international student international student in canada Experience York University Journey Post graduation Future students York SCS School of continuing studies Digital Marketing York School of Continuing Studies

From Having A Successful Business To Getting Back To School: Disclosing My York University School Of Continuing Studies Journey

Prabhgun Singh
A big YorkU sign with trees, grass, a small pond, a fountain and different building behind it. There are a few people enjoying and walking near the small pond and multiple Canada Goose are inside the small pond. Also, there is the title of the blog with author's name below the YorkU sign.
  • Why I chose to restart my schooling?

Having holistic knowledge is an essential need for any human to survive in this fast-paced world. It not only makes you stand-out among your social circle but also gives you a better version of yourself. This is why I planned to restart my studies even after having a successful e-commerce business in auto-parts. I believed the programs provided by universities in Canada would certainly benefit me in expanding my business world-wide and also in the other aspects of life. Let’s see how it actually worked for me!

  • Why I chose York University?

There are multiple universities in Canada that offer several professional programs to make individuals industry ready and help them getting high paying jobs like Marketing Consultant, Social Media Marketer, Human Resources Manager, Cyber Security Analyst, Financial Manager etc. York University is certainly one of them.

It is one of the top ranked universities world-wide. It offers in-person programs, therefore, it does not fall under the category of online universities. Talking about QS World ranking 2024, York University stands at #353rd position globally and #16th position in universities in Canada. In 2023, York University acceptance rate was 27% as per UniScholars. This clearly indicated how valuable it is going to be as a student in York University and that’s why I and other students whether domestic or international students chose to attend York University.

York University SCS building with multiple trees and street lights in front of it. Also, there is a sitting bench for the people and a trash-bin outside the entry-way. The exterior of the building is made up of glass and the sky behind the building looks all-clear.
  • What program I chose at York University School of Continuing Studies and why?

York University has different departments for Bachelors, Masters and PhD. It offers various programs like Masters of Accounting, Bachelors in Nursing, Business Degree, etc. But for post graduate certificates, there is a separate department named York University SCS, which offers multiple professional programs in Canada for domestic and international students in the field of Business, Marketing, Health, Information Technology, Mediation, English Language and many more. Anyone can visit York University courses website to know more about all of the provided SCS programs. Two of the top-most programs preferred by international students are Post Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security and Post Graduate Certificate in Public Relations, in IT and marketing respectively. And, I chose to study in the field of marketing. The term ‘Marketing’, itself speaks how fun it is going to be. In the area of marketing, I chose Post Graduate Certificate in Digital and Content Marketing.

This Post Graduate Certificate personally attracted me a lot. It offered 8 different courses I.e., Business in Digital Age, Marketing Fundamentals, Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Planning & Analysis for Content Marketing, Marketing for Search Engines & Social Media, Content Creation, User Engagement & Marketing Automation and Content Promotion & Amplification. The course which made me fall in love with this certificate was ‘Content Creation’.

As a content creator, making content on YouTube and Instagram, I thought that I could grow my audience by providing them with enhanced quality content. It will not only going increase my user engagement but also boost my business sales. I also did some research and realized there were a lot of marketing roles available both in part time jobs as well as in full time for the international students. Students can even visit York University job postings to know more about different jobs offered at York University. Keeping all of these things in mind, I was confident in my decision to pursue with the York University SCS’s Post Graduate Certificate in Digital and Content Marketing.

The author is in his classroom, standing in front of the screen and giving a presentation on different factors affecting Apple as a brand. He is standing and presenting from his H.P laptop kept on the table in front of him with a water bottle kept next to it.
  • What was my first impression of the York University SCS?

My classes were due to commence from 15th January 2024. But before my classes began, the university invited all the new students to the orientation program, which was held in the York University’s Second Student Centre on 11th January 2024.

For me, it was a wholesome experience. It was my first time visiting the York University campus in-person and learn about its surroundings and the neighbourhood. Michelle Aarons, Executive Director - York University SCS, welcomed all the students and inspired us to achieve everything in life with her mesmerizing and heart-warming speech.

Later on, Todd Rich, Program Manager - York University SCS, walked us on the York University campus tour. He showed First Student Centre, Second Student Centre, Varie Hall, Scott Library, Tait McKenzie Centre, William Small Centre and other York University buildings. The two most attractive things for me were the Food Support in the Second Student Centre and the Gym in the Tait McKenzie Centre. This shows how much York University cares about its students by providing them with food and urges them to be fit.

The Tait McKenzie has four different types of gym memberships for continuing studies students I.e., 1 month for $22, 4 months for $84, 8 months for $168 and 12 months for $250.

The location is little-bit tricky to understand. Students can search "Tait McKenzie" on maps or if they are already in the York University campus. They can simply search for the nearby gyms. For example, open the maps, click on the search-bar and type “gyms near me”. It will show all the gyms near to their location and students can choose the directions towards the Tait McKenzie Centre .

Talking about the food support available at Second Student Centre. It is free of cost for every student whether domestic or international. Students can have an access to the food support by using York University authorized cards. For example, YU Card or the York Federation of Students Member Card.

Lastly, the Scott Library, it is one of the most peaceful places at York University campus where students can visit and do their several tasks. For example, issuing books or printing any necessary study materials, important documents or resumes at the low cost of $0.10 per print.

The author is standing on the street in front of York University SCS building which is made up of glass exterior. He is wearing winter clothes including cap and jacket. He is smiling as it was his first day on the York University campus.
  • My program journey in York University SCS

As mentioned above, my first class was held on 15th January 2024. Robert Mitchell and Rovena Aga were my first instructors, who instructed Business in Digital Age and Marketing Fundamentals respectively. They introduced me and my peers to moodle and how the SCS system works. Being international students, it was something new to learn. They also assured us that IT support would be available at any point if we were to come across any error when accessing the portal. We can easily get in touch with the York University IT help desk by contacting on their email address given on SCS’s IT support page.

We all successfully completed the first two courses and the assignments. Moving forward, on 7th May 2024, my favourite course ‘Content Creation’  finally started. On the same day, I met Timothy Campbell Smith, my course instructor. When I saw him first, he seemed to be a very strict instructor. But, when the class finally began, I realized that he was a very fun loving person. He became one of my favourite course instructors after Rovena Aga (Marketing Fundamentals/Planning & Analysis for Content Marketing Instructor). His classes were always fun and light-hearted. He used to make us play with Legos in class and encouraged us to build our creative skills. Legos certainly helped me build more creative content. It helped me gain an impressive user engagement on all my social media platforms.

Slowly, the course assignments began. The first assignment was to make a blog post on a Canadian brand. I chose my topic and created a blog on it. But, I did not realize that the content I had written was similar to another source on the internet. I received my grade on it and it was quite low. I was disappointed in myself and I thought that Tim would be disappointed with me as well. I spoke to Tim and assured him that it would not be repeated again. He gave me a bright smile and I realize that I have never seen such a kind-hearted and accepting person before.

The author is in his class with his peers and his instructor Rovena Aga. Everyone is standing in front of the screen, smiling and posing. There is also a speaker in the background which is mounted on the pillar of the wall and a glass work done near the entry-way of the classroom.
  • What is my advise as an alumni? Is it a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ for the future students to admit into the York University SCS?

Speaking from my experience as one of the international students, I would definitely recommend York University SCS to other students who want to pursue their professional programs in continuing studies. I met amazing and helpful instructors, who are going to prove to be assets in my future after the program ends. I do not think I would have built such a powerful and helpful network if I were somewhere else like in any online universities. All the instructors were easily approachable. I had great conversations with all of them in-person and absorbed their marketing experiences.

You can also choose any suitable program as per your needs like Masters of Accounting, Bachelors in Nursing, Business Degree or English Language program from other York departments. But from SCS, the program Post Graduate Certificate in Digital and Content Marketing gave me the tools which are essential to succeed in the marketing industry. For Example, it boosted my creative as well as marketing skills which are required to build a meaningful career. These skills are valuable whether you want to start your own business or join the corporate world. I can proudly say that being a part of one of the most prestigious universities in Canada has definitely been one of my biggest achievements in life.

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