International students often face unique challenges when travelling to study in another country, and in this article, they give their insights, concerns, and recommendations on what the university can do to help them adjust in their new university life.

Many students, such as this writer, have dreamt of living the university dream. Many students have had an awesome and lively expectation of what university life is going to be, as they saw growing up in the movies. One might expect the busy hustle and bustle of university life, like in the movie Pitch Perfect. It is not difficult to imagine making friends and going out to explore the city, achieving those fine grades and even becoming a top student like a certain Elle Woods. 

Many students expect college life to be like those movies, but sometimes, life really likes giving struggling students like us more things to grapple with. Life is made of many choices but just like what Anastasia said or rather sang in the animated movie, “no one ever mentions fear.” 

However,  one of the most gut-wrenching things that these international students have sacrificed for their dream is living all alone in a foreign country without their family and loved ones. Homesickness is a major issue many international students face. Additionally, there is  the anxiety of adjusting to the local culture and norms, which may seem entirely different from the ones someone may have grown accustomed to. 

It’s never an easy path, and international students should not walk all alone. Saskatchewan is known as the “land of the living skies” and is a place of infinite opportunities. As such, the University of Saskatchewan has helped  many international students adjust to their new beginnings here in the province through student groups and university organizations. 

This writer conducted an interview with international students here at the University of Saskatchewan to gain a more personal and insightful view of the struggles of our fellow students. 

The first student interviewed is Abdo Dawod who came to USask from the United Arab Emirates at 17 and has now graduated.

Dawod stated that USask was the most accommodating of all the Canadian universities to which he applied. He talked about the international student advisors who were always available and even took the initiative to speak to him about his concerns before arriving here at the university. “While applying to university, USASK was the most responsive and the one that took the initiative in booking meetings with me. I met with international student advisors before being admitted to the university, that’s one of the main reasons I chose USASK, aside from the finances. He was also drawn to opportunities to gain research experience as a student as well as the university’s $500 million “Be What The Word Needs” campaign, which helped motivate him to come to Saskatoon. “All these publicity aspects motivated me to come to Saskatoon, specifically.

Dawod’s first impression when he came to Saskatoon in August of 2022 was that it was a cold, nine-degree night, and he was not too used to the climate. He spoke about the honeymoon phase:  the first four months at university, where he really had a good time as he was very involved with many student clubs and organizations, such as the Computer Science Student Society. “My first four months were phenomenal, it was like I was in a honeymoon phase with the university, the community was insane, I was getting involved in clubs left and right, I made friends everywhere.” 

Moving into university residence was also a helpful experience for him. Living in Seager Wheeler allowed Dawod to get involved by becoming a resident assistant, then a senior resident assistant. He was involved in planning for newcomers and taking care of people who went through similar experiences to him. He was able to make connections through the people who were his roommates and has maintained a close relationship with each of them since he lived in university residence. “I had the opportunity to become a resident assistant, then a senior resident assistant. I worked with the leadership department in student life. I was involved in hands-on planning for newcomers.”

However,  there were some challenges to Dawod’s university life. He mentions how his biggest challenge was opening up a bank account, because he was a minor when he came to Canada and had to depend on his legal guardian back in the UAE. “Some of the biggest challenges I face to be honest was government wise because I was 17 and legal age was 19, I had to go ship a document all the way back to the Middle East to open a bank account while the government allowed me to be able to come here my guardian was not able to sign off on a lot of things when to the eyes of the government he is my legal guardian.”  

There was also the issue of homesickness, which became apparent after Dawod’s four-month honeymoon phase. Thankfully, the university was able to help him through student services like student wellness, which helped him navigate his problems. “Missing family, missing home, especially after that honeymoon phase I talked about disappeared. There was a lot of homesickness, but because I was in residence, I was able to find student wellness, connect with services on campus that helped me navigate these problems. The community also helped Dawod a lot as he states that, “some of my best friends I met while living on campus and you just lack it so much if you didn’t live on campus your first year, it’s like you don’t know anybody. Living on campus, my first roommate, I remember every last one of them and were still in contact to this day. It was more of the roommates to be honest. 

When asked what his advice was to other students, Dawod says that other international students like him should listen more by trying to understand what their mentors are teaching them. “Listen more than you speak, and when I say listen more than I speak, don’t be talkative and don’t put yourself out here, but actually try to understand what your mentors are trying to tell you. Be open to changing majors and researching other programs that are available. He also says how students should deepen their educational journey, and it’s fine to remain undeclared for the first one or two years of their university life. “The more you depend on your educational journey, the more you specialize, try to be undeclared your first year and a half or two if you can. If you could, fit your electives also. Learn a lot about credit units and all the different categories and all the different transferable subjects.”

Dawod also suggested that the university should improve at raising awareness of the many benefits that international students can apply for. He cited the International Student and Study Centre (ISSAC) as a phenomenal resource for incoming international students, which has been underutilized by students. He shared that students could get glasses at a reduced price for every two years from their student health care plan. Lastly, he mentioned counsellors in student residences where they could talk about how they are coping or adjusting as students at USask. 

The second interviewee for this article is Ilona Rafiq, who is a student majoring in sociology and also works as a library staff member for USask Rafiq comes from Bangladesh and came to the university during the pandemic, “it was at first really tough to meet people because everything was offline and making friends on the internet was not the easiest, especially when you’re new somewhere.”

Upon asking why she chose USask, Rafiq says it was because of the affordable tuition and that she was attracted to the ambiance and picturesque setting of the university, which reminded her of Hogwarts. She thinks that it is one of the most beautiful campuses throughout all of Canada. “I think our campus is one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, I think. It amazed me at first. It was also summer when I first came here, so it was beautiful, but then most of the things were closed due to COVID. It was difficult to truly enjoy university life as most of the city was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions but Rafiq mentions things have gotten better as the city started opening up again. Her message to her fellow international students is that people should be more active on campus: “I feel that people were not really that outside anymore, which I miss.”

Rafiq was able to cope with being away from family as an international  student, as she was fortunate to run into people who eventually became her best friends. 

She advises new international students to go to more student events, especially since there are now more in-person events on campus, such as first-year events and the many campus clubs where students can pursue, or even discover, their passion. 

Among the university organizations mentioned by Rafiq  are the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union and Peer Health, where international students can find support and help with things like mental health or any issues with their academic courses. Rafiq also talked about the different workshops offered by the many libraries on campus. She also mentioned the fun events at St. Thomas More College. 

The aforementioned resources combined would surely help students to meet more people who have the same interests and fellow students with whom you share the same classes. 

For incoming students, Rafiq advises them to be more engaged and involved in campus clubs early on in their university life. Start going out, as she assures that students will not regret it. “One thing that I wish I did is to be involved in campus clubs early on and you’ll never regret that.

In regards to what can be improved or expanded for university student services, Rafiq says that there will always be room for improvement. “Right now, I think post-COVID it is going well as it is but I think in the future maybe there would be more events based in person and icebreakers would be more fun.” These types of events would allow more people to be in the same place at the same time. She suggests that the university could do something in welcome week where the orientation could be made more fun and more engaging for the students attending. 

People often question why international students come to Canada. The reality is that life back home is hard, and few opportunities are as good as the one located here at USask. USask is like to quote Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada, “a shining beacon of hope,” hope for what you may ask? A chance of a better life, a chance to gain credibility and experience and a chance to pursue their dreams in the fields that they have dedicated their lives to. International students have gone through hoops to persevere and prove that they are worth the opportunity that the University of Saskatchewan has given them. 

The following stories are proof of the diverse experiences that our fellow international students go through in their university lives. The university must sustain the current support system that international students have.  The university must also expand existing assistance to international students, as well as improve awareness of underutilized support systems. Both Dawod and Rafiq highlighted the existing resources international students have at the university but access and awareness is lacking, which stands to bar many international students from accessing these possibly essential resources.