Tamsin is a Marketing and Management BSc student. She studied at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada in 2023–24. She shared some reflections on her year abroad.
"The Haskayne School of Business operates in quite a different way to Newcastle University Business School, mainly due to the types of modules and methods of learning. I studied eight modules or ‘courses’ – four in the first semester and four in the second semester. These ranged from accounting and finance to marketing, entrepreneurship and international business.
"I really enjoyed the courses. The class sizes were smaller – my largest class size was around 30 students, and the smallest just 18. The professors were more like teachers than lecturers. They got to know everyone on a more personal level. As students, we were expected to have name cards on our desks so they could learn our names quickly.
"The University put all the exchange students together in a group chat before we arrived. Then in the first week we could attend a welcome session to meet everyone in person. We also organised a group camping trip, which wasn't study related, but was really fun to meet everyone properly."
"One of the biggest ways I engaged with student life in Canada was through attending university sporting fixtures. I attended ice hockey games every week of the year, along with American football and basketball matches too. The games were great places to make friends and to show support for the university teams.
"I also joined societies such as the University of Calgary Outdoor Adventurers. By joining this group, I had several opportunities to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains with other students and try cross country skiing."
"I wish I'd known that I was going to have such an amazing experience – I was very nervous about being away from friends and family for so long and whether I would make any friends, but I really didn’t need to worry!"
Tamsin’s experience shows how a year abroad can build confidence, independence and global experience — something she’d recommend to any NUBS student.
Interested in adding an international experience to your degree but unsure where to go? NUBS has several partners around the world, with teaching available in English in all destinations.
Here's how to get started: