Bior Leek Ajak
Current city of residence: Montreal, Quebec
Year arrived in Canada: 2015
School(s): McGill University
Academic program(s): Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Occupation: Banking Advisor - personal & Commercial Banking
1. From your experience transitioning to Canadian life and culture, do you have any advice for new students moving to Canada from East Africa?
There are a lot of social norms in Canada that could be very different from what we are used to in Kenya or among our communities. It is my opinion that in order to have a comfortable transition, be a keen observer of people and the way they use language. In addition, as you join university, note that a lot of friendships you will make will be mostly temporary. So, don’t get carried away. Be open to making friends as well as losing them.
2. How can new students cope with loneliness and feeling out of place when they first arrive in Canada?
One important thing you can do in your first year is to attend as many on-campus events as possible. This not only make you meet new people, but you also discover things about the university and resources available to you.
Keep in touch with your good friends that you left behind. Be aware that your communication dynamic might change with the friends you have left behind but be keen to maintain good relationships of the past as you make new ones in the present.
As you share your new lifestyle on social media, direct message and call those you consider closest to you, to always remind them that you are still one of them. Because the truth is, you don’t want your good friends to think that you have “made it” and forgot about them.
3. From your experience, what does it take to succeed in Canada?
It is good for the individual to define for themselves what success is, and then take measures to achieve that. For instance, if you want to succeed in school, go to the classroom and find classmates that can make a good study group. You will be surprised by the power of a study group.
Professionally, if you are an individual with a defined career path, get to know your industry earlier before you graduate, through internships and other professional programs. This way, you can be sure if you still want to be in that industry before you graduate. If you do not have a defined career path yet, that is fine, a lot of people change majors and careers more than once. You can then try as many things that interest you as your time allows. Talk about your interests with your social network because you don’t know what you don’t know.
Socially, make friends and set boundaries for yourself on what kinds of friends you want and what kind of experiences you don’t want. By surrounding yourself with the right influence, you keep yourself grounded and focused on your goals.
4. What challenges do you think hinder new students from succeeding in Canada?
The main challenge that I experienced in my first year was having so much freedom over my curriculum. I had a difficult time deciding which courses to take for my degree. There were so many options and so many credits available it was overwhelming. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, make a decision to visit your academic advisor on a weekly basis to help you design your curriculum.
5. Seeing how credit scores are important, do you have any advice on managing money or a credit profile?
Yes! This is one of the most important life lessons we always need to talk about. The moment you purchase your mobile phone on a contract, you have started a credit profile. You start making bad credit history the moment you make late payments, or a derogatory comment for when you decide to not pay at all. Build good credit history by making your payments in full and on time.
For your first credit card, make sure to get one with good benefits and then keep that one for hopefully a long time. The number of credit cards you have active and the period of time you have held them affects your credit score. Make sure to not borrow unnecessary credit card debt because the interest rates are exploitative. Keep your borrowing to not more than 1/3 of your credit limit. Pay back on time and in full. Make smaller purchases on your credit card to slowly build your credit history. You will need good credit history once you leave university. Believe me!
6. Do you have any ideas on how new students can manage expectations from friends and family back home?
Different families have different family dynamics and needs. If you come from a humble background where you know you were a major contributor to your family’s livelihood, you are slightly in a better position to be more helpful to them… BUT! Do not shoot yourself in the foot by unwillingly raising their expectations on you, and your ability to provide. Remind them of patience, and the things you are working on. Choose ways to empower them and don’t make anyone be dependent on handouts from you. You are just one person, and anything could happen. Learn to say no to some demands, build yourself first by putting primary focus on your school and professional growth. After you have established yourself financially as a person, your family will have a stronger foundation with less insecurity and dependence. All of these take time, patience, and good communication.
7. Were your aspirations met? What would you do differently if you were to start over again in Canada?
The moment my aspirations were met I had new aspirations. And the cycle has never stopped.
If I were to start over, I would include a technical skill into my degree program. Like computer programming skills. So, I had to start teaching myself these skills, after I graduated, when I realized the value of software.
