Erasmus experience in Kingston, Canada, by Clémence

Why did you choose to go to Kingston, Canada?

I mostly chose this place because of the university which is very good there!

How long was your trip? How much financial aid do you receive?

I stayed for four months from September to December. I received a grant from the Rhône Alpes region which came to €1300.

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How is student life in Kingston?

Quite good, you’ve got to find a good group of friends and there are a lot of clubs which are busy all weekend.

Would you recommend the city and university to other students?

Yes, school is really good (even if there is a lot of work), so I didn’t have much time to travel.. You’ve got to be organised! The buses that go to Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal are really cheap. If not, rent a car but you do need to be 21.

How is the food in Canada?

Not great, in Kingston there’s a lot of fast-food… They are not big on cooking.

Did you have any problems with finding accommodation?

Not really no, either of the groups Kijiji or Facebook Housing Queens. But a lot of my friends just found accommodation when we got there.

What’s the cost of living in Kingston?

You can easily live on €600 (including nights out and food, even transport)

Accommodation isn’t expensive but food is and alcohol is too!

How is learning the language? Did you go to language lessons organised by the university?

All the lessons are in English so I think that listening and understanding improves quickly. However I’d say try to make friends from there because otherwise you won’t speak a lot of English.

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What’s the cheapest way of getting to Kingston from where you live?

I live in France so obviously plane.

Which places would you recommend for going out in Kingston?

‘Stages’ (the excellent club in Kingston haha) or Ale House or Fluid Night Club

For eating out in Kingston what are your favourite places?

‘Works’ (downtown on Princess Street, (Super Burgers)), if not try ‘Smokes’ (you get used to Putin quickly), but the food is still not excellent.

What cultural visits would you recommend?

Fort Henry, but otherwise there’s not a great deal of things to visit. You can do a tour of The Thousand Islands, it’s fun, or go swim at Wolfe Island and do the maze in the corn fields.

Any advice for future Kingston students?

Be organised with your lessons in order to be able to go traveling.