Good advice for students wanting to try a global study or work experience

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Text on screen: [Good advice on international experience]

Kimberly Hanton, University of Victoria:

Bottom line, whatever situation you’re in, stay true to your own values, and always be authentic at all times.

Oluwayemisi Olugboji, University of Winnipeg:

My advice for scholars or people that would want to go into the program is to always pursue their dreams and never give up on their dreams, and also to share their experiences. You never know what someone else might gain from your experiences.

Cedric Mayer, Laurentian University:

Don’t be scared to do stuff. Like, South Africa has so much to offer, and to immerse yourself in their culture is just something you won’t regret. Get to know your students. Actually interact with them. Don’t just go to class and teach and then go back to your office and don’t help them out. You actually have to interact with your students.

Jeremy Wagner, University of the Fraser Valley:

Go for it, for one. Definitely be courageous. Right? Don’t let fear stand in the way of you taking on new challenges. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. And couple that courage with humility, recognizing when you do make mistakes. And that way, you can learn from them and move on.

Zeeyaan Somani, University of Calagry:

Sometimes I think that we’re very individualistic where we’re from. But going abroad somewhere else will help you realize areas where you might be strong and can help others, but open you up to the possibility of learning so much from the people around you. I would just say go in with an open attitude, an open mind, and do your best to learn from every experience because there’s experts in the fields there that can teach you so much.

Oduro Oppong-Nkrumah, McGill University:

Most important thing, I would say is to keep an open mind. Be willing to embrace new experiences. That has been the main lesson for me, the lesson I’ve learned from this.

Zahra Dhubrow, Saint Mary’s University:

Fear is always stopping you from taking that extra step, and I – what I’d want to say to somebody who’s interested is just to get over that fear. Because I think just taking that first step will lead you to a lot of possibilities, like a potential of so many possibilities. Because the fact that I did QES scholarship in Uganda, not only have I made amazing friends there, I’ve also networked with so many incredible people here in Canada. And it’ll definitely, like, open up doors for a variety of possibilities that’ll change your life completely. So I think realizing that now, I mean, I’m not as hesitant.

Vanessa Tait, University of Winnipeg:

Go with an open heart. Don’t go with assumptions or preconceptions of what you feel. More like just embracing what they’re going to teach you, and as well as the cross-cultural learning that’s going to happen.

Shiva V.I. David, University of New Brunswick:

What you come to do, you wouldn’t understand it now. Later on you’ll be like oh, I remember doing that in Canada, or that happened, and oh, this makes sense, or you implement things that you don’t realize and it becomes part of you later on. And it helps you professionally, personally, all these things. Just have an open mind and to learn.

Ahmad Firas Khalid, McMaster University:

The world is an open space for you. It’s an open canvas. Don’t let go of that opportunity. Go out, experience, get lost. I mean, that’s the best way that you can see what the world has to offer, what you can offer this world. Because you will never know your place in society until you engage with the communities, not just locally but also abroad. Think, plan, and engage. And the way I see it is you can only plan so much, but then you have to have an open mind for what’s going to come your way. And for me, it was being able to travel to refugee camps.

Trilby Buck, University of Victoria:

If you’re there and you’re frustrated, and maybe something isn’t going right, or you don’t understand something, the lesson that’s going to come out of it at the end is going to be so worth it. And it’s hard to see when you’re in a place where you don’t know anyone, you don’t really know maybe what’s going on, or you’re frustrated at cultural differences. Just have some faith that it will all make sense.

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