Hi everyone,

Things have been so busy with midterms and group projects that I haven’t had the chance to post a blog in a while. On top of that, the date for second years to submit their international exchange applications is fast approaching! By the beginning of December, I have to rank my top choices and complete an application consisting of essay-type questions explaining where I want to go and why. I’m hoping to head to Europe – specifically France or Belgium.

Here are a few of many factors second years consider when going on exchange:

1. Location: Some students choose to study in a country they’ve visited before and love, others choose to go somewhere totally new. I narrowed my location down to central Europe so I can easily travel when I don’t have class.

2. Reputation: The Commerce program has affiliate partnerships with some of the world’s most popular and prestigious business schools, such as HEC School of Management in Paris and ESADE in Barcelona.

3. Culture: This is definitely an exciting factor to consider. Whether it’s living in an old historical city in Europe, on the beach in Barbados, down under in Australia, or in a fast-paced city in Asia, every student will have the chance to experience a culture change coming from Canada. Furthermore, some students have studied languages within their time here at Queen’s that they hope to put to use in their country of residence overseas next year.

4. Cost: The great thing about the exchange program at Queen’s School of Business is that we don’t pay international student rates while studying abroad. In fact, tuition cost oversees is exactly what we pay in Kingston. The difference is the cost of living, which varies depending on where you want to go and how much you travel. Keep in mind, there are some exchange bursaries as well.

There are over 80 partner schools in 30 different countries to choose from! With all these options, many students turn to the Centre for International Management for individual advising appointments to get more detailed information and further solidify their decisions. Check out their list of all the partner schools at: http://business.queensu.ca/bcom/international_study.php

- Danielle Lucchese, COMM’14