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A Home Away From Home
Going to school in another country can be difficult. For those willing to take a chance however, it can also prove immensely rewarding. For years, these brave international students have been making Dalhousie their second home. In the process, they’ve become an integral part of the CRMBA program and our lives. As one Canadian student puts it:

The international students we have at Dalhousie are amazing. They are some of the strongest and most engaged students we have and help make this program great. I’ve learned so much from them already.

How and why do international students choose to come here? We decided to ask our classmates, colleagues, and friends.

Q: What first drew your attention to Dal? What made it stand out from other programs?

Iris Liu (China)
The 8-month corporate residency was something that first drew my attention. I was looking for a program that provides the opportunity of an internship, which allows me to apply my knowledge learned at school to the workplace.

Hamilton Jie (China)
The first thing that drew my attention was definitely the 8-month corporate residency. For international students, I think this is especially important because this 8 months of full-time work experience will be our future proof of our eligibility to work in Canada.

It’s no surprise that the corporate residency is a key factor in setting Dalhousie apart from other schools (full disclosure: we loved ours!). For international students, it’s an even greater opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Canada’s working culture.

Q: What did you know about Nova Scotia before you came here?

Matthew Cheung (Hong Kong)
Not much at all! Very few people in Hong Kong knew about Nova Scotia. Coming in, what I knew was that the province had a population smaller than Hong Kong, that it was by the sea, and that the seafood was supposed to be excellent.

Saleem Tawakol (Egypt)
I didn’t know much but I definitely heard about the nice beaches and national parks, and I thought it would be a nice cozy place where everybody knows each other. A small town, so to speak, just on a slightly bigger scale.

Let’s get a few things straight. Yes, we have a lot of seafood. But besides being the land of lobster lovers, Nova Scotia is a vibrant province with much to offer. Halifax in particular has a strong presence as a business hub. And as the largest city on the East Coast, Halifax offers many events and cultural experiences while still maintaining a small town feel.

Q: If you were speaking to a prospective student, what would you tell them about Dalhousie?

Saleem Tawakol (Egypt)
That it is a personable experience. The faculty and staff at Dalhousie gave me so much of their time and attention, as I’m sure they did with the rest of my class. It started to feel like a one-to-one relationship rather than a one-to-many.

Thomas Sykes (Bahamas/UK)
The professors are really involved with class and want to see you succeed in both the classroom and in the outside world.

The overwhelming sense you get at Dal is that the professors are interested in helping you succeed. Whether through providing help after class, or attending student events, professors will grow to be some of your closest mentors (and occasional grade-givers – here’s hoping its an A!).