The life of an international student
College already seems like a foreign
world for many new students;
there are new classes to navigate,
new roommates to meet and the challenge
of living on your own to deal
with. But what about learning to
speak English? Not knowing a single
person? Or struggling to find food
you enjoy? Being an international
student is no walk in the park.
Methods of teaching and classroom styles vary greatly from country to country. Just like every new student, the international students at Fanshawe are presented with new challenges when they arrive.
"School at home is 100 per cent different," said Elo Ikpe, a graduate of the International Business Management program who is currently studying to become a personal support worker. "Back home in Nigeria, we are colonized by the British, so when I came here I had to learn APA writing format, which was a big challenge at first."
Junhyan Park, a General Business graduate, said, "It was a little bit hard to me; lots of essays, presentations and group work. It's really funny because in South Korea we only have midterm and final (exams), and we don't have any assignments."
Despite the efforts put forth by Fanshawe College, there are some challenges that they can't assist with. One of the largest struggles for these newcomers is the cost of tuition. The average tuition per semester for international students is approximately $7,000. This amount is three times more than what domestic students are paying. As Canadians, we partially pay for college and university tuitions through our taxes. "It's really not an inflated amount. It is an actual amount, and in the world-market, we are very cheap," said international student advisor Kim Rowe. The international students don't receive the same subsidized rate.
Elo said she believes the schools here should assist with the prices; "They should offer us scholarships or discounts."
These students don't qualify for OSAP funding or any sort of bursaries, which adds to the difficulty of making these payments. "It's expensive, and we have to get the money from our parents," Park said.
Most international students come here knowing very few or no other students, but Fanshawe does offer programs to assist with social interaction and help these students meet new people. Insu Mun is from Korea and is taking Web Development at Fanshawe, he reflected that the International Centre's host program was a huge help for him. "It was really nice, because when I came here I didn't know anyone. I made many new friends." The host program is a one-on-one matching program where Canadian students help international students adjust to everyday life. In addition to simply becoming a new friend, the Canadian students can assist with everything from getting around London to practicing casual English.
Elo said she found Fanshawe very welcoming. "It's a friendly environment, and very accommodating. The campus itself is so self-explanatory and it's easy to get around."
Faith Maudsley works in the International Services Office and said she is impressed with other departments at Fanshawe as they continue to improve their relationships with international students. "Athletics is really going over and above. They are doing so much for our students both in ways of starting cricket as an intramural and extramural sport, as well as hiring a lot of our students to work there."
Fanshawe could, however, be more accommodating by providing a greater variety of food options. "It's impossible to eat on campus," Elo said. "The entire (city), it's so difficult to get African food." She did praise United, a large Asian market in London, "They have the same kind of rice and noodles I get back home, and they have meats — goat meats and chicken with bones!"
Several of the international students agreed that in order to get food from their culture, they go off-campus or cook it themselves. "There are some good Middle Eastern restaurants in London," said Yasser Alusltan, a Business student from the United Arab Emirates. "I like Paramount and Mr. Fish and Chicken, but on campus there's not much — I'll eat the pizza or Mr. Sub."
Last year, approximately 1,250 international students graced the halls of Fanshawe College; this year, the number is expected to climb to approximately 1,500. Elo explained that most of her friends go to England or America for school, but after attending school in England herself, she said she prefers Canada. "Here you meet different people, and there are more opportunities here."
Maudsley said she believes that living in Canada helps to attract students from over 60 countries to Fanshawe. "Canada is a very, very peaceful, liberal country where several backgrounds can live the way they want to."
Methods of teaching and classroom styles vary greatly from country to country. Just like every new student, the international students at Fanshawe are presented with new challenges when they arrive.
"School at home is 100 per cent different," said Elo Ikpe, a graduate of the International Business Management program who is currently studying to become a personal support worker. "Back home in Nigeria, we are colonized by the British, so when I came here I had to learn APA writing format, which was a big challenge at first."
Junhyan Park, a General Business graduate, said, "It was a little bit hard to me; lots of essays, presentations and group work. It's really funny because in South Korea we only have midterm and final (exams), and we don't have any assignments."
Despite the efforts put forth by Fanshawe College, there are some challenges that they can't assist with. One of the largest struggles for these newcomers is the cost of tuition. The average tuition per semester for international students is approximately $7,000. This amount is three times more than what domestic students are paying. As Canadians, we partially pay for college and university tuitions through our taxes. "It's really not an inflated amount. It is an actual amount, and in the world-market, we are very cheap," said international student advisor Kim Rowe. The international students don't receive the same subsidized rate.
Elo said she believes the schools here should assist with the prices; "They should offer us scholarships or discounts."
These students don't qualify for OSAP funding or any sort of bursaries, which adds to the difficulty of making these payments. "It's expensive, and we have to get the money from our parents," Park said.
Most international students come here knowing very few or no other students, but Fanshawe does offer programs to assist with social interaction and help these students meet new people. Insu Mun is from Korea and is taking Web Development at Fanshawe, he reflected that the International Centre's host program was a huge help for him. "It was really nice, because when I came here I didn't know anyone. I made many new friends." The host program is a one-on-one matching program where Canadian students help international students adjust to everyday life. In addition to simply becoming a new friend, the Canadian students can assist with everything from getting around London to practicing casual English.
Elo said she found Fanshawe very welcoming. "It's a friendly environment, and very accommodating. The campus itself is so self-explanatory and it's easy to get around."
Faith Maudsley works in the International Services Office and said she is impressed with other departments at Fanshawe as they continue to improve their relationships with international students. "Athletics is really going over and above. They are doing so much for our students both in ways of starting cricket as an intramural and extramural sport, as well as hiring a lot of our students to work there."
Fanshawe could, however, be more accommodating by providing a greater variety of food options. "It's impossible to eat on campus," Elo said. "The entire (city), it's so difficult to get African food." She did praise United, a large Asian market in London, "They have the same kind of rice and noodles I get back home, and they have meats — goat meats and chicken with bones!"
Several of the international students agreed that in order to get food from their culture, they go off-campus or cook it themselves. "There are some good Middle Eastern restaurants in London," said Yasser Alusltan, a Business student from the United Arab Emirates. "I like Paramount and Mr. Fish and Chicken, but on campus there's not much — I'll eat the pizza or Mr. Sub."
Last year, approximately 1,250 international students graced the halls of Fanshawe College; this year, the number is expected to climb to approximately 1,500. Elo explained that most of her friends go to England or America for school, but after attending school in England herself, she said she prefers Canada. "Here you meet different people, and there are more opportunities here."
Maudsley said she believes that living in Canada helps to attract students from over 60 countries to Fanshawe. "Canada is a very, very peaceful, liberal country where several backgrounds can live the way they want to."
