H E C M O N T R É A LS P R I N G 2 0 2 0 • M O N T R É A L , C A N A D A

T I N G J I N D E E N • B B A ( I S & O M ) Y E A R 3

C O N TE N T S MONTHLY ACYIVITY LOG

P A R T 1

GENERAL EXCHANGEINFORMATION

P A R T 2

Page 5~8

ITEMS TO BRING

P A R T 3

USEFUL LINKS ANDCONTACTS

P A R T 4

Page 3~4

Page 9

Page 10

JAN2020

I arrived late at Montreal due to visa problem. It was 13Jan by the time I was arrived. I missed the schoolorientation and the first week of class. However, I waslucky to have helpful teachers and advisor that providedme essential information and class contents so that Ididn't miss any important messages.I have met amazing housemates too. We went to somepopular restaurants and landmarks together duringweekends. We tried the Montreal-styled smoked meatsandwiches and poutine. We also traveled to Jeanne-Mance Park for skiing.

FEB2020

There was the Winter Carnival in Quebec, held everyFebruary. My friends and I planned a 3 days 2 nightstrip for it. There were many activities and games, suchas ice hockey, axes throwing and snow craving in thecarnival. Cafes and tents were available in the carnivalarea for the tourist to keep warm from the icy weather.Besides the warm drinks and snacks sold in the cafesor tents, there were performances like bands andacrobatics. We also visited the famous landmark of OldQuebec and Quebec city, Castle Frontenac andMontmerency Falls.

PART 1 - MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG

MAR2020

In March, we had a semester break last for about oneweek. I decided to stay in Montreal rather than travellingto other states. My friends and I have gone around theMontreal city during the holiday. Apart from thelandmarks in Montreal, for example Mount Royal Parkand Old Port of Montreal, we also played bowling,videos arcades etc in entertainment areas. From mid-March onward, Covid-19 cases blasted in Montreal,hence attractions were closed to visitors, and dining inrestaurants were prohibited. As an alternative, myhousemates and I then made ourselves a heart liftinghot pot at home.

APR2020

The situation of Covid-19 got more serious in Montreal.All classes were held through online mode.Unfortunately, as there were cases around myneighborhood, I nearly stayed at home for the wholemonth without getting out. My housemates and Iordered food and necessities online rather thanshopping in supermarkets. It was a boring time butgroup projects and final exams made me too busy tofeel bored.

PART 1 - MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG

PART 2- GENERAL EXCHANGEINFORMATION

VISA PROCEDURESThe travel documents I hold required a visitor visa to enter the border ofCanada. As our exchange program was less than 6 months, we did not needto apply for the study permit (meaning that the Quebec AcceptanceCertificate (CAQ) was not required either), except when you are planning tostay there for more than six months. From my experience, it is better toapply the visa through visa agents instead of online because applying onlinemay take more time to process and is difficult to reach for help (you canonly send questions through Web form or your online application accountwhich takes days to get responds).

ORIENTATION ACTIVITIESUnfortunately, I missed the school orientation so I was not able to providemore information about it. Besides the school orientation, the exchangestudent committee, HEChange, sells different packages during the WelcomeWeek to the exchange students. They also organize lots of activitiesthroughout the semester including Quebec City Tour, Cuba Trip etc. Theseevents provide great opportunities to meet new friends from othercountries and cultures.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICES & ACTIVITIESYou can seek help from your advisor or send emails to InternationalActivities and Student Mobility Office if you have any questions onacademics or student insurance. You can also seek help from HEChange oryour buddy for any questions about student life.

ACCOMMODATIONSDormitory will not be provided to exchange students. However, HECMontreal has partnered with some thrid-party platforms to offer moresecure and safe off-campus housing to exchange students. There are threepartnered websites: Get Your Place, Student Flat and Irie Location. Apartfrom the above websites, you may find other apartments on your own. Theschool will list out the landlords that are willing to provide housing and youmay consult them on apartment renting.

PART 2- GENERAL EXCHANGEINFORMATION

COURSE REGISTRATIONMost of the course provided in HEC Montreal are in French, some of themare in English or Spanish, so it is important that you register the course withthe right language (Codes for English courses end with an 'A'). Not allcourses are available for exchange students, therefore have a look at the listof available courses before you register. The procedure of courseregistration is similar to HKUST where you add courses into 'shopping cart'before the registration period opens. Besides that, the courses areregistered on a first-come-first-served basis. Exchange students can take aminimum of 4 courses (may include 1 language course) and a maximum of5 business courses plus 1 language course.

TEACHING & ASSESSMENT METHODSThere is ZoneCours just like Canvas in HKUST. All course syllabus, powerpoints, homeworks etc are uploaded and arranged by weeks on theplatform. The before class, during class and after class tasks of each weekare stated very clearly too. For the courses I have taken, more than half ofthe time in class were discussing and solving problems. Students areencouraged to get involve in class and unlikely to be bored during the 3hours lectures. The course assessment includes homework, quizzes,midterms, group projects and final exams.

SPORTS & RECREATION FACILITIESHEC Montreal has a campus sports complex (CEPSUM) near the academicbuilding. Student ID card is required to have access entering the complex.You can use the facilities such as swimming pool, running track, sports roomfor free or pay for access of the training room.

FINANCE & BANKINGMy total expenses for this exchange was around 7500 CAD, with more thanhalf of the total amount was on flight tickets. Scotiabank and BanqueNationale are near from HEC Montreal, but they might not providetemporary bank account. In addition, there might be some other banksoffering better promotions for student account. A few of banks charges forATM money withdrawal, so you might want to do some research beforedeciding. I personally did not open a bank account, I usually paid by cash orvisa credit card.

PART 2- GENERAL EXCHANGEINFORMATION

SOCIAL CLUBS & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIESHEC Montreal has a number of student associations and interest groupsavailable for students to join. Most of the exchange students will participatein the activities organized by HEChange. This student committee will beorganizing a variety of party and trips for exchange students throughout thesemester.

HEALTH & SAFETYAll international students are enrolled in a compulsory health insuranceplan which covers the access to health care clinics and hospital, prescriptiondrugs etc. Students have to pay 355 CAD for it on the orientation day bydebit or credit cards (cash is not acceptable). You can call 811 for freemedical advice and 911 for emergency.

FOODApart from common western food, there are also lots of Asian cuisine suchas Korean, Thai, Vietnamese food near the school area. You can findrestaurants serving local food like poutine, dounut puffs, etc as well. Most ofthe restaurant charge a 10~15% service tax, so you may choose to cook byyourself to save some expenses. Supermarkets, for instance, Metro andWalmart, are located near the school. Aside from that, small grocery shopsselling Asian spices and food can be found around the area.

TRANSPORTATIONThe bus fare in Montreal is 3.50 CAD per trip. The effective time for 1 tripticket is 3 hours, so you can get on to buses and metros any times with theticket as long as the route is heading the same way. It is recommended toapply for a student OPUS card because exact change is required whenpurchasing ticket on the bus. There are many other fare choices availablesuch as 10 trips pass, 1-day pass and monthly pass. I bought the monthlypass with 52 CAD because I often took bus to school and supermarkets.

PART 2- GENERAL EXCHANGEINFORMATION

CLIMATEThe winter at Montreal is frosty, especially in January and February, with thetemperature ranging from -20°c to 0°c. If you want to travel to Quebec cityduring this period, you are advised to get a nice set of winter clothes as theweather is freezer than Montreal. It is also possible to have snowstorm atMontreal, classes may be cancelled when the situation gets serious. FromMarch onward, the weather gradually gets warmer with the temperaturerising to around -5°c to 5°c.

COMMUNICATIONMontreal is a French-speaking city. Road signs are written in French only,therefore it would be helpful if you learn some basic French to understandthe signs. You can easily communicate with others in school area and shopsusing English, because the teachers, students and staffs all speak Englishvery well.

CAUTIONARY MEASURESAs snowstorms can be serious occasionally, you may want to download theAlertus mobile app to receive alerts about emergencies or check from theHEC Montreal Website main page. Notice of school cancelling due toemergencies will be displayed on these platforms.

Passport

Cash, Bank cards

Clothes for winter (Dawn jacket, gloves, scarfs, socks etc.)

Snow boots

Heat packs

Notebook

USB

Business Formal

Adapter, Extended Power Outlet

Charger

Power bank (phone battery will drop rapidly when staying

outdoor due to cold weather)

Towel

Personal Hygiene Products

Lotion, Hand Cream

Slippers

Medicine

Water bottle

Backpack

PART 3- ITEMS TO BRING

Canada Immigration and citizenship (Visa Information)

HEC Montreal Incoming Exchange Student

Partnered Accommodation WebsitesGet Your Place: http://www.getyourplace.com/enStudent Flat: http://www.studentflat.ca/Irie Location: https://irielocation.com/

HEC en ligne

ZoneCours

HEChange Committee

International Activities and Student Mobility Office

Emergency Call

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada.html

https://www.hec.ca/en/international_student/international_exchange/index.html

https://enligne.hec.ca/psp/GAPET/HEL/HRMS/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG

https://zonecours2.hec.ca/

hechange@hec.ca

incoming@hec.ca

911

PART 4- USEFUL LINKS &CONTACTS