Week 16: My Return to Canada!

Hi Everyone,

As promised, I have broken down my estimated expenses from my semester at Rouen Business School. These expenses are from my own experience and many not necessarily reflect the cost of an average lifestyle on exchange.

My Estimated Budget:

Travel (Transportation, Accommodation, Food, Entertainment)	$2,650
Residence	$2,000
Food and Drinks	$1,050
Return Airfare to France	$1,000
Miscellaneous Expenses (laundry, toiletries, etc.)	$400
Supplementary Insurance	$250
Taxi to/from Airport	$175
Bus Pass	$130
Cell Phone	$100
Total Costs:	$7,755

It should also be important to note that this budget outlines the major costs associated with my exchange experience.  These prices are reflected in Canadian dollars and may fluctuate due to chances in exchange rate, the prices of goods, as well as more advanced booking of trips.  These major costs could easily be decreased through less traveling throughout Europe, less eating out, and choosing a more economical residence.  The calculated cost of residence also included a deposit (or approximately $340) that may be returned to you if your room is in good condition upon your departure at Rouen. 

Activities at Rouen:

Sports:

Rouen Dragons – French ice hockey team that plays in the national French hockey league. For tickets and more information, visit www.rouenhockeyelite76.com

Rouen Huskies – French baseball team that plays at the highest level of baseball in France.  For tickets and more information, visit www.rouenbaseball76.com

Rouen FC – French football club that plays at the third level of football in France.  For more information, visit www.fcrouen.net

Student Associations:

Cultures’ Connection – A student organization that organizes trips to various cities as well as parties for exchange students.  Like the group on Facebook to find out about their upcoming events at http://www.facebook.com/cultures.connection.rbs.

Ready 2 Rouenble – A student organization that hosts various sporting leagues for students.  For more information, visit their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ready2rouenble.

Entertainment:

Rouen Go Karting – Rouen has an indoor Go Karting track that you can ride on.  For more information, visit http://www.rouen-espace-karting.fr/

Docks 76 – A large commercial mall with 80 different stores.  For information, visit www.docks76.com

Cinéma Rouen – A cinema in the Docks 76 mall in Rouen. It features a variety of different movies and occasionally has one movie that airs in English if you start to miss English Hollywood films. For information, visit http://www.cinemasgaumontpathe.com/cinemas/cinema-pathe-docks-76/

Nightlife:

Delirium Café Rouen – A new bar in Rouen that features 200 different beers and 20 beers on tap.  For more information, check out their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/DELIRIUM-CAFE-ROUEN/212918248774114. 

Boîte à Bière – Similar to Delirium Café, this bar features a wide selection of beers. Visit their website at www.laboiteabieres.fr.

O’Kallaghan’s – A typical Irish pub in the city of Rouen.  For more information, visit http://www.cityvox.fr/bars-et-boites_rouen/o-kallaghan-s_200000113/Avis-Lieu. 

Emporium Galorium – A smaller bar in an older house in Rouen.  For more information, visit their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emporium-Galorium/19463199379?sk=wall. 

Highlands Café Rouen – A traditional British style pub in the historical center or Rouen.  For more information, visit their website at www.highlands-rouen.com.

As I am back to my lifestyle in Windsor, this will be my final blog post about my exchange experience I've had over the past four incredible months. If you do have any questions about my personal experience, I encourage you to contact me personally or write a comment on this blog post and I will be more than happy to get in touch with you.

Ready to take the plunge?  View the student exchange opportunities available for Odette School of Business Undergraduate and MBA Students.

Week 15: End of Exams & Copenhagen!

I am writing my fifteenth blog with a mere four days left in France.  I’m left scratching my head wondering where the time has gone – it truly has flown by. 

As Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Through the past amazing four months, I feel that I’ve succeeded in following Mark Twain’s words.  In fifteen weeks I’ve traveled through eleven countries discovering bits and pieces about each one.  I’ve continued my education by studying finance at Triple Crown Accredited Rouen Business School, which has also been labeled as one of the top business schools in France. My international exchange has been an experience of a lifetime.

I highly recommend all students to seize the opportunity to study abroad for a semester.  There is an increase in the costs involved, but effective planning can minimize additional costs that you will incur on exchange.  As an example, all University of Windsor students can apply for the Ontario International Education Opportunity Scholarship, which provides a $2,500 scholarship for students that wish to study abroad. In past years, all students that were eligible for the scholarship have received it.   In my blog next week, I hope to cover the costs that I incurred on exchange so prospective students can have some idea on a budget of their own.

My final examinations have finished last Friday and I am officially enjoying my Winter break.  The exams that I wrote weren’t too different from what would be expected at Odette with respect to difficulty. The largest challenge for me was wrapping my head around the concept that the examination is worth substantially more than at Odette, contributing as 70% - 100% of my overall course grade.  The exam length of the varied too, with one final exam lasting only an hour in length.  As with exams at Odette, if you prepare yourself for the final exam, you should survive the class with ease.

(Tivoli Market)

The Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world, dating back to 1843. Click on the image to view pictures from the rest of my Copenhagen trip.

I headed on a three day trip to Copenhagen over the weekend.  A highlight from my adventures was Tivoli Gardens, which is the second oldest amusement park in the world.  During the Christmas season, the park is decorated with festive lights and Christmas Markets.  I was also lucky enough to watch the Changing of The Guard at the Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen.  

We were able to stand directly behind the guards during the Changing of the Guard ceremony!

I will be getting ready to fly back to Canada this Saturday.  Once I get settled in at home, I will be sure to post a final blog on the different entertainment in Rouen as well as my estimated expenses from my semester abroad.

Week 14: Exams and Rouen's Christmas Market

Hi Everyone,

I’ve managed to find some time in between my exams to write some updates about my life abroad this week.  Firstly, I am proud to say that I have successfully survived conquered my first non-Canadian final exam.  While there were some similarities to exams at uWindsor, there were also some noticeable differences.  I was a bit disappointed to find out that I missed my opportunity to say goodbye to my International Finance professor, as the professors typically do not proctor the examinations.  Rather, there were two veteran-looking) proctors that hosted the exam while acting very stringent in upholding the exam rules.  We were instructed to show up at the exam room thirty minutes prior to the exam.  Waiting for us was a class list and sitting number for our exam. A line formed to enter the room, and at the door the proctors were verifying that we belonged in the class by looking at our student cards.  We then sat in the assigned spots to write our exam.  The proctors individually handed our exams to each of us that had had our student number on the exam.  I like that the exams did not have a student name on the exam, as it helps to ensure that the tests aren’t unintentionally graded with a bias that the grader may have on a particular student. The largest difference that I found to be a nuisance was the lack of a professor attending the final exam.  As the proctors didn’t understand the subject matter, the few clarifications that were asked were relayed to the professor via a phone call from the proctor and then relayed back to the entire student body that was writing the exam.  Overall, the exam procedure wasn’t much different from what you would be used to at the Odette School of Business.

A visit to a Christmas Market wouldn't be complete without sipping on some vin chaud to warm you up!

Sadly, I don’t have much to write about in terms of adventures of travels this past week as I have spent the bulk majority of my time between the library and my room in residence studying for exams. I did however sneak some time into the city to browse the various tents of the Christmas Market in Rouen. In addition to 45 different tents, the market had a carrousel for children and a free ice rink with skate rentals near the city. It was a great treat from all the studying the past few days.

The Quebec Tent - easily my favourite tent at the market!  Home of maple syrup and other Canadian treats.

I’ve also booked a trip to Copenhagen as my final end-of-exchange-trip-after exams!  I will be sure to update you on my trip when I return next week. 

 

Thirteenth Week - Bratislava and Vienna

This past week consisted of some traveling as well as preparing my term projects and starting to review lessons for the upcoming exams.

I don’t have much to report relating to school as my classes have ended and I’ve yet to begin my final exams.  If you plan on studying at Rouen Business School, the examination information isn’t available immediately as you register for a course (as it is at the University of Windsor). I received my exam information on September 30^th, which was about two weeks into my classes.  For this year, the exam schedules are:

• December 5 to December 22 for the Master Program (MGE)
• December 12 to December 23 for the BSc in International Business Program

I was a bit worried that my exams would drag on until December 22^nd as it could, but I was fortunate enough to have my last exam on December 16^th.  This will give me a few days to (hopefully) travel some more before returning home for Christmas. 

I visited Slovakia and Austria this past weekend.  As some of you may know, I was born in Slovakia and immigrated to Canada when I was five. This exchange has given me the perfect opportunity to visit my family members that still live in Slovakia, which was a great opportunity as I haven’t seen some of them in quite a few years. During the holiday season, many European cities host Christmas Markets. Bratislava and Vienna, the two major cities that I visited this past weekend, were no exception.  

A typical Christmas Market in Bratislava. During the cold winter, the mulled wine is a great way to warm yourself up!

Near the city center, many cities have tents up and traditional Christmas gifts are sold by various vendors.  Among the items you can buy at the markets are Christmas ornaments, slippers, hats, scarves, homemade books, as well as traditional Christmas desserts.  Unique to me was the offering of ‘mulled wine’ at these markets.  These wines are mixed with various spices and are served hot.  It’s a great drink to sip on during the really cold days. 

A picture of the flags of the United Nations' 193 member states.

In Vienna, my favourite spot was the United Nations Office at Vienna. It is one of the four United Nations Offices (with the other three offices in New York City, Geneva, and Nairobi).  Among its agencies, the Vienna office holds the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nation Industrial Development Organization, International Narcotics Control Board, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. I was lucky enough to witness a United Nations Industrial Development Organization conference between the United Nations' 193 member states. 

A picture of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's conference.

Next Tuesday I’ll be in between my final exams, but I’ll try my best to write about my adventures as usual.