Mobility specification

Country:Canada

Institution:Brock University

City:St. Catharines

Program:Partner universities

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?they have tons

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?0.5 credits at Brock (the value of a course that lasts one semester) is 6 credits at MU.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The courses have a scope of 3 hours per week. I had only lectures and one subject as a 3 hour seminar in 3 subjects (but teachers usually end these long classes earlier or leave a break in the middle).
Lectures last 1,5 h (twice a week) or 3 h, at some lectures attendance is compulsory and recorded, some quizzes are filled in for bonus points and at others only the teacher lectures.
It's a lot of home preparation, lots of reading, quizzes, study cases...
Teachers are very helpful, it's possible to arrange with them a different date to hand in projects, use a dictionary, or even create a tailor-made course (I wanted to take French but it was a full year course so they made it a one-semester course with individual completion only).

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, orientation week starts right at the beginning of September. It's a great opportunity to get to know the other Erasmus students (I met them throughout the year and our group grew and connected). The first week includes: introductory presentations, a campus tour, a trip to the shopping mall, student association booths...
Throughout the year you can sign up for free for other creative events (ceramics, painting on canvas, making decorations...), sports events (pilates, yoga, zumba, watching hockey...). For students there is a free gym, swimming pool, sauna, gyms...
For exchange students they also organize organized paid trips (to Niagara Falls, to hockey...).

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories
Crisis intervention
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:43000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Living in residence was expensive, but I had a meal plan almost 24/7 and transportation around the "district" included.
Almost nowhere in Canada have student discounts, so entrance fees and restaurants are expensive compared to CR.
You have to buy basic equipment for the residence (closet hangers, duvets, dishes, appliances...) - I lived in the Village part of the residence, which were houses for 5 people; I was lucky with roommates who were local and got the appliances; otherwise the residence has only basic furniture.
It is mandatory to load money onto a student card, which is then used to pay for laundry, printing, and can be used to pay at the campus store and at food places around campus.
Large sums are paid for online interactive courses and textbooks (around $100 each).
Halloween expenses - everyone celebrates Halloween and a good costume is a must:)

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Some places have happy hours; buy buses ahead of time (I got Megabus to Toronto for $1 for Advent); no cash needed (only $20-30 to get into clubs); use apps to collect points (Starbucks, Tim Hortons - cheap fast food with good food and drinks); cheap Dollar store everything.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Public transport buses around the "district" are free within the school, they run every now and then (at least twice an hour, to the shopping centre about every 10 minutes), the connections are searched in the Transit app (you can see the location of the bus, departure times, other connections) or on Google maps. However, some lines are detoured and it is more time-efficient to take Uber.
Local buses run on time and can be relied on.
You can get buses to Toronto/farther away cities via Flixbus, Megabus, GoBus - it's convenient to buy ahead.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Niagara Falls is a 20 min Uber ride from the school; the town of Niagara on the Lake is very nice, full of shops, right on Lake Ontario; about 15 min from the school is the city of St Catharines, it's nice to look at the lakeshore (on the other side you can see Toronto); Toronto (Hockey Hall of Fame, Distillery District Christmas Markets, Art Gallery of Ontario, Kensington Market, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto Islands, CN Tower).

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Toronto; during Reading Week you can take a longer trip (Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Banff National Park...).

Share your best experience:Definitely a visit to Niagara Falls, it's amazing to see them live, in the daytime from the Skylon Tower even in the dark, lit up. It's also worth going to see the trail under the falls or going on a boat ride. It is possible to cross the bridge to the US side from where the view is also great - you need to get an ESTA and pay a fee. There is also a fun park in town (mini golf, lazer target and other attractions).

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?From the airport, it's cost-effective to buy a Flixbus directly to the school, but the airport can be confusing and it's difficult to find the bus. I paid for a taxi, which was expensive but convenient. Some Flixbuses stop right on campus, all of them stop in St. Catharines, where public transportation to the school runs every now and then.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Summer clothes for the fall semester (the warm weather that was there throughout September and most of October surprised me). Czech sweets and souvenirs for friends. Prepare photos of family, home, places in the Czech Republic to show others.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?For me, studying in Canada was not just about school, but about getting to know a new country, culture, people, and most importantly, myself.