Liz Adit (Elizabeth Thomas)

Profile

• Current city: Montreal, Quebec

• Year arrived in Canada: 2017

• School(s): McGill University, Desautels Faculty of Management

• Academic program(s): Bachelor of Commerce, Finance

1. From your experience transitioning to Canadian life and culture, do you have any advice for new WUSC students?

I will say that it pays to come with an open mind. Canada will offer a chance to learn new things other than what you already have. There will be a lot of opportunities to experience different things:

✓ Weather- Apart from British Columbia, the weather is extreme in both winter and summer. You want to have proper winter gear for winter and sunscreen for summer.

✓ Cultural diversity- Canadian Universities and Canada at large, are cosmopolitan. Being culturally conscious and curious implies an intent to be polite.

✓ Intellectual curiosity- Most students in top Canadian Universities were in the upper percentile of their graduating high schools. Therefore, expect to be in a class of equally competitive as well as brilliant students.

✓ Academic environment- You want to go to your classes and supplement this with office hours especially if you did not understand a concept in class. Also, your instructors and TA are always willing to help you, take the opportunity and ask questions. That is the only way to know a thing truly.

✓ Socialization/networking- Make use of Resource-point-persons such as academic advisors, Teaching Assistants, Career Advisors and Scholarship advisors- in this case WUSC or Mastercard advisors, and social networks such as floor fellows(dons), team-mates, and friends.

✓ Individuation- Self-reliance and being in control of one’s narrative.

2. Do you have any advice on choosing academic programs and careers for later success after school?

I would recommend choosing a path that one is passionate about. It is also advisable to keep job market trends in mind.

3. How can new students cope with loneliness and feeling out of place when they first arrive in Canada?

Find other students with similar goals as you. Keep in touch with family often enough if you can. Be open to new cultural experiences, make an effort to talk to other students sitting next to you in your classes, they might end up being your helpful study mates. Make going to the library with friends fun, especially in the winter- snow can be cold. Make new friends, they necessarily do not have to be from your home country.

4. From your experience, what does it take to succeed in Canada? (Measuring success in academic and professional terms).  

Measuring success varies from one person to another. In my case, I measure success holistically, that is to say, I keep up with my school work, keep in touch with my family, ensure that my mental health is in check, my finances are within control and regularly checking in with friends.

5. What challenges do you think hinder new students from succeeding in Canada?

This might be different for different people. However, I think coming to Canada with a fixed mind on studying in specific fields such as medicine, law, engineering, computer science, Math and Statistics is limiting and puts unnecessary pressure on you. I would say come with an open mind to explore different classes and choose your career accordingly. Also, it pays to be mentally inquisitive and willing to unlearn and relearn.

6. Seeing how credit scores are important in Canada, do you have any advice on managing money or building up a credit profile?

You want to make sure that you own a credit card in order to build your credit score. You want to shop, buy stuff, and pay bills with your credit card and promptly pay your credit debt preferably within the dates specified. It is helpful to pay in full. If not, you never want to miss on your minimum payments. I personally would say that having a credit score of 720 is good. You will need this score to access many products/services such as mortgage and other loans post-graduation.

7.  Do you have any ideas on how new students can manage expectations from friends and family back home?­­

Honesty is key. You do not have to maintain a façade and you must not prove that you are now a “heavy person”. As a student, you will have competing needs and bills to pay but with less to no income if you are taking student loans. To avoid unnecessary pressure, you can rise to calls from family and friends after evaluating the circumstance, because after sending the money, you might be sleeping hungry for a week or so, and it is not something you want to do often unless you are a PENTECOSTAL FASTING WARRIOR!

8. If you can reflect on your personal journey, were your aspirations met? What would you do differently if you were to start over again in Canada?

I would say yes. However, c’est un voyage. So far so good.