Testimonials from Current and Past International Students

SOS
Aug 22, 2019
3 min read

Updated: Sep 9, 2019

*During the summer of 2019, SOS invited international students to participate in a survey detailing their experience transitioning to life in Canada. This post is based on that survey*

Introduction

Have you read all of our blogs and are still hungry for more advice? Want to hear from students who have had the first-hand international student experience? Look no further!

This blog post is divided into sections based on the questions we asked international students in our survey.

*Glossary located at end of article*

What resources have you used to support your transition to Canada?

41.7% of respondents said they used educational agents to support their transition to Canada.
25% of respondents said they used their institution’s writing center to support their transition to Canada.
25% of respondents said they used their institution’s peer support program to support their transition to Canada.
58.3% of respondents said they used their institution’s international student orientation to support their transition to Canada.
33.3% of respondents said they used their institution’s student clubs to support their transition to Canada.
33.3% of respondents said they used their institution’s ESL language lessons to support their transition to Canada.

Are there other resources that have been helpful to your transition?

“Helpful understanding Professors.”
“Student Success Center”
“Prof office hours”
“Facebook groups”
“Student counseling”
“Guided tours on campus”
“JSA (Japanese Student Association) at my university offered me a lot of opportunities and resources. I am one of the co-presidents of JSA currently, and I would like JSA to be a helpful resource for new Japanese students upon transitioning to university.”

How well supported have you felt by your College/University, to make the transition to academic life in Canada?

7.1% of respondents felt barely supported by their institution, in making the transition to academic life in Canada.
57.1% of respondents felt slightly supported by their institution, in making the transition to academic life in Canada.
35.7% of respondents felt that they were supported about half as much as they should be, by their institution.
**about 50% of respondents listed “lack of awareness” as a factor that prevented them from making use of further resources > Check out our directory of compiled resources for international students!

What do you think future international students should know before their arrival to Canada about each of the following?

Canadian Classroom Culture

“Being open and relaxed. Understanding that you will be wrong and that's perfectly alright. That your input is critical, and that education needs to be given respect. Also, it’s about having fun.”
“They should wait for their turn to discuss. Active participation in class discussions is a must.”
“No one cares if you come or not, but you need to attend lectures for yourself.”
“It would be beneficial for them to know that classroom culture is more relaxed, that they will be expected to do the majority of work on their own, the testing style, how to approach studying for midterms and tests if they have come from a different kind of education system.”

Learning the English language

“Sometimes it’s the nonverbal cues that matter.”
“They need to work on expressions, figures of speech and proverbs”
**Check out this great blog post and video on Canadian Slang https://theplanetd.com/the-great-canadian-word-unique-phrases-and-words-of-canada/
“Don't worry, you will not be judged for your mistakes.”

Immigration Support

‘HAVE LOTS OF IT. There is a lot of confusing info about work hours, permits and jobs.”
“They take a long time to be processed so start applications and get support very early.”

Lifestyle Changes

“Be prepared for the winter.”
“Be polite all the time!!”
“Making friends will help everything.”
“Make healthy choices.”

Which institutions did our respondents attend?

What countries do our respondents call home?

Glossary of Terms

Classroom Culture – Critical features of classroom life that characterize its educational “personality”.
Survey – a research method used for collecting data from a pre-defined group of respondents to gain information and insights on various topics of interest.
Respondent - a person who replies to something, especially one supplying information for a questionnaire or responding to an advertisement or survey.

-Rebecca Geylikman

Life as an international student offers exciting new experiences. But, this transitional period of change can also present a significant challenge for even the most talented and well-supported of students. Our guide helps international students learn the skills, knowledge, resources and where to find them to transition more easily, as they begin the next stage of their educational journey. The International Student Guide provides blogs, videos and a resource directory that students can use to navigate their Canadian transition experience; from pre-arrival to post-graduation job hunting - based on the experience of current Canadian post-secondary students.

Learn more at https://studentsofferingsupport.ca/