Skills to learn before coming to Canada
Studying internationally can be really very challenging and if you are one of those coming for the January intake then you still have time to prepare and buckle up your shoes before landing in Canada and kicking off the student journey the right way. Coming from your home country with full preparation is like half the battle won! Here is a list of a few things you must do as a part of your preparation to come to Canada.
Improve your English
If you are not very good in written or spoken English, then this is the best time to polish your English Language skills. Scoring well in IELTS is not enough and the journey doesn’t end there. You must improve your English grammar, vocabulary, and conversational skills in general so that you don’t hesitate when you reach here.
Socialize a bit more
If you are an introvert, try to gel up and socialize with your peers or friends more often. This will make you confident and improve your conversational skills at the same time. Try to converse in English as much as possible so that it takes away your hesitation and helps you in making new friends easily in Canada.
Learn a new skill or master your skills
If you have a hobby or are good at a particular skill, for instance, if you are good at photography or playing any kind of a musical instrument, then you can sharpen your skills so that you can do side jobs or part-time jobs in Canada and make a good amount of pocket money! Yes, it works!
Learn cooking
Majority of the international students find a hard time cooking as back home they are not habitual to do this. This is true that in Canada, everyone has to do everything by themselves, so it is always advised to learn cooking so that you don’t get any surprises! Studying, examinations, assignments, and cooking, all together may make students overwhelmed especially if they don’t know how to cook.
Driving
If you know how to drive a car, then you can get a Class 5 driver’s license (British Columbia) or G license easily, else you may take longer if you start to learn to drive here from the beginning. Public transport is also good here, however, if you learn to drive before, then it would be beneficial for you!
Part-time jobs
You can see and apply for part-time jobs from your home country before reaching Canada. Keep on checking websites like Indeed or LinkedIn so that you have an idea about the same.
Be open-minded
This is not a skill but an attitude. Having the right kind of attitude can make you very successful in life. Being optimistic, open-minded, curious to learn, and hungry for knowledge is very important at this phase. So, always look for opportunities and do your homework well before you come here. Also, you should be mentally prepared you might have to face interview rejections but still pack your energy again to apply for new jobs.
Learn French if you can
If you are one of those who learned French in high school, then this is the time to polish your French language skills as it would help you in the job-hunting procedure as learning any third language may give you an added advantage in some provinces of Canada like Quebec, etc.
While there maybe a lot to learn but by just keeping all these points in mind, you will be well-prepared and will be able to acclimatize in Canada as an international student in a much better way.
Hope you found the article useful, share this information with your friends as much as you can so that it maybe useful for them as well!
