Schools Exchange year? (University of Waterloo?)

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The discussion centers on a math student from the Norwegian University of Technology contemplating an exchange year at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Key considerations include the potential benefits of enhancing their CV and academic skills, as well as concerns about adapting to a new educational system, which may detract from their primary goal of achieving high grades. The student acknowledges the strong reputation of Waterloo's math department, particularly its success in the Putnam competition, and wonders how this might impact their experience as an international student. They express confidence in their current GPA of 3.60, suggesting that they are likely eligible for the exchange. The overarching question remains whether attending Waterloo would significantly improve their chances of admission to prestigious graduate programs in mathematics. The student seeks feedback on these considerations and any additional insights from others.
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Hey, I just need to gather my thoughts and I would be happy for some feedback.

I am an math student attending Norwegian University of Techology the moment, and will start my second year in autumn. I have started consider being an international student on my third year at University of Waterloo in Canada for several reasons:

- It may look good on the CV
- Attending a better university will make you better academically. - Is this really true? I will spend much time adapting to a new system, instead of just focusing on learning the material. Also, some time will of course be invested into doing stuff what international students usually do. Is an exchange year really beneficial for those students with main goal of getting straight A's?
- It will probably improve my oral skills in english, and from there increase my chances of getting into a well-known foreign grade school the next year.
- I have heard the math department at University of Waterloo is very good, but I really don't know what this is supposed to mean, how will this affect me as an international student? University of Waterloo has historically scored very well in the Putnam competition, so I assume that the study environment is very good.

I have calculated that my current GPA is 3.60, so I don't think there will be any problems to make the exchange year an reality. It is just that I'm not sure if this is something I should do, or if University of Waterloo is the ideal university for me. My main goal with my education is of course to learn as much as possible, but I also want to look qualified on my CV as well.

Is it more likely that a top grade school in math will consider me if I have taken a year at Waterloo?
 
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