by Marija Ozegovic
Introduction:
Spending a year at Queen’s was hands down the best thing I have done in my life so far. Conveniently located in the small town of Kingston, Ontario, Queen’s is really all about the student life and culture. So if that’s what you’re after, Queen’s is the place to be.
Campus:
Queen’s is relatively a small university in comparison to UNSW, so the on campus housing options are limited to “Frosh” (first-years). However, they do reserve the Jean Royce Hall on West Campus for incoming exchange students. Jean Royce hall is about a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute bus to main campus. It’s a great place to meet fellow Aussies at Queen’s but because it’s located relatively far from downtown (where all the bars are at), it gets a little hard to do your groceries and go out – especially when it’s -20 degrees.
Accommodation:
This is why I chose to live in a shared house in the heart of the “Student Ghetto”. The Student Ghetto is a neighbourhood surrounding main campus where nearly all of the upper years live. It’s conveniently located to the Metro (which has student discounts on groceries on Tuesdays!) and Stages. Living in here gives you more freedom than the residencies because you have a chance to cook your own food, share a bathroom with 2 people instead of 20 and so on.
Academics:
As for the academics, Queen’s is a great university. Its Smith Business School is highly distinguished across Canada for the great professors and the equally stimulating courses. The full time load at Queen’s equates to 5 courses per semester, so the work load is heavier than at UNSW. Also, the commerce program is heavily focused on case studies and group work, so it takes a bit out of you.
Extracurricular And Activities:
Queen’s is all about school spirit. You can’t go outside on Hoco if you aren’t decked out in Tricolour. There is an abundance of bars downtown, which are always packed with Queen’s students. Tumble Tuesdays at the Ale House are essential, as is Stage Rage on Saturdays. Honestly, I can’t praise the student life at Queen’s enough. There are clubs and societies for everyone, the ARC gym is free, there are so many places to eat out (Woodenheads) and I miss all of it!
Social Activities and Nightlife:
As mentioned before, Kingston is a small town, so the places to go out to are limited to the four local clubs. However, this isn’t such a bad thing. Whichever place you decide to hit up, you’re guaranteed to bump into friends from class. Another staple of the Kingston nightlife if the bars. From The Brooklyn to the QPub, the atmosphere is friendly and homey. Congregating with your friends at a bar between classes is one of the things that made Queen’s so special and welcoming.
Conclusion:
Queen’s is all about school spirit. You can’t go outside on Hoco if you aren’t decked out in Tricolour. There is an abundance of bars downtown, which are always packed with Queen’s students. Tumble Tuesdays at the Ale House are essential, as is Stage Rage on Saturdays. Honestly, I can’t praise the student life at Queen’s enough. There are clubs and societies for everyone, the ARC gym is free, there are so many places to eat out (Woodenheads) and I miss all of it!
UNSW Commerce (International) Society 