I am Nashrah and before coming to Canada, I worked in Dubai as a Marketing professional. But one day, I decided that to further enhance my skills I should do my post graduate program in digital marketing. Then one of my friends suggested York University's School of Continuing Studies(SCS) and after my research, I applied for the post graduate certificate program in Digital and Content Marketing. Picking the best university and navigating its particular admissions process was the first difficulty of the journey. Though it was a good practice that forced me outside of my comfort zone, recording myself for admittance first made me nervous as I am an introvert. The anticipation of starting a new chapter in my life filled me with excitement when I received the admission letter.
Orientation Day
An exciting, anxious, and anticipatory day marked the start of my time at York University. But that day I was not well and coughing, a friendly staff person came over to offer me water, making me feel important and welcomed. This modest act represented the caring group of people I was going to join. The tour of the campus opened my eyes to a vibrant, dynamic setting brimming with opportunity.
The first days of course were a jumble of getting to know new people, making introductions, and getting used to the university's procedures. It was crucial to break the ice with classmates, and the introductions facilitated the rapid development of my friendships, for example, it helped me know people’s names, interests, and hometowns, it was originally difficult to understand the university's processes, but the professor told us well about important deadlines and also the Moodle York turned out to be a really useful resource.
Inspirational Faculty
With the caliber of York University's faculty like Doris Montanera, Tim Campbell-Smith, and Leigh Mitchell choosing a favorite lecturer is a challenging undertaking because all very outstanding. On the other hand, Rovena Aga is an inspirational professor. Her lectures were always intelligent, and her enthusiasm for teaching shone through in each one. Learning was enjoyable because of her ability to make difficult subjects approachable and interesting.
One of my favorite aspects of my time at York University has been campus life. Every friend group has its preferred locations for hangouts, and York Lanes has grown to be a spot for me. Reflecting the university's dedication to diversity and accommodating a wide range of tastes is the variety of food options provided. Campus life is more comfortable and accessible generally because of the availability of medical services and a Shoppers Drug Mart on campus.
The transition of moving to a new country and enrolling at York University was rather big, although initially challenging, I was able to navigate the professional world with the aid of academic counselors and resources, which was helpful when I was looking for support. The weekly free grocery service offered by the university came in quite handy during the first few months, giving me much-needed support when I most needed it. Breakout room facility to peacefully work on my assignments, as my roommate used to disturb me a lot.
YorkU SCS Events
One fun event that was full of sweets and surprises was the Easter egg hunt. Regarding the frequency and advertising of campus events, I do think there is space for improvement. Organizing more events all year long could improve community involvement and provide students with more chances to socialize.
Engaging Assignments and In-Class Activities
My academic and professional journey has been significantly shaped by York University's assignments and in-class activities. Every assignment was created to develop practical skills that are critical in the real world in addition to testing our knowledge, whether it has encouraged be I can be an entrepreneur or have the ability to do content marketing, email marketing or excel in Paid advertisement.
Industry Insights and Networking
The chance to network with executives from top firms has been one of the most beneficial parts of my time at the York SCS. The industry insights gained from the guest lectures and networking events featuring officials from Google, Amazon, and Spotify were exceptional. Through these conversations, I was able to get insight into the expectations and trends that exist in my industry today as well as possible career options.
Advice for Future Students
I have seen significant intellectual and personal improvement during my time at York University. Everything about my experience, from navigating the admissions process to becoming fully immersed in University life, has aided in my personal and professional growth and I see myself as a certified digital marketing professional. This has been an incredible experience because of the YorkU SCS staff faculty and my friends. Along the way, I hope to make even more memories as I complete my amazing journey, and I am glad that I took this decision. For my York University memory box, I am taking a York University sweatshirt.