Lodai Peter
Current city: Mississauga, Ontario
Year arrived in Canada: 2011
School(s): University of Windsor
Academic program(s): BSc. Biochemistry
Occupation/profession/Industry: Quality Assurance Associate, Pharmaceutical industry.
1. From your experience transitioning to Canadian life and culture, do you have any advice for new WUSC students?
Be ready to accept new realities of life. You are transitioning from a different part of the world to a completely new place where the culture is almost completely different from where you come from. Embrace the new experiences you will have in Canada.
2. Do you have any advice on choosing academic programs and careers for later success after school?
Most of us come to Canada with very high expectations, but only a few of us achieve those expectations because academic advice is almost non-existent from where we come from. My advice is: have realistic expectations based on the new realities. Ask yourself, do I meet the requirements to get into the program/career that I am hopping to pursue?
3. How can new students cope with loneliness and feeling out of place when they first arrive in Canada?
Try to make new friends; it could be classmates, roommates or people you meet within your campus.
Reach out and connect with people from your community within your city and other WUSC students that came before/with you.
4. From your experience, what does it take to succeed in Canada? (Measuring success in academic and professional terms).
Unfortunately, the honest truth is that there is no formula for success in Canada. However, always do the bare minimum: work hard in school and if possible, try to get into some internship/co-op experience while still in school.
5. What challenges do you think hinder new students from succeeding in Canada?
Pressure to fulfill expectations of friends and relatives back home.
Feeling of loneliness.
Not being flexible with one’s expectations. It is good to be really ambitious, but there is a time when one has to evaluate their expectations against realities on the ground. Don’t get demoralized, but always be ready to adjust your expectations.
6. Seeing how credit scores are important in Canada, do you have any advice on managing money or building up a credit profile?
I will list a few things that are everywhere on the internet:
Spend only within your income.
Avoid borrowing. If you have a credit card, ask yourself if you have money on your debit card, to replace what you are about to spend on your credit card.
Get into the habit of saving part of your income, however small.
7. Do you have any ideas on how new students can manage expectations from friends and family back home?
Tell them the truth about your situation in Canada. Some will believe you and some will even not talk to you altogether. The most important thing is that, you have communicated your message by being honest.
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?
My aspirations were not entirely met, but I did my best to achieve what I could. If I were to start over again, I would perhaps socialize more by getting to know as many people within my area of study. Connections matter more in Canada.
