6 UNBC Life

Kelley Ware
Multimedia Coordinator

NBC held its annual Study Abroad Fair from September

30 to October 2, helping connect prospective students
with schools and countries in which they may be interested
in spending a semester or two. The timing of an exchange
program is perfect, because many consider their university
years the prime time to travel outside of Canada. Conan
Winkelmeyer, who spent a semester in Sweden and was the
first UNBC student with a disability to travel abroad, spoke
about the reasons he took a semester away.

It was “the idea of going outside of Canada and having

that level of independence for [himself] as a person with a
disability” that got him interested. “I wanted to have that
experience,” Winkelmeyer said. “Being exposed at a younger
age is [better] to reframe your mindset of how things are.
You have a better understanding of things when you are
younger than when you are older. [When] you are not as
open to certain ideas...My father said that he saw changes

in me; I didn’t see any changes in me, but he saw [them]”.

“Since then,” Conan continued, “I have travelled to
Amsterdam, to Egypt. I wanted to experience different

cultures...I wanted to experience different areas--and not
always safe areas. I didn’t want to do the touristy stuff; I
wanted the experience of what the locals are doing.”

Studying abroad comes with its own challenges and rewards.
Adapting to a new teaching style can make for an interesting
struggle. For instance, Winkelmeyer spoke about the system
of intensive blocks through whick his Swedish university
taught. Rather than having a four month semester with
multiple courses, Swedish universities prefer to teach one
course a month. It was also a pass-fail system, so grades had
to be interpreted when Winkelmeyer returned to UNBC.
There was a lot of freedom in the Swedish program, which
lead to small challenges to Winkelmeyer’s transition back,
much like coming back to UNBC after having a summer job.

Diversity and size are another thing that can be
interesting for Canadian students going abroad. Devon
Flynn, a UNBC alumni who spent a semester in Scotland,
spoke about realizing just how vast Canada is.

“The first thing I noticed as an exchange student out of
Canada was the diversity in students. Canada is big; the
United States is big; and even Mexico is big! Any international
students who come to UNBC, who aren’t from those counties
have to travel a long distance,” Flynn said. “In Europe,

however, ‘international student’ seems to take on a different
meaning. Because countries in Europe are geographically
smaller and closer together, it wasn’t uncommon to meet
students from Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, France,
or other countries that you could potentially fly to for

the weekend. It also reminded you of just how big Canada
is, and how separated our provinces could sometimes be.
You may not realize your ignorance of what goes in your
own country until someone asks you a question about
something you know nothing about, like a news-breaking
event or scandal on the east coast, for example.”

For any student thinking about spending a semester or
two abroad, Flynn and Winkelmeyer have some advice.
Both suggested to go abroad as early as possible, preferably
in second or third year. By going earlier, it is easier to
transfer courses, and it is easier to make the transition
back and forth. Winkelmeyer also added that students
should seek scholarships to help offset the cost of studying
abroad. As well, receipts are important to keep for tax
purposes, and can add to a tax return. Insurance can be
incredibly important since the unexpected can always
happen. When it comes to money, both guys said to budget
for error because costs may not be what you expect.

Above all, make sure to make the best of the experience!