Many students find the start of a post secondary study daunting as people are unsure of the challenges ahead of them.
To ease those nerves, students and staff shared their experiences and insights.
Theo Turner, a student in his second semester at the Fire Services Program, said the responsibility to do well in your activities at school is on you, as teachers wouldn’t be insisting on a peak performance, like they did in high school.
“It’s a bit different from a high school environment. You’re not expected to do anything, so it’s really more on you to pay attention, take notes, submit assignments, study for your test, and all that kind of stuff,” said Turner.
Carey French, a Media Law professor at Humber College, advised students to, “Get rid of the baggage that you bring from your high school experience, and start treating this place more like a workplace rather than a classroom.”
This type of mindset is freeing and it makes life much easier, because if you treat it like a workspace, then you’re not bound to sit behind a desk all the time, French said.
He also advised students to do what a journalist does, and, “Get as close to the source as you can.” This way, you will get better and clearer information from your teachers rather than if you were sitting in the back of the classroom.
“You’re free to ask questions, and you don’t need to apologize for anything,” he said.
Taras Derkach, a Fitness and Health Promotion student, advised new students to be more confident, more open to the students you’re working with, and to the opportunities at college events, like the 5K Run.
“I would advise everyone to be more active and get the most from that,” he said.
Vinay Patel, a Business Administration student, said his first year experience was wonderful because of the wonderful people from different cultures he met and the friends he made at Humber.
“For me, that’s been the most interesting part, because I found the people I wanted to. I found the right group in the college,” he said.
It would be best to find the right people who can guide you through school, help you with your assignments, and push you to being better, Patel said.
“Don’t associate yourself with the wrong people because they will push you back,” he said.
Mandeep Kaur, a Tourism-Travel Services Management student from India, advised international students to be prepared, to have a good fluency in English, and to be financial stable before coming to Canada to study.
“The only amount we pay before coming here is not the only amount we need,” she said.
“Because of the unemployment in Canada, we need a lot of money,” she said. “It’s not only the money we spend before coming here, we need double the money.”
Harsimran Kaur, a student taking Tourism-Travel Services Management, also advised international students to prepare ahead of time.
“Know how Canadian colleges work, and how you will stay here because it is really different from India,” she said. “The education system is different. You will feel a lot of difficulties in your first year, and then you will slowly plan, so plan accordingly,” she said.