Edited by Carol Eugene Park
Danielle is one of my closest friends at U of T, and although we met in first year, we didn’t become close until the end of second year! (Not quite sure how I survived without her for that long!) One of the first things we bonded over was that we were both from the US. Living in a different country for the first time can definitely pose some challenges, so finding someone who understood the struggle felt amazing! She somehow manages to balance school, work, and a social life, all while actually managing to sleep 8 hours a night! I asked Danielle to share a bit about her experience transitioning from the US to Canada, and to talk about finding a balance in university.
Age: 20
Program: Peace Conflict and Justice
Affiliated college: New College
Why did you choose U of T over a school in the US? Would you recommend other US citizens to come to Canada for university?
I chose to come to UofT because I wanted a new experience. Not only is it a top school, but personally for me I was drawn to it because of the programs and opportunities that they offer. Not many of the schools in the US that I got into and looked at had the program that I was interested in and after visiting the campus I felt that UofT was a really good fit for me.
The US and Canada are very similar in a lot of ways, but we are beginning to see many of their differences surfacing due to the current political climate in the states right now. What reaction do you typically get when you tell someone that you are from the US?
I think it largely depends on who you are talking to. Prior to the most recent election, some people got very excited when I told them where I was from, but there were still others who were more skeptical and seemed to have a more negative association with the US. Of course, now when I tell people where I am from, their first question is to ask if I support the current president, which inherently causes some tension. However, I don’t think that judgment is unwarranted because everyone makes the mistake of judging people based on where they are from.
Starting university is scary-leaving behind the home and the friends you knew for 18 years is not an easy thing. What would you say was the hardest part about coming to school in Canada for you?
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that it’s hard to leave the home and friends that you have been around your whole life. For me, it was particularly scary because the school I went to back home was for both middle and high school, so I had been with the same people for the past 7 years of my life. I am used to traveling and leaving home for extended periods of time so that actually wasn’t that difficult for me, but it was so odd having to start all over in a place nobody knew me. I was so used to going to school with the same 163 kids every day who had known me since I was 11 and knew basically everything about me, and then all of a sudden I was in this place where nobody knew my name or anything about me at all and that was difficult for me. That loss of intimacy I guess is what I would call it- that was sort of a shock to me.
U of T has a lot of great resources for incoming students, but it is sometimes difficult to take advantage of these resources due to a lack of knowledge about them. Did you find that the university transition was made easier by any resources on campus? What would you suggest other international students do to help ease the transition?
As cheesy as it sounds I think that the one resource I used – if this even counts – is going to the International student’s orientation. That is where I met most of my really good friends and got to know other people who were in the same situation as me – coming from a different country and knowing virtually nobody in Canada. As far as other resources, I personally found myself using the resources at the multi-faith center a great deal. It was comforting for me to be able to engage in mediation and yoga classes just like I did at home on a regular basis so I got that sense of “home” by taking advantage of those classes.
Now that you are in your third year, you have more knowledge about the university process, and U of T in general. What advice would you give to your former first-year self?
I would be sure to tell myself to get involved in things and to talk to people in your classes. University is great but only if you make sure that you take the time to do things that make you happy and not solely focus on your grades and your classes. Of course those things are important and especially in your first year it is important to start yourself off right and have a good foundation academically, but if you get too bogged down in that then university loses all of its fun and excitement and becomes this mountain of stress and loneliness. So get involved in clubs and the free drop-in classes, apply for opportunities within your college and degree program, because university is about so much more than just getting good grades.
You are working as a work-study student for the Faculty of Kinesiology this year! Could you talk a bit about what you do? Would you recommend that other students get involved in the work-study program?
I am currently the Communications Assistant for the KPE Faculty (faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education). I am in charge of running all of the social media accounts for the recruitment department of the faculty. I run the Twitter and Instagram accounts, and have been working this year to create a student blog for kinesiology students where I write articles and post pictures and do all sorts of things to get incoming students excited about the faculty. I also attend Faculty Events and take photographs. I think that work-study is a good way to get your feet wet, so to speak, with the working world while not being overwhelmed and still having time to focus on school and your other commitments. I definitely would recommend doing a work-study because you are able to get experience doing things that you are specifically interested in while also making connections.
How do you find a balance between school, work, and maintaining your social life? What are some suggestions you would give to someone struggling to find this balance?
It is definitely not easy adjusting to having so much on your plate and not having your parents, or something like school, to sort of schedule your days for you. I think that the best way to find a balance is to literally schedule things. If I am feeling super stressed one week I will put in my calendar an hour of “me time” and I will stick to it. Or if I want to make sure that I go to the gym I will ask a friend to go with me or sign up for a class so that I have an incentive to actually go. It all boils down to prioritizing what is the most important. If you have an exam that you need to study for, then maybe you skip out on going out with your friends; if work is really stressing you out, then maybe talk to your boss and see what they can do for you; if you are feeling lonely and need a break from studying, then reach out to a friend and go for coffee – it’s really about prioritizing and assessing your personal needs and attending to those. Everything in moderation.
I know we all have moments of doubt during our university careers, wondering if we chose the right program. Do you ever doubt your decision to attend U of T?
I never have doubted my decision to go here. Sure, I have thought about what it would have been like to go somewhere else, but I have made such good friends and while yes this school is no walk in the park, it is challenging and has made me into the person I am today. Yes, sometimes I don’t like being so far away from home, but I have this amazing opportunity to study abroad every day and get a world class education and make a life for myself! So no, I do not doubt coming here.
I know that for me, it has felt like my time in university has been flying by. What would you say are the most important things to focus on in our remaining time here? If you could give one final piece of advice to U of T students, what would you say?
I believe that the most important thing to focus on are the relationships you develop. The friendships you make in university can last you a lifetime and these are the people that will help get you through it. These are the people that you can network with for jobs in the future. Of course the education is important too, but at the end of the day what you will remember from university are the friends that you made, not the education you received. So I think reaching out to people and developing strong friendships and relationships is the single most important thing to do at university. Quoting High School Musical, we’re all in this together so we might as well make the most of it and use each other to succeed!
All images are credited to the interviewee.