Applying for the Killam Fellowship is truly a great decision. If you haven't heard about the Killam Fellowship before, I can't say that I blame you. Some schools who are Killam Fellowship partners may not promote this wonderful program to their students as much as they should for reasons that I can't explain. Maybe it's because people think that a study abroad exchange to Canada isn't "abroad" because we're so close by? Personally, I think that's a load of malarkey. Going to a new school away from home in a completely different country, even if it is close by, is just as exciting and rewarding as going to a far off place. And the Killam Fellowship could be your opportunity to have this wonderful experience.

So, what exactly is the Killam Fellowship?

The Killam Fellowship is a program that allows students from Canada and the United States to spend either one semester or one academic year at one of the other partner universities in the other country (Canada to the U.S., or vice versa) as a direct exchange student or a self-placed visiting student. The program offers an award of USD$5,000 per semester (or USD$10,000 for one year) as well as allowances to offset the cost of health insurance. More information, such as a list of the partner universities, can be found here.

However, there is so much more to the Killam experience than what is officially listed. What isn't listed is all of the new people you will meet and become friends with during your time at your new university. What isn't listed is all of the new opportunities to try new things that you will have. What isn't listed are the bonds that you will share with your Killam cohorts when you travel to Ottawa in the fall and then to Washington, D.C. in the spring.

Of course, the experience is not always "sunshine and rainbows"- there will be hardships. Sometimes you might get homesick. People will have ideas about what you're like before they even get to know you just because of your nationality. Sometimes you might not be so quick to make friends. Sometimes studying can be difficult when your subjects are based around a culture that (while similar) is totally new to you. You might miss a lot of your favorite activities from home. Instead of celebrating a holiday with your family, you might have to make up a new celebration on your own. But that's just part of the experience. These negative experiences can make the positive ones that much sweeter when you experience them. By the time you get to the end of the semester, you may not want to go home since you've come to love and appreciate your new school and the fond memories that you've built there.

But you should believe me when I say that it'll all be totally worth it in the end.

So the next time you think about wanting to study abroad, you should apply for the Killam Fellowship. If you get accepted to the program, you'll realize that it was one of the best decisions that you've ever made.