Exchange Experience at University of Manitoba

Exchange Student Experience

Name:    Tanja Lösche
Home university:    University of Greifswald (Germany) 
Length of stay:  Fall term 2024
UM Faculty:  Faculty of Arts

Why did you choose the University of Manitoba?
For me personally, the choice of university was first and foremost about the country. I liked the idea of travelling to another continent and exploring a part of a country I had wanted to visit for a while. Compared to the other Canadian university my home university has a partnership with, UofM seemed to have a greater variety of courses offered and the international student life also seemed vibrant with a lot of possibilities from what I could tell from the impressions on the university’s website.

What would you say to another student thinking of coming as an inbound exchange student at the University of Manitoba?
Do it! No matter where you go, an exchange is always an enriching experience that you’ll be thankful for for the rest of your life. And when it comes to UofM in particular, I can only recommend going there. I felt incredibly welcomed by both the staff of the International Centre and the people on campus in general. I learned a lot in my courses, and the lecturers always had an open ear for questions or concerns. 

Plus, I enjoyed life on campus a lot. It’s nice to have everything in one place: residence, lecture halls, cafés, the gym. Me and the other international students always found something to do: whether it was exploring a market in the city centre, watching hockey games, or trying all kinds of Oreo flavours that don’t exist in Europe. Don’t believe the people who tell you Winnipeg is boring. I think it’s a pretty cool place to be with all kinds of possibilities if you look for them.

What was one of the most noticeable differences between education in your home country and education in Canada?
The biggest differences were probably the course structure and requirements. In Germany, most courses only have a final exam that makes up the whole grade. If there are assignments during the term, they’re usually not graded. And you don’t get grades for attendance and participation. So, I had to get accustomed to all the requirements that partly determined my final grade and the workload that came along with it. But now that I know it better, I think it’s a good system because you can balance out your grade if there is a type of assignment that suits you better than another one. Besides, you get to dive deep into a topic of your interest.

What was your favourite course at the University of Manitoba?
My favourite course was definitely Introductory Creative Writing! I had wanted to take a course about this subject for ages, but never found a possibility. So, when I saw that UofM offered an introductory course about creative writing, I knew I had to take it. And I didn’t get disappointed! The lecturer taught us everything from using sound in poetry to narrative techniques in short stories and creating a personal essay out of a memory. We had weekly workshops in smaller groups where we presented a piece of work to our fellow students and got valuable feedback for it. I’m so happy I got to try out new things in creative writing, and the course only got me more interested in learning even more about the topic.

What have you found the most challenging about studying abroad?
The adaption period in the beginning can be quite tough. There are so many new things you have to get used to: the environment of the campus, the course structure, the people in your dorm, and a whole different culture from your home country. Even though it’s easy to meet other students and the people at the university are always there to help you out, it can easily get overwhelming.

 I’m pretty sure I would have needed at least another term to really get to know everything about the university and the city itself. But the most important thing for me was to not pressure myself into anything. Even though there were so many things I wanted to try out, I also needed some time to breathe. And there were definitely times when I missed home a little too much. But I think that’s part of the experience. And just because other students did this or that on their exchange, doesn’t mean that my stay was worth less because I didn’t do that. I tried to go with the flow and I would advice the same to other incoming students. Try out some new things, test the limits of your comfort zone, but don’t feel pressured when you’re going through a difficult time. It’s the positive memories that stay in the end.

What are your favourite spots around Winnipeg or the UM campus?
My favourite place in Winnipeg has to be The Forks. I discovered it on my very first day in the city, and the atmosphere of the place immediately made me feel less nervous about my whole exchange. Throughout the term, I always loved to go back there for getting some delicious food at The Forks Market, chilling by the river or, in winter, skating in front of the Winnipeg sign. I also really liked FortWhyte Alive. I was there only once in December, when everything was covered in snow, but I enjoyed our little hike there a lot. It’s the perfect place for everyone who loves simple outdoor activities and learning something about the regional animals and plants. 

My third favourite spot is probably Princess Auto Stadium. I had no clue about football before I came to Canada, but I certainly fell down the rabbit hole during my stay. The atmosphere at the games I went to was absolutely electric – certainly something you should experience while you’re in Winnipeg. And I also loved the fact that I could see the stadium from my dorm room.

My favourite spot on campus is Degree’s Diner at UMSU University Centre. It’s a friendly café where you can get both sweet and savoury dishes as well as great coffee. I went there whenever I had to work on a writing project. Something about the chatter of the guests there never failed to give me inspiration when I needed it. And the falafel pita was always delicious.

How did you get involved with the UM campus community and make friends while on exchange?
It is incredibly easy as an exchange student to get to know people on campus. The International Centre organizes a lot of fun activities where you can get to know your fellow exchange students. Living in residence plays a big role as well. The team there also organizes tons of events where you’ll meet the people that live with you, and you will probably run into those same people in the dining hall. I met a girl at my first floor meeting, for example, who became one of my best friends. 

Apart from the International Centre and the residence, there are many more opportunities to get involved in the community, like student organizations of the different departments, groups for almost every hobby, or recreational sports teams. I was a part of the music faculty’s Concert Choir during my stay where I not only made friends, but also improved my singing skills a lot. Practice was one of the things I was looking forward to the most every week. And at the end of the term, we had a beautiful concert in the new concert hall that has become one of my most cherished memories.