How Canadian Universities & Colleges Help Students Succeed

As an international student, if you haven’t started already, you will soon be searching the Internet for the best universities and college based on the programs and scholarships they offer. But there is another aspect to your university or college hunt that you shouldn’t neglect. You should also check out the resources an institution provides to see how much they do to help you succeed holistically.

There are 6 main areas that a university or college may cover when providing resources and student support.

• Transition into University Life

• Academic Support and Resources

• Career Guidance

• Health & Wellness Support

• Ombudsman & Safety Support

• Visa & Immigration Support

Transition into University Life

Back 50 years ago, transition support probably wasn’t as strong as it was today. At least, as a young farm girl going to university in a big city, I sure could have done with some support if it was available. The university was far bigger than my village and there is one class where I just couldn’t find the classroom. I am sure I asked someone in the end, for I did get a grade in the class so must have finally attended classes. Now I am from Canada. Imagine how new international students feel in their first days on campus.

That is where International Student Orientation Days help international students transition into campus life. Events can be online or on campus and they welcome international students from across the world to the campus helping them with banking concerns, how to get a Social Insurance Number, where the nearest grocery store is and answering many other questions that new students are concerned about. The University of Alberta starts international students off with an Online Orientation, but they also have an on campus one that takes place the 1st week of September every year. This fun-filled event is informative and a must attend so you can make friends and learn all about life in Edmonton and the University of Alberta. The University of Waterloo has their Waterloo Ready program and welcomes Warriors (the name of their varsity sports teams) to life at Waterloo. This year’s Western’s Orientation for international students runs August 30th to September 2nd and includes information booths where you can ask every question you want about academics and life at Western University.

Attending one of these kind of events at your chosen Canadian university or college is a must. In fact, some colleges make attendance mandatory.

Academic Support & Resources

This support can be delivered in the form of added teaching resources such as a Teaching Assistant available to students for every class they take. In addition to the professors posted hours, Teaching Assistants will also have posted hours when you can go ask questions about the course material. In addition to this, Canadian universities and colleges provide support in the area of mathematics and writing and other subjects that students can be struggling with. In addition to writing workshops and other academic support programs, the University of Alberta has a Decima Robinson Support Centre that offers students one-on-one Math support. Staffed with graduate students, new students can avail the math help for free.

UNB (University of New Brunswick) provides Academic Support in the areas of writing and math and science with their Flora Beckett Math & Science Help Centre.

Every Canadian university or college has academic support centres and some programs are geared to the student who needs smaller classrooms or more one-on-one help such as University 1 at the University of Manitoba or Augustana Faculty at the University of Alberta.

When checking out a university or college to study at, make sure to check out their resources. Or better yet, contact Go 2 Canada Education Services to answer your questions about academic support availability at the institution you are considering. If it’s one of the Canadian schools they represent, they will be able to assist you fully.

Career Guidance

From paid Co-op Work Experience programs to Internships to Career centres, every Canadian college and university has a centre to help you find that part-time job while studying or jobs when you graduate. Workshops are given on how to write a resume (CV), cover letter, or mock interviews. Examples of possible career development and employment opportunities at some of Canada’s institutions include:

• College – North Island College (NIC) offers Work-Integrated Learning.

• Polytechnic institutions – Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) offers paid Coop Work Experience opportunities with their programs. An example of earnings is $12,000 CAD for a 4-month work term during your BBA degree.

• University Co-op Work Experience – The University of Waterloo is Canada’s top university for Co-op programs where students can earn anywhere from $8,000 to $19,000 CAD for a 4 month term.

• Experiential Learning opportunities at major universities such as the one at the University of Windsor.

• The University of Alberta has an International Student Work Experience Program so international students can find valuable on-campus work experience.

These options are only the “tip-of-the-iceberg”, there are many other career development and work opportunities available at Canadian colleges and universities.

Health & Wellness Support

Starting life as an international student in a new country and a new university or college can be overwhelming. What do you do when you just need someone to talk to about it all? Or maybe you are concerned that you will gain weight with all the studying you are doing? Where can you go to keep fit? Or maybe you want to see a doctor for that cold that just won’t leave you. Where is the nearest doctor’s office?

All of these can be found right on the campus where you are. Canadian institutions provide many health and wellness facilities and support. There will be a health services such as the one at Memorial University right on the Grenfell campus where basic costs are covered by your insurance coverage.

Thompson Rivers University has a free weight gym and many other fitness and recreation options at their Wolfpack Recreation including varsity and intramural sports and teams.

St Francis Xavier University offers several mental health support resources many of which are free and certainly confidential due to Canada’s FOIPP (Freedom of Information and Privacy Policy).

Ombudsman & Safety Support

Fairness, equality and justice are Canadian values that must be upheld on campus. If, you as an international student feel t hat you have been discriminated against or harassed in any way, you can access student support through such offices as the Safe Student Community at the University of the Fraser Valley or the Student Ombudsman office at the University of Alberta. Additionally many campuses provide security support with staff or peers walking you back to your dorm if you are walking back alone from the library or some such place late at night.

Visa & Immigration Support

Canadian universities and colleges have staff who are experts in giving international students support on immigration matters. Many of institutions have IRCC licensed immigration consultants and advisors on staff.

Throughout this article, I have only given you examples for each point in the services Canadian universities and colleges have to support their international students. If you want to know more about the supports a university or college offer, contact Ms. Khan at Go to Canada Education Services and she will share with you about the different supports in place for the Canadian institutions she represents.