Cathal Coyle

Why did you choose to come on exchange to Waterloo?  

I knew I wanted to do my exchange in another English-speaking country and Canada is somewhere I’d always wanted to visit, so when the University of Waterloo came up as an option for my exchange I was delighted! Having researched the city of Waterloo and the campus I knew it would be completely different to my experience as a student in Dublin, which is exactly what I wanted from an exchange! Also, since the university has such a strong reputation for engineering, I knew it would be a good fit academically too.

What was an average day like?

Most days I have lectures from 10 a.m. until lunchtime, then I usually head back to my apartment to make some lunch or I get something to eat from one of the many food outlets on campus. Then I’ll head back in for an afternoon tutorial or lab session, or to study or do work for an assignment. Once I’m done with classes and study I’ll usually do something fun with some friends, like going for food, a milkshake or a drink. There have been so many fun extra-curricular activities to participate in throughout the year so I’ve been kept busy!

What was your favourite spot(s) on campus? 

I’m taking the Learn to Skate class offered by the University and I’m absolutely loving it! For that reason I’d have to say that Columbia Ice Field is probably one of my favourite spots on campus. Since ice skating isn’t very popular in Ireland, it’s been a great opportunity for me to learn this new skill and I want to continue skating as much as I can.

What was one of your favourite experiences from your time abroad?

So far one of my highlights has been going to Niagara Falls! I’d seen photos, but it was so much more impressive than I imagined it would be – I especially enjoyed taking the boat out to the base of the Falls and getting drenched by the spray! (I thought the ponchos were just for show but they really were necessary.)

What has been your favourite food you’ve tried in Canada that you don’t have back home?

It would have to be poutine! It’s something I’d never tried before coming to Canada. From the descriptions of it I was skeptical, but I’ve discovered I find it really tasty.

I’d have to say Tim Horton's is a close second though! None of the food there is different to what you can get back in Ireland, but the doughnuts are so tasty and so cheap! I’ll definitely miss it when I go back home.

Were there any challenges? If so, how did you overcome or cope with them?

Having an Irish name meant that most people had no idea how to pronounce it when they first met me, but I eventually got better at explaining how to pronounce it.

Did any of your experiences challenge the assumptions you had about Canada or Canadian culture? 

The stereotype of Canadians being friendly is definitely true, so that was something I was glad to discover wasn't false.

Also, I previously had thought of Canada as being very cold all year round, but when I first arrived it was over 30ºC. The heatwave eventually came to an end, but I was really surprised by how hot it was for so long. I’ve really loved seeing how much the weather here varies from season to season.

Is there something about Canada or Canadian culture that you found unusual when you first arrived that you have now embraced? 

It’s definitely taken me a while to get used to looking the other way when crossing the road; at the beginning I kept getting it wrong, but thankfully I managed to avoid getting hit by any cars.

It was also a very strange experience driving on the other side of the road when I rented a car, and since the driver’s seat is on the other side of the cars here, I’ve accidentally tried to get into the wrong side of an Uber a few times as well - I think I’m finally used to it now though!

How has this exchange helped you grow? 

Coming to Waterloo on exchange has definitely been a very positive experience for me. It’s allowed me to meet so many new people, make friends from all around the world, and prove to myself that I can adapt to living in another country.

It’s also been amazing to study at another university and see how campus life is here. It's allowed me to take courses that aren't taught at my home university. For example, I’m taking an International Development course, Introduction to Global Emerging Cities, which I don’t think is offered back home and a Civil Engineering course, Traffic Simulation Modelling and Applications, which is different to the transport courses available back home. Plus, roads in Canada are slightly different to Irish ones, so the study of traffic is a bit different too. In winter term, I hope to take Soundtracks: Music in Film.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I’ve loved being able to travel to other places in Canada while in Waterloo but, if I were to do it again, I would try to do even more travelling on my weekends and time off.

Do you have any advice for students thinking of studying abroad?

I would advise anyone to go for it! Studying abroad has been such a brilliant experience and it’s allowed me to live in Canada this year and to experience a totally different way of student life, which is something I wouldn't have done otherwise.