; they provide you with a page long case and you have to spot and explain the issues that you found in the case. Secondly, short answers; they provide you with a few questions and you have to write a short response. And lastly, an essay question; they provide you with a statement and/or a question and you have to give your (extended) opinion on the matter. I found the exams to be more difficult than my Dutch exams, but it seemed easier to get a good grade.

I found Canadian culture to be a mix between American culture and British culture. Some things are just like the things you see in a movie. For example, just before Christmas, I witnessed a Christmas parade with floats and a tree lighting ceremony - it was a scene straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Furthermore, they have three street parties in the first semester: "Frosh week", "Fake Homecoming", and "Homecoming". Everyone dresses up in Queen’s University merch and they party on the street during the entire day. Of the three street parties, Homecoming is the biggest and both students and alumni of Queen’s University come to Kingston just to celebrate Homecoming. Halloween is also an event where Canadians "go big"; everyone dresses up and goes out in their Halloween costume. As for nightlife, Canadian students like to go to clubs and bars, like students in Europe do, but house parties are also a big thing.

Another thing that is ingrained in the Canadian culture is their love for sports, and in every bar there is a screen playing a sports game. Ice hockey is the biggest sport in Canada. I went to two NHL games and it was amazing experience; the atmosphere is awesome and they have all kinds of entertainment during the breaks in the game. As a Queen’s student, you can go to the university gym and all Queen’s University sports games for free.

I felt Canadians were very polite and they are often curious where you are from if they hear you have an accent. Even though the Canadians are very friendly, you (as an exchange student) will most likely become friends more so with other exchange students. Whoever you meet though, its a chance to make friends for life and can bring about a lot of potential travel opportunities in the future.

To apply to go on exchange (here in Groningen)*, I had to assemble a few documents. I had to submit a resume, a motivational letter, a transcript of records, and an English language certificate. In the application process, I had to select three universities, and in the motivational letter, I had to explain why I wanted to go on exchange to each of these universities. For most partner universities, your GPA has to be at least a 7.0, although some universities may require a higher GPA. And the English language certificate had to be either a TOEFL or an IELTS certificate. Many universities require that you have a certain minimum score on the language test. I submitted all my documents once I had them, and by the deadline, which was the 31st of January. Once I submitted everything, I just had to wait; you usually receive an answer after 2-4 weeks.

My tip for students that are considering going to Canada: do your research and just do it. It will be an experience that you will never forget. And if you want to have information about anything you can always reach out to students who have already been on an exchange there. Just send an email to the exchange office and they will try to put you in touch with previous students that went to the university you want to go to.

- Mariëlle Hidding, Netherlands, LLM student

The full-list of exchange destinations for Faculty of Law students can be found here .

*Please note the application requirements (and process) to go on exchange can change each academic year. Please contact the exchange officers for current details.