There was a month in between when I got my student visa and my journey to Canada. In that short period of time I had an array of things to do, starting from the most important –PACKING LUGGAGE to the most stupid- surprising every relative/acquaintance/friend each night by paying them an unexpected visit. It’s really a skillful task to pack your luggage with all those ESSENTIAL THINGS. Yes, I emphasize the word ESSENTIAL because we are in the habit of taking all the dear and affectionate things we possess. In situations like this, where we are emotionally unstable, we tend to pack or count on every possible material possession which we’ve ever received/bought or have been gifted. This is where an experienced person’s advice can be really beneficial. Always remember that our luggage is governed by standard weight for flight regulations and we cannot exceed that count, no matter how desperately we want to! So be very careful while packing.

I knew from the beginning that I was to live with my grandparents so I didn’t have to worry about most of the life sustaining things as I’ll be directly landing in a HOME, AWAY FROM HOME! But if you are going to live on campus (residence) be prepared to bring in some basic utensils, ready-to-cook meals (which aren’t perishable like Maggie packs, chopped vegetables) as it might happen that the taste of food here may not be relished at the beginning. You can also pack in some toiletries. If you’re planning to buy any new gadget/electronic device like laptops and phones then I suggest to delegate it some more. It’s better if you purchase the technical appliances from here to avoid any electrical malfunctions.

For most of us English is not our mother tongue, so you might feel a little hesitant in speaking to people in English all the time. Just remember one thing – it’s not a matter of being ashamed if you don’t have a command over the language as it is justified that your native language all these years has been something else. People try not to speak and break their comfort shell in the first go because they are pre-governed with thoughts of being a victim of “inferiority complex”. Let me enlighten this matter; nobody in this world is born with the knowledge of every fact or dialect. It’s not new how people suppress their thoughts thinking “What if I say something which is grammatically incorrect?”. Believe me, it’s just NORMAL! Every person commits errors but the underlying crunch is – Try as diligently you can to get hold of American Canadian accent. And don’t prolong the state of being in “Cultural Shock”.

My friends, I understand the mental anxiety and chaos you all might be going through.  Leaving one’s parents, siblings and friends doesn’t go that easily. But if you think in terms of the future opportunities and career prospects you’ll be showered with, and the kind of exposure you’ll receive by living in such a multicultural society, I am sure it will outweigh the rest. For me, my parents supported me in and out in this decision. They always used to cheer me up by letting me dream about the beauty of the country I am going to and gave me oodles of confidence that I’m a mature girl and am capable of handling complicated situations. So, live your days with friends and family to the fullest and fly here with all the positivity, high-spirits and merriness.

Let’s add this process too in our most cherished chapters of the life’s book! I hope that one day we all will stand tall taking pride in our action of choosing CANADA for our education.

Check out some pictures from the fair

I spent hours planning on the clothes to buy for Canada. I was physically preparing myself for buying tons and tons of winter clothes because all I could think of and knew about Canada was that it’s cold 24/7 (which is a very wrong conception that people have back home.. hmm, I wonder why?). Summer here is amazing! Anyways, so I was still in India when I got my study permit. I wanted to go back to Nepal and meet all my friends and family before I left. I personally felt like my whole goodbye process was really rushed as I did not get enough time to say all my goodbyes. It was hard. But then again goodbyes are never that easy. After shopping for a couple of days I went back to Nepal. When I was back from Delhi I spent the first few days going around saying goodbyes to all my cousins. It was very exciting that I completely forgot I was moving all the way to the other end of the globe!

The day finally came; my friends and family came to see me off at the airport. It hit me all at once that I was leaving the people and the country I grew up in. I felt like I was leaving a BIG part of my life and moving to this unknown land. I was nervous and excited at the same time, but perhaps excited more.  That was the first time I ever saw my sister cry. It was very emotional. As I left my loved ones at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal I did not know what to expect. The only thing that scared me was I was going to be alone, lonely all by myself. But obviously that never happened, since from the moment I set foot in Canada till date I have had many life changing adventures and I have made many long lasting friends.

But more about that in my next post!

Since I was coming all by myself to Canada my mom packed some basic dishes and warm clothing for me to carry. My parents did not want me to wander around in the new city looking for a safe accommodation, so they had already reserved a university residence for me. So on that part, I wasn’t too worried. But as soon as I landed, a strange feeling gripped me that I was now in an alien land and nothing looked familiar to me. At the same time however, I was excited to join the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor without realizing that there were a number of things waiting for me.

At the orientation I heard everyone talking about ‘culture shock’ and I wasn’t aware of the term. By the time I realized what it was, I was already in shock. The first ten days of classes at the faculty were like reoccurring nightmares for me. I did not understand a word of what the professors were talking about. Everything went above my head! I did not understand the terms they were using and everything had to be done online which I was not at all used to. I had not yet overcome all these changes when I went to buy a coffee and the lady at the counter told me to make it myself! I was stuck and told her that I don’t know how to make coffee and she gave me a weird look. Of course, I was embarrassed. Then one day I boarded the Windsor Transit without knowing that exact change had to be carried. I travelled without a ticket, (of course with the driver’s permission) till my destination. It was very kind of him.

These are just the few examples that I have cited but there are many more like these. I could feel that I am disabled among everybody in my own eyes as well as others. All this happened to me because I came from a completely different culture and I had no one to help me become more familiar with the culture and the working system in Canada. I learned it all by myself and I really learned it the hard way. I realized it much later but to help make the transition easier, you really need to understand how the system of a new country works such as the language people use and the etiquette. And most importantly, a positive attitude can make all the difference.

Check out some pictures from his visit.

Check out some pictures from his visit.

Since childhood I was drawn to the kind of folklore Canadians inhabit because I possessed great socio-cultural knowledge of the country as my granny lived there and always shared her experiences. Little did I know then that the fascination I was nurturing would be so deep-rooted and eventually become the “decisive end” of my career life.

After I got completed my Grade 12 exams I settled the issue and made a firm decision of pursuing my further education from a Canadian university. But this wasn’t some piece of cake kind of a task. There lied intensively complicated matters and effortful technical details which I knew I was clueless about. Where and how to begin my application process remained a mystery for a considerable time. Then I was reminded of Miss Anusuya of CUAC whom I met in an educational fair in Delhi months back. I contacted her and asked her to help me get started with the admission process. She, together with a bunch of two other highly co-operative and sincere faculties gave me a deeper insight about Canadian education, guided me about different courses and narrowed my search to get enrolled in the best university.

Their thorough and all-around efforts made it possible for me to hold a seat at the University of Guelph Humber. The best thing about CUAC is that their service doesn’t end only after getting you enrolled in a university, rather it extends to matters such as getting your visa application and personal information as well, such as how to get there, where to stay, etc..! CUAC made it possible for me to visualize my desire and shaped my career for good. Their staff helped me a great deal in organizing documents and timely updated me with the progress. I won’t be wrong to say that they were more cautious, concerned and careful in the whole process than I was myself.

It’s been a beautiful 7 months here in Canada and am doing pretty well at school. I owe my present happiness to CUAC and its people for their worthy and professional services and being a constant support during the biggest and life-changing event of my life.

To all the budding achievers I just want to say- take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.

Cheers! Hail CUAC!

If you are planning on coming to Canada you have made the right choice!!! I was in India, with my family when I decided to come to Canada. Never did I imagine that I would fall in love with this country. The university, the people here, everything is so dear to me now.

I decided to come to Canada out of curiosity. My father had given me the option to go to the United States, or study in India or any neighbouring country like Bangkok, Thailand but my gut told me that I should come to Canada and I have never felt like home. As soon as I got off that plane a whole new adventure began. I never thought I would meet such good and kind hearted souls.

Stay tuned for my next post ~ I’ll tell you all about how my life changed after moving to Guelph, Ontario and what I did to prepare.