University of Alberta (U of A)
The University of Alberta (U of A) has approximately 36,000 students, including 6,000 graduate students and 2,000 international students, representing 110 countries. The university has 3,353 academic staff members and about 6,000 support and administrative staff members. The university offers post-secondary education in about 200 undergraduate and 170 graduate programs. The University professors have won more 3M Teaching Fellowships (Canada's top award for undergraduate teaching excellence) than any other Canadian university, with 28 awards since 1986.

Edmonton
Edmonton, the city where U of A is located, has a more leisurely lifestyle than Seoul. So at first, you might feel lonely. However, you will grow to love the atmosphere and people of Edmonton, because it is so relaxed and composed. The number of Korean students is increasing, but there are fewer Koreans at U of A than in Vancouver or Calgary. In addition, I did not feel any racial discrimination in Edmonton.

Tuition fees
If you go to U of A, you do not need to pay tuition fees to U of A. Instead, CAU pays the fee to U of A for you. Then you can use the gymnasium, swimming pool, and track and field facilities of U of A for free. U of A is well equipped compared to universities in Korea. Additionally, after you enter U of A, you can buy a U-Pass for about 50 dollars and use public transportation during any season without additional payments. Although CAU pays the tuition fees for you, you still have to pay for the classes. The fees have to be paid at the same time you choose your courses. It is 1.4 to 1.5 million won per a three-credit class.

Exchange Students
Students attending the University of Alberta as part of an official international exchange program with a reciprocal fees agreement do not have to pay regular course and university fees to the University. Exchange students must pay $50 per month for the University of Alberta’s Health Insurance Plan. This is a mandatory fee.

Other Academic Costs (per term on average)
Textbooks - $600
School supplies (notebooks, paper and pens, and printing or photocopying costs) - $100

U-Pass Service
The Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) provides eligible students with unlimited access to the public transportation of the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert, and to the Strathcona County Transit services for the Fall (September ~ December) and Winter (January ~ April) academic terms. The U-Pass is a partnership between the University, the Students’ Union, the Graduate Students’ Association and the three participating municipalities. Students overwhelmingly approved the program and fees through a referendum that was held in the Winter Term of 2007.

Class
While attending lectures at U of A, I felt was the extroversion of Alberta’s students. It makes a lecture energetic. Unlike in Korean classrooms, there are many chances to participate. In the case of the ‘Oral Communication’ courses, students progress by preparing demonstrations, presentations, or monologues. It affected the way of learning; the class atmosphere of Canada is so informal. In addition, there is no feeling of distance between students and professors. Some students even have snacks during the class.

Campus Life
When you get there, you will not know how to adjust to your campus life at first. However, there is a team to help you adjust to campus life and provide proper support. The team is called coordinators.  It starts with an airport greeting. Coordinators give visiting students a monthly plan with parties or workshops. In addition, they provide personal advice on academic and financial issues.

The semester for visiting students to U of A starts early. During the summer vacation, students have to pass the English Language Program (ELP) from provided by Faculty or through the Extension, in order to attend the regular lectures. The program offers a variety courses. I learned how to write an essay and corrected my pronunciation. In addition, the program gives lectures combining English study with Canadian culture. The program fee is included in the tuition fee. It is a special program, unique to of U of A.

While I was in Canada, I was a volunteer for Safewalk. Public security in Canada is very good, but it can be dreadful going home alone at night. Therefore, when a student calls the center; a Safewalk team member goes together with the student to the student’s home or dormitory. It was good for me to improve my English because usually there was a lot of chatting on our way to the student’s home. Moreover, I was a volunteer for spreading Korean culture.

Travel
You will also get to travel a lot. Campus life was exciting, of course, but traveling around Canada and throughout North America is the first thing I remember. At first, I went to a national park with a party of students. After that, a few friends and I rented a car and traveled around the country for about a month. It was so impressive. We say that the nature of Korea, a land of picturesque rivers and mountains, is beautiful; however, Canada’s nature also keeps up with the beauty of Korea.

Advantages
The most important thing I got from my experience abroad is the confidence to speak in English. I was in Canada for just a semester; it was a short time to improve my English. However, now it is much easier to speak to foreigners in English. It was with the help of chatting with friends and various opportunities to travel that I was able to develop confidence in speaking English. Furthermore, the culture, which is very different from Korea’s, gave me plenty of special experiences for improving my English.

Advice
If you get a chance to go to U of A or other universities abroad, it would be good to study hard. However, I want to encourage you to do a variety of activities on campus, like join a fraternity or get a part-time job, in order to meet many people. Additionally, the pay for part-time jobs in Canada is a lot more generous than in Korea.

Difficulties
Food was the most irritating thing to me. There are four dormitories at the U of A, and everyday life in each house is different. I was in a dormitory called Hub Mall where students have to cook for themselves. I chose Hub Mall because I wanted to be friendly with my roommates while making meals or going shopping together. However, I am poor at cooking. Therefore, at every mealtime, it was like war.

As an international student, language was also a big problem. Even though I studied English a lot before leaving, it was hard to use English all the time. The nuances of spoken language were the most difficult thing to understand.

Preparing
I was absent from campus for a semester to prepare for going abroad. Instead of focusing on my major, I concentrated on English studies for TOEFL. I had to be ready for my credits at CAU, TOEFL score and an English interview. I studied very hard. However, it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I want to advise students who hesitate to stop standing around and to do something. It will be an unforgettable experience.

Contact
http://www.ualberta.ca/
780-492-3111