A short timeline of pre-exchange ⏳

2020

• April: read past engineering exchange reports and message random people who have gone before to EPFL
• August: gets waterloo email, so obviously email engineering exchange office to ask about exchange 😆

2021

• September 14: attend online Go Abroad session
• October: STRESS lots of emailing/waiting on responses, also figured out proposed study plan and where to go
• November 1: submit Waterloo Passport application
• waiting ...
• November 19: first false alarm- email from study abroad is to confirm intention of a 2-term exchange
• November 25: second false alarm- email from study abroad is to confirm some information regarding second choice school
• November 30: correct email now 😎 matched with EPFL! Was working on a lab in E7.
• some calm now

2022

• January 10: deadline to accept match
• more waiting ...
• March 4: email from Study Abroad on next steps
• March 7: email from EPFL on next steps (you are currently a “nominated student”, they have not officially accepted you yet)
• who knows if we will get guaranteed housing?
• April 15: deadline to submit EPFL registration to EPFL
• May 18: official acceptance letter from EPFL for the exchange, more steps to take (including visa application!)
• May 24: mailed visa application to Swiss Consulate in Montreal
• June 1: email confirmation that Swiss Consulate received visa application
• June 10: gets guaranteed housing woooooo! Email from FMEL, the organization that does student housing in Lausanne. Note: housing in general is guaranteed, but where you will be placed is not, you submit a preference form
• has the visa been approved yet??
• June 24: email the population office in Vaud (canton that I will be in)
• June 27: turns out it was already approved “En effet, votre visa a été approuvé.”
• June 30: send passport to Swiss Consulate in Montreal
• of course, I do this over a long weekend- Canada Day
• July 4: passport arrives at Consulate
• July 7: passport arrives back to me, but now with a visa 😎! (super fast)
• July 13: email confirmation from FMEL of where I will be staying
• July 19: email confirmation of French intensive course enrollment (for exchange students to EPFL) - this course is not required, but is offered for free to exchange students
• July 21: enrolled in Safety Abroad course on LEARN
• realized I need to inform OHIP that I am out of country for more than 212 days
• July 22: visit Service Ontario to get OHIP coverage extended while away (actually visited two, because the first one did not do extensions at that office)
• July 24: booked flight tickets, price happened to drop when I happened to check (God’s impeccable timing)
• buying some stuff that might need abroad
• exams too
• more exams

As of publishing this post, we are still in exam season 😢 two more to go!

In theory though, last exam is on the 12th, I will move back home from Waterloo on the same day, do some lots of packing, and then fly out a couple days later. When? That is for another post 😉

to be continued...