Rapport de séjour

Visa

• Avez-vous eu besoin d’un visa?

  Non

• Coût du visa

  0.00$

Préparation générale

• Cinq choses à apporter, autre que votre ordinateur et votre appareil photo?

  - Rain coat/warm sweater (Bogotá is located at an altitude of 2,625m = colder than other parts of Colombia) - Spanish book - Travel bag you can use for small trips you do around Bogotá (so you do not have to use your big suitcase) - A small attention you can give to people you get to know during your exchange. (For instance: maple syrup) - Sports equipment: I brought my running shoes and tennis equipment. The school has a large sports complex. You can see what sports you would like to do and bring your "equipment" already.

• Si l'expérience était à refaire, y a t-il des aspects de votre préparation auxquels vous accorderiez plus d'importance ou que vous feriez autrement?

  Not really..

• Appréciation générale de l'accueil que vous avez reçu:

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• Décrivez les aspects de la structure d’accueil de votre milieu d’études ou de stage que vous avez le plus appréciés (mesures et programmes d’accueil, personnes-ressources, journées d’orientation, etc.):

  Universidad de los Andes was really welcoming its international students. During the introduction days we have got some presentations about Bogotá, the school, useful things to know regarding safety, student clubs, etc. We also got a dance class (salsa, merengue, bachata). Also, +- a month before the orientation days we had an online session where they explained us some important practical things. You can also sign up for Spanish and sport classes offered by the university. (No additional charge)

• Appréciation générale des activités académiques ou de stage:

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• Quelles ont été les procédures à suivre pour effectuer votre choix de cours?

  International students got to sign up a little earlier than the local students to the courses. In that way, international exchange students had a high chance of getting the courses they wanted to follow.

• Pour les séjours d'études: Les cours suivis (niveau et pertinence, charge de travail, modes d'évaluation, horaire, méthodes pédagogiques des enseignants, etc.) Pour les stages: La charge de travail, les tâches, l'horaire, les modes d'évaluation, etc.

  The evaluation system is very similar to ULaval: a mix of written papers, readings, presentations, group works, quizzes. For every course the evaluation is different. For most of my courses I did not have formal exams. The schedule: I had classes on Thursday (6 pm-9 pm), Friday (6 pm-9 pm), and Saturday (8 am-11 am). I had to choose more courses than in ULaval. Every course is only 1 or 2 credits. However, the course of 1 credit only takes 4 weeks and the courses of 2 credits take 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, we had a 1-week holiday and after this holiday I started with new courses.

• Encadrement et support académique (interaction avec les professeurs et disponibilité, structure des cours, etc.) ou encadrement dans votre lieu de stage (interaction avec le superviseur de stage et les collègues, etc.) :

  We were a small class and there was a lot of interaction with the professor. In every course, there is also an assistant present during the class. He can explain you what you did not understand. They are easily accessible and often give you their WhatsApp number in case you have questions. During the classes you get free coffee and tea!

• Qualité des services administratifs et facilité à obtenir de l’information et les documents demandés (relevé de notes, carte étudiante, etc.) :

  Very easy. Most of the time I communicated through Teams with someone from the international department of the university.

• Appréciation générale de la vie universitaire et environnement de stage:

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• Services offerts au sein de votre établissement d'accueil (centre sportif, bibliothèque, accès Internet, etc.) :

  Sport complex with swimming pool, soccer, football, tennis, volleyball, basket, pingpong, squash, fitness (free), dance, fighting sports, etc. There are also free doctors available on campus. There is for instance a general medical doctor as well as a sport doctor.

• Possibilité d'implication au sein de votre établissement d'accueil (comités, voyages, groupe de recherche, etc.) :

  In the orientation days a few student clubs present themselves and invite you to join them. There is one student led organization called "hermanos sin fronteras". They are the student club who organize activities for exchange students. (They have an intagram page)

• Dans le cas d'un séjour d'études, y a-t-il des possibilités de travail et/ou de stage, sur le campus ou à l'extérieur?

  No

• Appréciation générale de la qualité de vie dans votre pays d'accueil:

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Budget

Merci de détailler approximativement vos dépenses de base en dollar canadien. Ceci aidera grandement les futurs participants à planifier leur budget.

• Livres (/session) :

  -

• Logement (/mois) :

  640$

• Mode de paiement (loyer) :

  0$

• Repas (/mois) :

  555$

• Aviez-vous accès à une cuisine?

  Oui

• Charges (/mois) (Électricité, chauffage, etc) :

  -

• Transport (/mois) :

  100$

• Assurances (/mois) :

  50$

• Communication (cellulaire, etc) (/mois) :

  20$

• Dépenses personnelles (/mois) :

  100$

• Autres :

  -

• Avez-vous eu à faire des dépenses inattendues? Précisez :

  Because of safety, I often got an Uber (especially once it is dark outside). Uber is cheap in Colombia. However, it do is more expensive than taking public transport..

• Est-ce que certains éléments étaient plus ou moins chers que ce que vous pensiez? Précisez :

  Accommodation: I stayed in CityU. You can get cheaper accommodation, but often it is trading a better price for safety. CityU is a really nice place to stay. In the evening (9pm), when I finished my class, I could walk home without worries. There was security all the way from school to CityU.

• Quel était votre budget et comment avez-vous géré votre argent (ouverture d'un compte de banque, etc.)?

  I had a bank account of Wise and Revolut. These two banks are really great once you are in a country with another currency. (Better currency exchange, etc. )

Logement

• Appréciation générale de votre logement :

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• Précisez le type de logement :

  Résidence universitaire

• Propreté, règles à respecter, meublé ou non, services à proximité, etc. :

  There was a small supermarket next to the residence. There was a gym in the residence and nice study rooms with a beautiful view over the city. You could not let people stay in your room after 11pm. You have a few times a month you can invite someone without fee (I think it was 4 times)

• Recherche et accès au logement (comment, quand et en combien de temps l'avez-vous trouvé, un quartier ou un type d'habitation à privilégier?) :

  I booked my room in November I think to start my exchange in January.

Santé et sécurité

• Quel a été le niveau de sécurité ressenti lors de votre séjour hors Québec et sur le campus de l'Université :

  Plutôt sécuritaire

• Recommandations:

  I personally did not experience any troubles regarding security. However, Colombia is less safe than Québec. I respected the guidelines the school gave me. For instance; Once dark I would not walk alone on the streets. The campus of the university itself was very safe. They take a lot of security measures and from the university to my accommodation (CityU) there were security agents.

• Appréciation générale de votre adaptation et intégration dans votre nouveau milieu de vie :

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Veuillez décrire les aspects suivants de votre adaptation et de votre vie sociale :

• Contact avec la population locale et création de nouvelles amitiés (créer des liens, intégrer des cercles sociaux, recommandations, etc.) :

  Taking the sport classes also allowed me to get to know locals

• Quels ajustements avez-vous dû faire pour bien vous adapter?

  Food. The first week you really get overwhelmed since you see a menu with names without having a clue what the dishes are.

• Quels aspects de la culture de votre pays d'accueil avez-vous appréciés ou avez-vous trouvé difficiles?

  The Colombian people are really open and are always curious to hear where you are from etc. In the school a lot of students can speak English. In the streets a lot of people only speak Spanish.

• Apprentissage de la langue

  It is a great university to choose if one of your goals is to improve your Spanish. Also, because all of their courses are given in Spanish. I believe the Spanish of Colombia is easier to understand than in Spain. They speak way slower in Colombia than in Spain.

• Avez-vous des recommandations quant à l'adaptation et l'apprentissage de la langue?

  I did a language program in summer.

• En général, que retenez-vous de votre expérience?

  Yes

• Merci d'inscrire l'adresse de votre blogue de voyage ou de toute autre adresse Internet qui vous a été utile pour votre séjour :

  https://www.fsaulaval-express.com/post/globetrotter-at-heart-my-exchange-semester-in-colombia