Majak Agau Majak, GIT.
Profile Info:
Current city: Perth, Western Australia
Year arrived in Canada: 2014
School(s): University of Toronto (HBSc.) & University of Waterloo (MSc.)
Academic program(s): Environmental Geoccience (U of T) & Geochemistry (mine waste management), University of Waterloo.
Occupation: Junior Geologist, Monument Mining Limited
1. From your experience transitioning to Canadian life and culture, do you have any advice for new WUSC students?
Be open-minded and willing to learn new things; ask questions. Build new friendships and associate with positive people. Keep in touch with people back home.
2. How can new students cope with loneliness and feeling out of place when they first arrive in Canada?
Try to stay in touch with family members and friends at home but be mindful because it can be quite costly (cumulatively) if you use prepaid cards/apps to call people overseas.
Join clubs and societies at your respective universities to stay occupied and to expand your networks and to improve your social skills. Social skills are also important in the workforce.
Try to minimize those long-distance relationships that rarely work, and get yourself a boy/girlfriend here to spend time with.
3. From your experience, what does it take to succeed in Canada?
You need to stay focused and determined in order to succeed in your studies. Also, try to have study buddies for all your courses. Remember two brains are better than one.
While in school, do a co-op program (if it is offered in your school) to gain work experience and expand your professional networks. They will help you land a job later after graduation.
4. What challenges do you think hinder new students from succeeding in Canada?
Not staying clear of ethnic silos. Although it is very comfortable to hang out with people from your ethnic background and talk about your past life and life back home, moving out of your comfort zone by spending time with friends/people from different backgrounds will help you grow since you will learn a lot more. For instance, you will learn more about some basic yet important financial planning strategies by hanging out more with people from different nationalities than by hanging out with other South Sudanese.
5. Seeing how credit scores are important, do you have any advice on managing money or a credit profile?
Use your credit card for small purchases but make sure you pay it in full every month. Also, Use your debit card to send or withdraw money instead of credit card to avoid unnecessary charges. For instance, one transfer of money to Kenya via Worldremit will cost you nothing with a debit card but around C$ 5 with a credit card.
6. Do you have any ideas on how new students can manage expectations from friends and family back home?
Most family members and friends back home expect us to support them financially. To manage this huge expectation, be straight by telling them that you are not making money but in school. If they can’t stop bugging you, try to limit your interaction with them on social media. But of course, try to help if you have to, especially when it involves an immediate family member.
7. Were your aspirations met? What would you do differently if you were to start over again in Canada?
I am still working towards achieving my aspirations, but here are a few things I would do differently if I were to do my undergrad again:
Enroll in a co-op program to gain the all-important ‘Canadian experience’ in the workforce.
Get myself a G driver’s license. You must have a G driver’s license (and a car sometimes) to get a job and work in any geology-related fields. So, please try to get yourself a G license earlier while still in school if you are doing geology, hydrology, geological engineering, mining engineering, etc., and planning to work later in those fields.
