MU: Ole Waßmann

Preparation
Two years before I flew to St John's, I started to develop my English language skills. I took two courses at university, learned about 650 words, read a few books and listened to/watched audio books and movies in English. Without this preparation, I wouldn't have been able to pass the Oxford test, where you have to achieve a B2-C1. But my English just wasn't that good beforehand either. It's definitely worth starting in good time.
You have to submit a letter of motivation for the application itself. In it, you explain why a stay abroad will benefit your personal development (learning English, getting to know another country, meeting new people, having access to other university courses, why you want to go to this particular university or country, etc.). Registering with the university in Canada was then quite opaque for me and I was constantly on similar portals and always needed slightly different data etc.. So it's best to write down the link where a certain password or number worked. Unfortunately, they also use several names for the same number, e.g. the Student ID is also the Memorial Number or something, without mentioning this anywhere. Just click through and write to support, that will usually help you.
It is definitely recommended to go to St. Johns in the summer. The city is the foggiest, windiest and rainiest/snowiest city in Canada. So it's really bad in winter, especially if you don't have a car. In summer, you can definitely cycle everywhere. That's why you should get a bike through kijiji (that's the Canadian ebay classifieds). It's all very hilly there, but you can get a good workout in and as a sports student it shouldn't be a problem for you. Public transportation is just unreliable and ultimately more expensive than buying a bike for $100-$150.
Very important: only book an outward flight and never book a return flight. You may not be able to imagine it now, but you probably want to stay as long as you can in the end. You can also hitchhike/travel around North America for a bit and then fly back from another city. I stayed there for the vacations after my time at university and then hitchhiked 6800km to Vancouver and also made a detour to the States. Hitchhiking and chouchsurfing is really cheap, but also quite adventurous. Seeing Detroit and Chicago is definitely an experience. But you'll definitely need to bring a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
Flights aren't any cheaper six months in advance. Just go to "Skyscanner" and look for flights for tomorrow, in a week and in 4 months. If possible, book the flights directly through the airline and not through third-party providers. They are total data octopuses and it can cause unnecessary stress because you are then dependent on this company and don't even get your booking number etc.

Building up your life in St John's
Before you get there, you need to decide whether you want to live in the University Residents or rent your own apartment. The university halls of residence are relatively expensive for their size and they are very noisy. In Burton's Pond you are on your own in a tiny room, but there are also houses where you share a room and then have to pay thousands of dollars for the meal plan (i.e. you have to go to the canteen and don't have your own kitchen). I would really think twice about that. In return, you have your room from the start and don't have to book AirBnB and then look for an apartment. They are also centrally located at the university and it's easy to meet people. I also had a few friends in my house. However, you shouldn't just hang out with international students, you should also get to know locals.
You just have to see it as a task from the start to make lots of friends and have a good time. For me, it also took some time before I knew enough cool people. I got to know people through the house, the university, but also by simply going to concerts, events and pubs etc. on my own. Of course you sometimes meet people who aren't interested in getting to know you, but you shouldn't let that encourage you. Most people are really nice and open and it's normal to just approach strangers.
The culture in St John's is definitely something special. There is live music everywhere, even during the week. Pretty much all genres of music are represented. Just ask people which pub plays what. Black Sheep was definitely jazz, CGBT's more rock/punk, the Ship all kinds of stuff, shamrock Irish folk (you have to check it out). But there is so much more. Qidi Vidi Brewery is definitely cool too, but a bit off the beaten track. Just ask around, the locals know all about it. George Street is always recommended and there's a lot going on there, but the music and the people are pretty mainstream. But you can also just pop in anywhere. Club Velvet is definitely more alternative, it's a gay club. Otherwise there are lots of house parties once you've met enough people, so make an effort to socialize as much as possible. That was definitely the highlight for me, just meeting so many interesting and nice people. That's why I miss my life and my friends there so much!
As I said, you should buy a bike and go hiking if you want to do sport. So that you don't always have to hike a circular route, you can also hike one route and hitchhike the other. If you don't do this, you'll need two cars, which is really rare. Hitchhiking, on the other hand, works pretty well. You can also get to many different places by bike and simply explore the island. Just use Google Earth or satellite images to help you scout out exciting places. There is also the Fieldhouse ("The Works"). There are gyms, basketball, badminton and swimming. You can also swim in the Aquarena on the other side, but you have to check the times, sometimes there are just people splashing around in the water. You can also play tennis outside if you have the rackets. In summer, you can even swim in the ponds!
You should visit the second-hand stores for clothes and furnishings for your apartment (I didn't have anything in the student residence apart from the furniture at the beginning). The Salvation Army Thrift Store, Value Village and Preloved Things are all on Kenmound road. There are clothes in all sizes, even for men, and you can also buy sports equipment there. Just go and check them out, they are really wonderful stores. You really only have to go into the Avalon Mall to buy a SIM card.
Don't let the bad weather discourage you. Just go out and hike or go into town anyway. If you always stay inside when the weather isn't great, you'll probably spend a lot of time inside.
You can go shopping at Sorbey's on Tuesdays, they have 10% off for students. Otherwise Dominion is better. Walmart is the cheapest, but it's 6km away from the university on a hill, so it's hard to get to. In general, food and alcohol are quite expensive, so you have to be prepared for that. Incidentally, this applies to the whole of North America.
When you are there, you should also continue to learn English, i.e. write down and learn any vocabulary that you are missing or that comes up during the course of your studies. It's really quick when you're there and will help your English a lot.
In general, you shouldn't spend too much time just hanging around, but try to make the most of every second. 4 months is actually too short, because you've only just settled in and then you have to leave again.
And make sure you learn about the economy, history and politics of St Johns and the entire province. This is the only way to really understand what's going on there. Make sure you find out about the cod moratorium and the oil industry. But you should also inform yourself about the history and oppression of the indigenous peoples. This is the ugly racist face of Canadian society.

The pictures are of course only examples of nature and the city. The special photos are of the experiences you have there and the people you meet. And again: don't be discouraged at the beginning. It may seem gray and forbidding, but if you make an effort, you'll see what a friendly and welcoming place St John's is! I had the time of my life there. Whether it will be the same for you depends on your motivation, your openness and your willingness to get to know people and use your time efficiently!
If you have any further questions or recommendations, just write to me: uk037820@student.uni-kassel.de