Canadian Immigration focus Canadian Immigration Guide:
I. Familiarize yourself with the surrounding traffic and roads after arriving at your freshman dormitory or homestay
Whether you live on campus or in the surrounding neighborhoods, the first priority is to familiarize yourself with the campus layout and local transportation as soon as possible, from bus routes to street names. Ensure you can navigate your way out and back. This will make it easier for your daily commute to and from classes, as well as for weekend outings and shopping.
II. Download Skype to stay in touch with family and friends
Usually, we carry laptops or purchase them locally, and dormitories are generally equipped with internet access. Installing Skype makes it very convenient to communicate with friends, and internet calling is quite cost-effective. Remember to report your safety to your parents back home as soon as possible; parents worry about their children thousands of miles away. Communicating with them often and sharing your new experiences will make them very happy and help alleviate your own anxiety about being in a strange environment.
III. Visit the school library
Canadian universities require students to self-study many courses. Regardless of your future daily routine, the library is an indispensable part of it. Therefore, as a freshman, you can visit the library to familiarize yourself with book searching and resource usage right after enrollment, before classes officially begin. Moreover, libraries usually have tutors, often senior students, who are very enthusiastic about helping freshmen solve various problems. Through regular communication, you will also learn a lot of experience about university studies and improve your spoken language unconsciously, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
IV. Determine the textbooks you need
Freshmen can check the course syllabus online through the campus network to see which textbooks are required. If you act early, you might be able to grab textbooks from the library or rent them. If you wait until classes officially start, you may have to spend a lot of money to buy new textbooks.
V. Make Canadian friends, or friends who speak English
This is not racial or linguistic discrimination. Only by communicating more with locals and speaking more English can you adapt to the local culture and language environment as soon as possible. When many international students look for jobs after graduation, in addition to competing on academic background and professional knowledge, they need to have a better understanding of local culture and be able to communicate smoothly with others. Of course, as fellow expatriates, it is understandable to chat with Chinese students or fellow countrymen about your hometown and the motherland. However, if you only associate with Chinese friends, you will lose the true meaning of studying abroad.
VI. Update your contact information
Do not forget to update your personal contact information, such as phone number, ID number, mailing address, and email. You can update it directly by logging into your student account. The username and password for the student account can be obtained during the first year of enrollment registration. Information regarding course schedules, course selection, exam arrangements, grade records, scholarship information, and tax information can all be viewed through your student account.
VII. Participate in course selection
Course selection is usually done online on the school website. Once you receive the course schedule, you should start selecting as soon as possible to increase your chances of getting your ideal courses and professors. Do not wait until the fall to select courses for the winter semester, as many courses will often be fully registered by then, because many courses have enrollment limits.
VIII. Purchase textbooks
After knowing the list of textbooks used in class, you should start buying books. Although it is convenient to buy them at the school bookstore, both new and used books are relatively expensive. If you want to save money, you can buy them at online bookstores. If you are lucky, you can also buy them from senior students at a very low price.
IX. Register with the embassy
After settling down at school, you should register with the Chinese embassy and the school's international student office, leaving your contact information. They will provide you with help and guidance as much as possible, and you can also contact them at any time when you encounter problems.
X. Keep your documents safe
Finally, don't forget to buy a folder to put some important documents in and keep them in a safe place. It is best to back up an electronic copy so that you can be foolproof.