Before I came to study in Canada, I spent two years at a University in Moscow, Russia. I am currently studying at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Having spent a few years in Russia and now Canada, I feel I can provide a good comparison between the two countries and their education systems. I will not argue whether one is better than another.  But I will point out some differences, which I believe are going to be true not only in the case of comparing the Russian education system to Canadian, but for other countries as well.

I think one of the main reasons that leads to a list of differences is that in Canada, universities are some kind of a “service”: students pay good money for it, and expect to receive a good service in return.

Aerial view of Simon Fraser University, Burnaby campus.

Universities in Canada are much more customer oriented to students than in Russia. Professors and staff try to make a student`s experience the best they possibly can!

Also there are lots of different resources available to help students. Such as if a student is struggling with figuring out what are they going to do with their career, if they need information about extending their study permit or if they run into some issues with understanding subjects they are studying, there  are many people available to help.  In each university there will be lots of advising available (academic, career, international and so on). Professors` office hours and various services like Peer Education are conducted by students for the benefit of student experience and community.

I will conclude my stating how important it is to make use of the help which the university offers you! There are lots of people who are here to help you, and you will be able to overcome literally any obstacle if you just ask. I truly believe that is the magic key to success and the major differentiator between Canadian education system and others!

I chose to study in BC for various reasons: I wanted to be an international student again–an invaluable experience that compares to no other travel experience I’ve ever had; I liked that there was an opportunity to stay in BC after graduation on the Post-Graduation Work Permit; and the third reason, I’ll admit, was the accessibility to one of the most spectacular coastlines and mountain ranges I have ever visited.

“Celebrating my climb and enjoying the view of Howe Sound in Squamish, BC”, says Elizabeth Brin, international student from USA.

After finishing school, the legal switch from a student visa to a post-graduation work permit was as easy as taking a drive across the border for a Trader Joe’s run–only this time I did what they call Flag Polling . After getting my application together I drove across the US border, immediately turned around and applied for the visa right then. The whole process took less than 2.5 hours, including driving time.

The actual transition from being a full-time student/researcher into a full-time professional again was a bit more challenging. While I had some work-related leads, most of my connections were in academia rather than the professional field. Over the last year, what I’ve learned is that Vancouver is a small, tightly knit community and that it takes time to break in. But once you do, the opportunities do eventually present themselves.

While my experiences come from the perspective of a graduate student in Vancouver, BC, below is some advice that I think can be of value to any international student transitioning out of school and into the BC work force.

1.) Make connections early on: Put yourself out there, volunteer, intern, and get involved while you are still a student. Take advantage of the new off campus work-permit. This is especially crucial for graduate students not looking to pursue academia, since we are not eligible for most work-study programs and it is easy to get lost in the land of research!

2.) Take advantage of alumni benefits: Often you are provided services, whether it is career planning, or access to the international support house, for a year after you graduate. Once you have left the school setting, there are no longer built-in structures of support, so use the ones you already have.

3.) Be patient: Finding a job takes time and requires meeting the right people. Set up informational interviews, follow-up in a timely manner, and don’t get discouraged.

I came to Canada in August, 2012 to study in a well-reputed college in British Columbia. I was very much interested in familiarizing myself with the western business context and culture so that I could integrate this knowledge with the Asian business context and culture and thereby be more competitive in the future job market. I decided to choose Canada as my study destination because I could get the same quality of education here as in other western countries but for more affordable tuition and living cost.

Presently I am in my first year.  I really enjoy the education system in Canada in comparison to my home country, India. Here in British Columbia, the program teaches us the subject topic successfully through regular coursework and classroom discussions.  Moreover, it also offers a practicum opportunity in the last semester as a requirement so that the students gain invaluable, in-depth, and first-hand experiences and knowledge through practical application of studied theory in an actual western business setting.

I also like the accommodation opportunity provided by the college to learn and experience a Canadian way of living through the “Homestay Program”. I highly recommend prospective international students to make good use of this opportunity because you will learn more about the western culture and also improve your English by actually living with a Canadian host family.

Many international students refrain from studying in Canada because they think it is unfair that foreign students have to pay higher school fees than the local students. Although this education is costly, I believe we should look at it more like an investment than an expense for your future career. I know I will I undoubtedly gain the tools necessary to excel in today’s competitive global market by integrating all of the many aspects of the program curriculum into the real-world business environment. In addition, the Government of Canada also provides post graduate work permits for all graduate students to work in Canada and gain some additional work experience. I think this is a wonderful opportunity. I am now also persuading my younger brother to make use of this opportunity and gain some valuable western experience by pursuing his studies in Canada.

In my previous posts, I have talked about some of the important things to consider when studying overseas. But now I would like to share WHY I decided to come to BC.

When I was eleven, my family and I had the opportunity to travel to the magnificent city of Toronto, Canada. We travelled to many different cities such as Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa. But my favorite part was going to the Niagara Falls. I enjoyed being there. I remember that my family and I took a tour and we were standing behind the falls. It was cold but impressive!! We stayed in Toronto for two weeks and we had lots of fun! It was one of my best summers.

“I enjoyed being in Vancouver – a nice city, full of good people”, says Andrea Recillas, international student from Mexico.

The next year, when I was in the sixth grade, I had the opportunity to go to Vancouver with some classmates from my school. It was a cultural exchange where we stayed with different host families for a month. My host family was awesome! They were really nice to me. In fact I still keep in touch with them.

During the exchange we had the pleasure of going to different places, such as Chinatown, downtown Vancouver, Whistler, museums, water parks, etc. I even had the opportunity to go Victoria as well. It was a short trip as we only went to the Parliament building. But it was beautiful! We traveled by ferry and it was incredible! I had lots of fun during that trip. It was amazing. I even cried when I got back to Mexico. I enjoyed being in Vancouver – a nice city, full of good people.

After that trip, I realized that I would like to study in BC. I actually wanted to go back to Vancouver for my seventh grade, but my parents thought I was too young. When I was in the eighth grade I told my parents that I would like to study in Canada the next year (ninth grade). We started to look for different options. We attended many expositions and “Study in Canada” fairs. I was pretty sure that I was going to study ninth grade in Canada, but my parents said it would be better for me to go in grade ten (in Mexico grade ten is the first year of high school).

Anyway I never gave up and I continued looking for schools in Canada. Studying in Canada was my biggest dream. I had some difficulties along the way because it is not cheap to study in another country.

But now I am happy because I am living that dream. Studying in BC continues to be an awesome experience. I would like to stay in Canada forever!  I want to graduate high school from BC and study at a Canadian University.

I LOVE Canada, especially British Columbia. It is the perfect place for studying.  It offers you different attractions and scenery that you will never forget. I enjoy Canada every single day!!!! I am very grateful to my parents for all of their support and efforts in making this dream come true. I am trying to get the most benefit of studying abroad by having good grades, learning a new language, participating in different activities at school, etc.

I have been to different countries such as the USA several times. It is a nice country, but Canada has something that makes me like it the most.  It probably has to do with the nice people…What do you think?

A Note on Sourcing BC Photos

The photos featured in this album were found through flickr. Visitors to BC as well as residents have tagged their work under the Creative Commons license. We’ve linked to the conditions of each license in the photo credit.

I came to Canada in 2006, so it’s fair to say that I’ve been here for a long time.  The main reason why I came BC to study abroad was because my parents not only wanted me to learn English, but they also wanted me to learn about different cultures, traditions, and customs of other countries at the same time. BC is a very multicultural place so it only made sense to stay here. British Columbia is very different from Korea, my home country. The holidays and festivals, cuisine, and even the people are different, which initially made it hard for me to adapt. However, because I came to BC with my family I was not the only one who felt this way. My family and I made every effort to learn about Canada. We helped each other by trying to speak English at home.  This was actually a very helpful exercise and helped tremendously improve my speech.

“In order to learn and become acquainted with a new language or culture, you have to open up your heart first”, says Lynn Kim, international student from Korea.

My first impression of the first day at school in BC was truthfully a bit nerve-racking. I did not know how to make friends. The elementary school I attended (at the time) barely had any Korean students. And I could not understand anything from the lessons. Despite this, I made every effort to make friends with students of different nationalities. I smiled, volunteered, and tried to speak English all the time. And in a few weeks’ time, I made friends!  We helped each other on assignments.  They corrected my grammar, and thus, were very helpful with improving my English. I must admit though, I was very shy at the beginning. But when I opened up, they opened up to me.

My advice to anyone wanting to study abroad is to remember to keep an open-mind. In order to learn and become acquainted with a new language or culture, you have to open up your heart first. If one just keeps closed, then no one will try to help or come near you. One of my friends, Melissa told me that she did not like me at first. When I asked her why, she said, “I don’t know. Maybe it was because you always kept quiet and never said anything. It seemed like you thought you were “too cool”. However, all that changed when you started to come up to me and talk”. I had no idea that this was how Melissa first felt or that I gave this “too cool for school” attitude. Melissa and I are best friends now. She has taught me about Halloween, Remembrance Day, Thanksgiving and all of the other Canadian customs and holidays.  We always help each other and enjoy each other’s friendship very much!

I am planning to go back to Korea after I graduate. When I go back to Korea, I am going to invite Melissa to come with me during summer vacations and I will teach her about Korean customs and maybe even the language too!