Study Abroad Top Tips

Hello, Sinead here and I’m checking back in after my 4 months spent at Humber College, Toronto. In my previous two posts throughout the semester I talked about what modules I was taking and all the travelling which I was doing Toronto and beyond. Since I’m back on Irish soil I felt it would be appropriate to go through my top tips and some recommendations when thinking of studying in Canada.

1)      I know all of our lectures told us the importance of saving money as this year will be very expensive and I couldn’t agree more. It is quite important, especially for the study semester to have a healthy looking bank account. When studying so far from home, extra costs that you may not think of might arise so be mindful of this. Let travel be your motivation to work hard and save your money!

2)      As international students lots of events are organised by the colleges to make the move easier and to help people makes friends. As cringy as some of these events maybe, it’s important to make some new friends as all the other exchange students will be in the same position. Having a good group of friends who have similar interests for travelling and exploring the city will benefit your exchange hugely.

    3)      Get out and experience the local culture as much as possible, not only visit the well-known tourist spots in where you are but find out about the “real” things to see, the bars and restaurants where the local people head out, get off the beaten track basically. Even though you are only studying abroad in one city, that doesn’t mean you are limited to seeing just one place!

   4)      Be an informed student. Know about the courses you’ll be taking, where you’ll be staying and what you need to bring on your travels. This will vary from place to place, for example for the cold weather in Canada its vital to have warm clothing. Along with that some essentials may need to be bought on the arriving days such as bedding so have this planned for prior to travelling.

5)      Don’t forget that your time studying abroad will actually end at some point, as sad as it may seem. Keeping that in mind make it your priority to taste all the food, do all the activities and see all the destinations that you have planned. Studying abroad takes a lot of organising but it will benefit you hugely, as cliché as it sounds it really helps you grow as a person.

Just remember that studying abroad is all about the places you go, the people you meet, and all the new experiences you have. If you have any questions about Studying in Humber College in Toronto, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to talk about it. Happy new year to all and I will check back in from Slieve Donard in Co. Down.

Sinead