People share their journey Through Solitude and reflect on Connection and Disconnection from their time in Canada.

As new international students arrive at USask this semester, those who have been here longer reflect on their own experiences from their first year. They share how much they have grown and changed, and offer words of encouragement and hope for the newcomers, reminding them of the exciting journey ahead and the opportunities for growth and connection that await.

Vidhi

Vidhi is an accounting major who came to Canada from India in 2023.

How do you manage your mental health?

“Recently, I’ve started meditating. That [Meditating] helps me a lot to put myself together and to know what’s going on around me. Initially, I did not do anything. I just sat down, scrolled on Instagram, and did nothing else, but recently I’ve started feeling the need to give myself the priority and [making] my mental health the priority, so I just sit down, meditate for an hour and then I’m good to go for the entire day!”

What has been the most challenging aspect of your journey?

“For me, the challenging thing is to make real friends. Sometimes I feel everybody is in the same situation as me—everybody feels like they do not have enough friends. This is why sometimes, it’s important to make those kinds of friendships where even if you haven’t spoken for months, your friendship wouldn’t have any impact. Everyone wants to make friends, and many feel like they don’t have enough. It’s important to build friendships where things remain the same even if you don’t talk for months.”

Can you recount one of your best experiences here?

“The biggest moment for me was when I landed a field internship this summer at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world. I’m proud of myself for that. It’s a job I would [continue] doing after graduating, so that is like the biggest thing that I’ve done, and I’m really proud about that.”

Do you have any tips for balancing the stress of being away from family, finances, academics, and part-time jobs?

“Don’t stress about things that are out of your control. I stress about my academics because it is under my control. So are my finances. [In terms of] looking for a job, applying is all you can do, don’t stress about it. You shouldn’t be putting so much stress into everything. To balance stress, talk to your parents every day, and talk to them for 10 minutes, it’s not going to affect your academics. Make sure you’re putting effort into your academics, don’t go around partying every day, and then complain about being stressed— no one can help you with that.  Meditate to just have that peace for at least an hour a day, which will help relieve your stress.”

Fathia Sadiq

Fathia is a computer science major who came to Canada from Nigeria in 2022.

How do you recall your first winter experience? What was the hardest part of winter for you?

“I had this winter coat that I got from Nigeria that was very, very garbage, it didn’t help and yeah — I was always cold. And I have a winter horror story to share. It was when I went to get my first aid certification because I got a job and they needed me to get first aid certification. And it was one of those days when the temperature was -30, so it was really cold. I was able to get a ride to the place. But then I didn’t have a ride to go back, and my phone’s battery was so bad at the time so it just kept on dying. I didn’t have a power bank, so I was just out there with my trash winter jacket in the cold, and I was just crying because I thought I was going to die. It was really, really bad. And it was one of the women who also did the first aid training that saw me as she was leaving and helped me. So, yeah, that was one of my scariest experiences.”

What kind of support do you think you would have benefited from when you first arrived?

“Probably just having someone to tell you how things work because when you come, you don’t even know how to use the bus. You don’t know anything. The system is very different. Then you just have to figure out things by yourself. I think they do have these systems— like if you email ISAAC. But maybe they are not just out there, the way they should be. So maybe they should have a list of international students and reach out to them as soon as they arrive or something, and give them a list of things that they can get support for or something like that. I think that would be really nice.”

What moments have felt so scary initially that don’t feel as scary anymore?

“Probably talking to people, because even back home, I’ve always had anxiety when it comes to talking to people I’m not familiar with. So now I will say I’m more comfortable talking to people.”

Can you recount one of your best moments or experiences here so far?

“I got a summer job this year and it was outside Saskatoon, so it was in, I don’t know what you would call it, but it was out of the city. So it was peaceful, there was a beach, and it had a river, so it was nice. Work was tough, but being in that environment was very peaceful. And every weekend when I had to come back to Saskatoon, it was like ‘Ugh the noise!’”

Angelina Ngambeki

Angelina Ngambeki is from Tanzania. She’s working towards her degree in accounting.

When you experience struggles, how do you manage yourself?

“I cry a lot, usually. I try to call my mom most of the time. If it’s not my mom, then it’s usually my friends.  I only deal with it by talking to my mom. Of course, she cannot help me [directly], but she helps me think about how I’m going to handle the situation better because at that point I’m panicked. I can’t think of anything. I need to find someone to calm me down and handle the situation.”

What moments have felt so scary before that don’t seem as scary anymore?

“Bills. When I received my first phone bill, I cried because my phone bill was supposed to be $48, but when I received my phone bill it was like $200!

It was because I was making calls to home. I was making international calls, and when you make these kinds of calls they come with extra charges. I didn’t even know. I spoke to SaskTel, and they understood that I was new and that I made a mistake. They lowered the bill, but still. And you know, right now I feel like I can handle the bills better, I know how to manage them well. I manage them very well. I try to pay off everything important, and then everything else follows. 

Another thing I [now] handle better is speaking up for myself because when I came here, I was in a country and although you could not bully me at home—when I came here like, you would tell me something, and I would immediately mellow down. I couldn’t stand up for myself. Then I had an issue at work with my manager, which eventually caused me to quit my job. I think he misunderstood the situation because when I tried to explain my side of the story, he didn’t want to take my side, and he was only listening to his fellow managers.” 

What has been the most challenging aspect of your journey?

“It was always work—like it was my job, and the worst part is that I couldn’t quit, because where else would I go? The manager was rude and he treated us badly. And I would call my mom multiple times telling her that I couldn’t keep staying there. I kept on applying for jobs and not getting any, and even going for interviews, but still not getting the job. So that was even more frustrating. There was a time I had an argument with my manager because I was upset so I went to the bathroom to call my mum. Now, I locked the door, talking. I started talking to my mom. The man came and started knocking aggressively, saying he would fire me and call security if I didn’t come out. 

Eventually, I found a new job that made me much happier.”

Can you recall one of your best experiences in Canada?

“When I was in high school, I never used to do [very] well because I never used to study. So I never took school seriously until I got here, and because tuition is expensive, failing is never a choice. So I’m proud of myself, because I am handling university very well, and even when I’m looking at my grades, I get grades I thought only the smartest kids in my school could get. 

I have also been managing life here well. It’s not easy managing life in a foreign country all alone, but you have to do it anyway, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to do it.” 

What kind of support do you think you would have benefited from when you first came into the country?

“I think I needed the support of an adult, not necessarily my parents, but I felt like I needed an adult to help me because I made a lot of mistakes, of course. After all, I was not used to a lot of things. I feel like most of those mistakes would have been avoided if I had someone to guide me and tell me ‘You’re not supposed to do this, you’re not supposed to do that. This is what you’re supposed to be doing.’ But I just found myself making every kind of decision thinking ‘that is going to solve the problem’ when I wasn’t even experienced, I’ve never even lived here. I don’t know how things work.

So I feel like if I had someone to guide me on how I would have gone about things, things would have been a lot different, even now. But then again, everything happens for a reason. I got the chance to balance and handle everything I learned on my own.” 

Edozie Obisi

Edozie is an applied computing major who came to Canada from Nigeria in 2023. 

Did you experience loneliness when you first came?

“Yes, but it depends. On a normal day? No. But during holidays? Yes.

During holidays, yes, things like Thanksgiving, you know, all those types of holidays where you celebrate with your family. And you know you don’t have people with you, but you obviously have your friends, which are those people that you call family here, which is something.”

How do you manage your mental health?

“It’s not managed. I can’t lie, because a lot is going on, and sometimes you just get depressed quickly in this country due to work and school, and at some point, you just sit down [deep in thought]. I am also someone who overthinks. For little things that happen, I overthink the worst scenarios. Yeah, if you guys are sleeping, I am awake overthinking. I do not know why.

You just feel like, ‘How can you get everything done at once and not have to go back into the same problems again?’ And it’s not easy, because school is hectic, work is a different thing, and you have your own life. And even though you want to do other things, due to having school and work, you can’t have time for yourself to do all these  [things you want to do]. So you just be in the middle and be like ‘as long as I’m going to school, my grades are good. I have money for rent, I’m good.’ You’re not having peace of mind. You’re always like, ‘Man, I need to take care of myself once in a while.’ That’s why I advise that you actually need to go out, do something, you know. Go on a vacation, see different things, and make new friends. You know, it clears your mind.”

What moments have felt so scary before that don’t seem that scary anymore?

“I think it’s about planning my future after school. Every day I think about it, how they lay off people in the tech industries. Here in the province,  I don’t think there are a lot of companies where we can go and develop ourselves. An internship is something I would want to do. I really don’t mind if they don’t pay me. I feel like the moment you learn and understand what you’re doing, you get to a point whereby you’re friends with everyone that they pay you without you even asking for it. Do you get me?

That’s something I did back home when I was working for the government. It was interesting, you know. So it’s always me sitting down and thinking ‘After school, what next? What if you don’t get a job during that time? What is going to happen? Where is your backup plan? What do you have to do?’

I know everyone wants to work. We work to get knowledge, but at the same time, you want to open something that is yours. Well, the fact is, in this province, they don’t have a lot of gaming studios [something he is interested in]. Games bring money, but the thing is, for you to get good companies to come over here, you need to establish something here that makes them come over and you propose offers and things like that. So it’s a big issue here. But I feel like with time when you have a group of friends who have one target or one goal, I feel everyone can achieve what they want with their desires. So that’s why I stopped overthinking because I know my life. I know what I’ve planned, and I’ve thought of all the worst-case scenarios that could happen and how to counter everything, so I  don’t need to be scared again about things like that.”

Final Words

Your first year might feel daunting, and being away from your family can sometimes feel lonely. But remember, this is the beginning of an exciting adventure! There are many wonderful people to meet and countless opportunities for personal and academic growth.

The campus provides plenty of support for International Students, with the International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC) being a central hub. They can assist you with common first-year challenges, such as opening a bank account, finding housing, and getting your SIN.

In addition, there are many student associations you can join to help you make friends and build a community. The USSU Women’s Centre hosts events, the Pan-African Student Society, the Indian Student Society, the Computer Science Student Society, and many more are waiting for you to get involved!

If you’re struggling with your mental health, the Student Wellness Centre also offers professional support to help you through tough times.

We all wish you the best!