University of Alberta (U of A)
The 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 along with about 6,000 support and trust staff. The university offers post-secondary education in about 200 undergraduate and 170 graduate programs. University professors have won 3M Teaching Fellowships ('s top award for undergraduate teaching excellence). Compare to any other universities in Canadian territory, U of A have won best of 28 awards since 1986.

Edmonton
Edmonton, the city where U of A stands, is more uneventful and quiet than Seoul . So at first, you would feel lonely. However, you will love the atmosphere and people of Edmonton that is so relaxing. It’s increasing, but, there are few Koreans compared to Vancouver or Calgary . Additionally, I cannot feel any racial discrimination in Edmonton .

Tuition fee
If you go to U of A, you don’t have to pay tuition fee to U of A. Instead, CAU pays the fee to U of A. Then you can use gymnasium, swimming pool, tracks and fields of U of A for free. U of A is well equipped compare to universities in . Additionally, after you enter U of A, you can buy U-Pass for about 50 dollars and use public transportation for a season without additional pay. Although CAU pays the tuition fee, you have to pay for the class. The fee has to be paid when you choose your lecture. It’s about 1,400~1,500 thousand won per three credits. It is for international students, it is cheaper in case of Canadian students.

Exchange Students
Students attending the U of A as part of an official exchange program do not pay regular instructional and other fees to the University. Exchange students must pay $50 per month for the 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 regular Edmonton, St. Albert and Strathcona County Transit services for 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 fee through referenda held in Winter Term 2007.

Class
What I felt attending lectures was extroversion of Alberta ’s students. It makes a lecture energetic. Unlike Koreans, there are many chances to participate as a student. In case of ‘Oral Communication’, students make progress of lecture by demonstrations, presentation or monologues. Affected by a way of lecture, the class atmosphere of is so informal. And there is no sense of distance between students and professors. So that some students even have snacks during the class.

Campus Life
When you got there, you would be probably don’t know how to maintain your campus life at first. There is a team to help you adjust to campus life and provide proper support. The team is called ‘coordinators’.  It starts with airport greeting. Coordinators give visiting students a monthly plan with parties or workshops. Also they provide personal advices on academic and financial issues.

The semester for visiting students in U of A starts early. During the summer vacation, students have to pass the English Language Program (ELP) from Faculty or Extension to attend the regular lectures. The program offers variety courses. I learned how to write an essay and corrected my pronunciation. Also the program gives lecture combines English study with Canadian culture. The program fee is contained in tuition fee. It is a special program of U of A that other universities does not have.

I was a volunteer for Safewalk. The public security is well in , but it can be dreadful to go home alone at night. So if a student calls to center, a Safewalk team go together to the student’s home or dormitory. It was good for me to improve my English because usually there was a long chatting on our way to the home. Moreover, I was a volunteer for a Korean lecture.

Travel
I traveled a lot. The campus life was exciting, of course, but the travel to and is the most precious thing to remember. At first, I went to a national park for 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 to me. We say that the nature of a land of picturesque rivers and mountains, however, ’s nature also keeps up with that of .

Advantages
The most important thing what I got from abroad is confidence of speaking English. I was in just for a semester; it was a short time to improve my English a lot. However, now it is much easier to speak to foreigners in English. It was the help of chatting with friends and various situations of travel. Furthermore, culture which is much different from ’s gives me plenty special experiences.
 
Advice
If you get a chance to go U of A or other universities abroad, it would be good to study hard. However, I want to do a variety of activities on the campus like fraternity or a part-time job to meet many people. Additionally, pay on part-time jobs in is so generous then in .

Difficulties
Food was the most irritating thing to me. There are four dormitories in U of A, and the everyday life in each house is all different. I was in dormitory called Hub Mall that students have to cook personal. I chose Hub Mall because I wanted to be friendly with roommates making meals or going shopping together. However, I was poor at cooking. So every meal time, it was like a war.
As an international student, language was also a big problem. Even though I studied English a lot before leaving, it was hard to using English all the time. A spoken language was the most difficult thing to understand.

Preparing
I was absent from campus for a semester to prepare. Instead of my major, I concentrated on English studying for TOEFL. I have to be ready for my credits in CAU, TOEFL score and an English interview. I studied very hard. However, it was not a very difficult thing than my thought. I wish students who hesitate to stop standing and to do something. It will be an unforgettable experience.

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