Since I applied to study in Canada, school was always the main priority. My goal for the last two years was to earn a diploma and become a knowledgeable and skilled specialist ready to start working. Now I am in the last term, and things have been going well.

I learned a lot about Telecommunication technologies, worked on various equipment and machines, designed interesting projects and connected with great people from the industry. Yes, from time to time, courses can get challenging, and you may not score up to your expectations, but studying here feels very interesting and engaging. Even online.

Speaking about it, my first term was fully online, which was the most challenging time during my two years of studying. I was back home at that time with 13 hours time difference studying from 9 pm to 3 am. My initial ideas and expectations about school life in Canada were different, but sometimes odd things in life happen, so we have to adjust. 

These are two main things that helped me along the way to overcome difficulties:

1. Friends and people: Canadians are very friendly and always willing to help. Being an international student away from home, I never felt lonely or homesick. I have great friends, teachers, roommates, colleagues and my brother who always supports me and brings happiness, growth and unforgettable memories in my life.
2. Support system for international students: many Canadian institutions have international student centers, Student Associations, Student Life departments that focus on helping students to thrive during their time in school and providing support in different challenging situations. Make sure you connect with them and learn about all available resources and services they are offering. Make the most out of your time in school.

One thing you should always be aware of is finances. Studying in Canada is exciting, promising and very interesting but also requires lots of dedication and discipline to manage school life with other responsibilities. The hardest part is to be able to successfully manage your expenses like tuition fees, housing and all other living expenses. Keeping weekly spending limits is a good idea, and just generally being aware of where you can buy inexpensive stuff always helped me a lot.

But in my opinion, financial stress is worth it because it strengthens the character and prepares one to face the real world. I am graduating from a well known polytechnic institute, where I would have gotten work experience and developed a good network. I am confident that the skills and knowledge I learned here will pay back in the nearest future.

One of the scariest parts of moving to a new place – at least for me – is the lack of friendships and support network when you arrive. While there are certainly unknowns for international students coming to a new country to study, the nature of attending a school means there are lots of opportunities to make friends with people who are similar in age, meaning some of the work has already been done for you. The trick is to then find folks that have things in common with you or who share your values. In my case, I was lucky to be coming in as part of a cohort of students pursuing a natural resources and environmental studies degree, so an appreciation for our environment was a given. Fortunately, the Canadians are as friendly as advertised (and my fellow international students have been lovely too).

Being so far away from loved ones can be a challenge, and the community that my university has provided me – ranging from friendly faces to lifelong friendships – is something I’ll always be grateful for. These people have both brightened my day-to-day life and taken me on memorable adventures throughout the province. Not only have they emotionally supported me through life’s typical problems, but they’ve banded together in the face of a labour strike at the university, grappled with a pandemic, and consoled one another after the death of one of our classmates. I could not have possibly imagined the sort of adversity I’d have to deal with over the course of my degree since I moved to BC, but these people have been an immense support and I’m a better person for knowing them.

I plan on graduating over the summer, so depending on how opportunities shake out these may well be my last few months living in British Columbia and Canada. I intend to make the most of my remaining time by appreciating the connections I’ve made to both people and places here. While the past year and a half hasn’t been the easiest, I remain thrilled that I decided to move to Prince George, attend UNBC, work with the people I do, and befriend all the folks that I have in Northern BC. Thank you, BC.