Rebooting Life with York: How is it Being an International Student in Canada?

If you are an aspiring international student, or about to start your days in your dream university in a few months, you have landed in the right place. Being an international student, studying in one of the top universities of Canada, and living independently is like juggling many balls at once. It can be super overwhelming from outside, but once you enter this hustle, you get introduced to the most interesting aspect of life: figuring out everything on your own. And, icing on the cake is resuming studies after a long break, which was my story while I enrolled at York University. However, since it was the school of continuing studies, I used to find comfort in the fact that I might not be the only one who has nearly forgotten how a classroom looks. And here we are, almost at the end of the program, all set to be called York U Alumni soon. Let's dive into a sneak peek at my journey of the past 8 months with some hidden tips for the upcoming students. 

Orientation and My First Day at York

Memories of my first day in York are as clear as Toronto’s sky. It was a chilly day and I headed to attend the orientation at the Second Student Centre building. That day I met a group of students from different courses but none from my batch. Since I was selected for an evening batch, all I wanted was to meet someone who shared my pain, and finally, I found a mate. We did the campus tour together and I enjoyed it, especially the York Lanes that were not giving a University vibe. All I could imagine was how it would look in the summers. And honestly, later on, I loved the idea of evening classes. It gives you so much flexibility, especially when managing your home, studies, and work together. 

Snowfall and Coffee By Robo

As my batch started in January, almost half of my program was covered in snowfall. I did not enjoy traveling to the campus in the start mainly due to the weather but gradually got used to it. One interesting and comforting part about our building has been the coffee in the basement that is made by a Robot. Isn’t it fascinating to watch a Robo preparing your coffee?

Meeting Diversely Talented People

Crossing paths with people coming from diverse backgrounds who have their own way of shining out is one thing that makes a university stand out from other institutions. During my journey, I also met with people who come with their unique talents and experiences. Whether the professors, guest speakers, or students, everyone had their own impact on the learning process in the course. One of my favorite aspects has been group activities and discussions, where we got a chance to work as a team and listen to different viewpoints on various market-related topics.

Learning from the Best

Studying at York has given me the opportunity to learn and grow with the best. The institution definitely has its varied faculty, that includes professionals who are leaders in various fields. The University also makes sure its students get all the facilities to support the academics with great references and flexible schedules.Getting to know the real-time market scenarios and how the Canadian job market is changing along with learning from the market leaders has been very helpful throughout the course. 

Life Lessons and Skills

Apart from getting familiar with different aspects of professional life in Canada, as a student, I have learned different life skills from my share of lessons and challenges. Being an immigrant and living far from your home country is not a path filled with roses. But I never took it as a challenge but as an opportunity. It helped me to gain interpersonal skills and enhanced decision making along with multi-tasking. 

Do’s and Don’t s for Future Students 

• Engage and Network: Take advantage of off-campus and on-campus networking opportunities. Creating relationships can provide doors to friendships, jobs, and internships.
• Don’t Stay In: Go out whether it is a sunny day or chilly evenings. Explore your surroundings, campus, and inhale the city fully.
• Be Honest with Yourself: It is not mandatory to always live in a hustle. It is okay to take a pause and restart. But, it is more important to be honest with yourself. Take full responsibility for your actions and bounce back better. 
• Be Positive and Take care of yourself: Being an international student can be hectic for those who lose their optimism and go down the road of prioritizing other things over self-care. Keep yourself at the front and never let anything, anyone of yourself get in the way of good well-being, is the ultimate mantra. 

In the end, one thing that I shall take away from my experience is ‘there is nothing you cannot do, you just need to take that first step’.