4 Orienting
Can you relate?
In this chapter’s videos, Ishita, Stephanie, and Joe all highlight that making friends early on and building a community were a priority for them during their first few months in Canada. Whether it’s regularly connecting with an upper-year mentor for their advice or just knowing you’re not the only international student facing a challenge, there are many benefits to cultivating these relationships. Creating this support network early on is not only valuable in preparing you for the social, cultural, and academic transitions ahead, but could result in lifelong friendships outside of the classroom as well.
To begin, we recommend participating in orientation events, student associations, and related activities to meet other first-year students. Many international students and alumni share with us that the connections they made during orientation events ended up being bonds that lasted throughout their school years and beyond.
In this chapter, we will cover:
- Getting to know your campus
- Connecting with helpful people
- Attending orientation events
- Building a community
Getting to know your campus
Your institution will likely provide you with a student identification (I.D.) card that can contain a student number, your photograph, and other key data (e.g. a login name). This card will allow you to access both physical spaces on campus (such as the library and gym) and online accounts (such as your learning management system and setting up your Wi-Fi). Make sure to activate this card as soon as possible, as it will likely be your entryway to all these resources and more. Check your institutional email account or paper documents that your school has sent you for instructions on how to get your card and set up any online accounts.
Before your first day, we also recommend using a campus map to figure out where your classes will be held, the location of your residence (if you’re residing on campus), and other important spaces you’d like to visit. Sometimes your timetable will use short forms and codes to indicate the names and rooms of buildings, so check the school’s official campus map for a legend (or key). And if your school campus covers a long distance, you might also want to use an online mapping platform to estimate travel time between your classes.
Reminder: Don’t forget to pay your first installment of tuition fees! Check your school’s academic calendar to learn of deadlines to make any required payments. There might be penalties for missing this deadline (e.g. losing access to campus services and resources), so enter these dates into your calendar if you can.
Listen to Michelle describe orienting herself to something Canadians talk about a lot – the weather
In the audio clip above, Michelle and Vurjeet talk about Michelle’s first Canadian Fall season, and how she built new habits all because of the new (unpredictable) climate she was experiencing. Listen and/or read the conversation below:
Vurjeet: Okay, so, I guess our next question is, after arriving, how did you orient, or in other words, align into your new lifestyle in Toronto, and Ontario as a whole?
Michelle: Yeah, I was really confused about the weather! And I know that… I don’t know, like closer to November, there was just one day that’s really cold, like the temperature just dropped. And then people were saying, “Oh, it’s finally Fall”, it’s, you know, “The leaves are going to change colours.” And I was really excited because you don’t really see those, especially in Southeast Asia, you don’t really see the change of colours of the leaves. So I was really excited. And they did change, especially around campus, to yellow and orange. I was really excited, really happy.
Vurjeet: Yeah, beautiful!
Michelle: Really beautiful, really happy. So weather was something that I was constantly thinking about in the morning, like, the first thing I do right now is check the weather. Like – is it gonna rain? Is it gonna snow? Especially because now it’s winter, right? But even, even in the beginning, I was constantly thinking about how the weather is going to be today. Because it’s so unpredictable. You can be hot in the morning and really cold at night. So I was like, oh, okay.
Vurjeet: It seems like you kind of had to align, align with the environment change, like literally explicitly – like, the weather change!
Michelle: Yeah, I I had to like change. I had to change a lot of my habits when I realized, “Oh, the weather here is pretty unpredictable.” Like I need to think about what I need to wear in the morning. I have to check the weather. So that’s something I like the habit of checking the weather app has been, I don’t know aligned, accustomed into my daily life.
Vurjeet: Right, I like that!
Connecting with helpful people
As a student, you will likely be sent information from your Registrar’s Office (which could also be called Office of the Registrar or Student Registration Office) regarding your course enrolment, fee payments, academic policies, graduation and convocation dates, and other important information regarding your studies. This office will offer many other services to students such as academic advising, financial aid and advice, and other guidance. If you ever have any urgent questions – or are facing any barriers regarding your experience as a student – reach out to the staff at this office to book an appointment or to access related services.
During your first few weeks, you will likely be very busy managing your courses, attending orientation events, and participating in social events. As well, you might want to connect with the staff or peer mentors who work at libraries, academic skills centres, student life offices, and student organizations (e.g. unions or clubs). Many of these offices will offer individual appointments or group information sessions to help you get organized and prepared for the upcoming semester. Sign up for and attend a few workshops – you might learn about helpful tips or strategies to make your first few weeks go more smoothly.
And if you’re ever unsure about who to contact or where to start, review the emails you’ve received directly from your institution, especially your letter of offer. There will likely be a “Contact Us” or “Questions?” section with e-mail, phone, and/or website information that indicates which office is best suited to support your initial questions (or to refer you to the right place).
Attending orientation activities
Orientation refers to the activities and events that take place at colleges and universities at the beginning of each academic year to support first-year students in their adjustments. These events can be academic, social, or a mix of the two – the intention is to create a welcoming and informative experience for incoming students to learn more about their chosen school of study for the next few years.
At some schools, orientation might take place over a compressed and intensive period (e.g. a few days or a short week); at other bigger institutions, these events might take place over the months of August and September. And you might even discover that there are events specifically held for international students such as yourself! And you will find that some sessions are offered online whereas others are designed for an in-person experience.
Orientation activities and events can be organized by staff and student staff at the institution, but also can be offered independently by student-led groups and organizations. There might also be orientation events specific to students living in residence or studying within a specific academic program.
For some international students, engaging in orientation activities can feel intimidating. Perhaps you feel shy because you’re not familiar with the pop culture references made by students in your classes. Maybe you’re worried about your confidence in communicating as someone who uses English as an additional language. Or it could be that being in large group settings isn’t your favourite way to meet new people.
These are all valid concerns, but just remember that there will be many other international students attending these events who are new to the city like you, most of them speaking a first or dominant language that is not English. Also keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect or good English, as there are countless varieties, dialects, and accents that are all valid ways to communicate! And if you find it helpful, plan to arrive at events with a trusted friend, classmate, or roommate so you always have someone to chat with.
Building a community
The term “international student” will likely have different meanings or associations for you and your peers. In terms of a person’s legal status, it refers to a student who has obtained a study permit to pursue post-secondary education in Canada. But would you say that it can describe a type or sense of community as well?
International students studying in Canada originate from numerous nations around the world, speak hundreds of various languages, have vastly different life experiences, and hold knowledge in countless subject areas. So perhaps it would be a simplistic overgeneralization to suggest that these students are all part of the same group.
However, on your specific campus, you will probably encounter student groups, and advisory committees who define themselves as an “international student community”. Some unions might formally represent an international student “voice” by having a formal membership and advocating for their members’ needs. Other organizations could decide that organizing fun and social gatherings is a great way to lessen feelings of homesickness and isolation. It could be said, then, that while international students are diverse in their identities, their observations and reflections about migrating to Canada might overlap and serve as a shared commonality for community-building.
In the second video included in this chapter, Joe feels that “international student” can be understood as a community because there are unique experiences, challenges, or needs that are specific to this status. For example, international students have different responsibilities than their domestic peers in terms of maintaining their immigration status (e.g. renewing their study permit). You might find that fellow international students can relate to your observations and frustrations because they are going through similar cycles of cultural change and transition.
That said, you might also want to explore different aspects of your identity and other interests you have beyond the “international” category. We also suggest learning about the various student associations on campus (e.g. a photography club or bird-watching group), but also engaging with communities off-campus. If you’re a movie lover, consider volunteering at the local film festival to meet other cinephiles. Or if you want to develop your professional skills outside of the classroom, you could research internships or co-op opportunities that you might be eligible for over the summer months.
Finally, remember that community can be formed with fellow classmates around your shared academic interests. In fact, studying with others in some sort of shared way is a highly effective way to learn and engage deeply in your studies. Look for study groups, or form your own, seek out other classmates who like to discuss the subject matter, and find opportunities to discuss academic work with students from other disciplines. You can learn a lot that way and remind yourself that there are other perspectives and ways of learning that exist in these disciplines. Academic study is the primary reason you are here and finding ways to engage with others in discussion and intellectual inquiry is the greatest tradition of higher education.
In whatever way that you decide to find community and make new friends, we encourage you to experiment and step outside of your comfort zone. And if you’re ever unsure about the multiple possibilities of how to do this, ask the upper-year students about their experiences and recommendations. Whether they’re an international student or not, they’ll likely have great tips and wisdom to share!
Take a moment to reflect
- Previously, Joe talked about feeling like a “stranger” (or “visitor”) instead of a resident of Toronto. What language feels right for you as someone new to your Ontarian city? Does the category of “international student” feel like an identity, a community, or a legal status to you?
- Think about the student clubs or groups that you participated in during your high school or previous schooling. Which ones did you enjoy the most and why? What types of communities would you like to participate in at your new institution?
The next chapter: Adjusting
In the next chapter, we discuss “adjusting” to learning at colleges and universities in Ontario. Click here to turn to the next chapter: Adjusting.
A network of people in your life - friends, family, peers, advisors, instructors – you can rely on for various kinds of help and support. Having this is a characteristic of academically resourceful students.
An online teaching and learning system your institution uses to administer and deliver important parts of your educational programs.
A comprehensive schedule of all important events in a given academic year. You will likely find your institution’s academic calendar on their website.
A person with a special interest in or love of movies.
