Hello Canada!

Before arriving in Canada I obviously had presumptions about what London, Ontario (as well as Canada in general) would be like – and what my time here would be like. I tried not to cling to these notions too much and remind myself that my impressions and experiences will be different to what I imagined. I decided to arrive in Canada a few days before classes started, to allow time to get settled and familiarize myself with the campus and city. The first few days I was busy purchasing everything I’d need for the year (bedding, kitchenware, school supplies, etc). I had a week in Canada before any form of class or orientation and having run all the errands I could possibly think of, I was now faced with finding ways to occupy myself.

I was the first to move into my residence, and introductory events were yet to start, so I found myself lacking a friendship group. Growing up I had always enjoyed my own company, relishing in ‘alone time’ and finding long periods of socialization arduous. That changed as I grew up and over the past few years I have found myself becoming more socially active. So to go from a close knit group of friends to having nobody was a shock. However, I knew that this would be the case when I first arrived and that I have to allow time to form new friendships.

When orientation finally arrived and my flatmates moved in, I met began to meet other students and, as expected, made a great group of friends who I have since become extremely close with. Like many students we bonded over the excitements and anxieties of being in a new place – usually this took place at a bar or two, like I said, we are students after all. Having all been in such a similar and situation, we immediately became very close through weekly dinners, weekend trips, and yes, more bars.

Now having formed a strong social group, it was time for class to start and too, once again, figure out the similarities and difference compared to back home. Initially, class and uni life seemed to be pretty much the same as Southampton. The main difference came in the assignment format. Having been used to having 2-3 assignments per module and potentially an exam, it was strangeto have smaller more frequent papers to write as well as a midterm exam for each module. Furthermore, Western does not seem to rely on references as much as Southampton. Having been trained to support all arguments with papers and readings, being told by a professor “I want your opinion on the topic, not the readings” was a shock at first and caused me to have to actively change my writing style.

All in all, my first few weeks in Canada was what I expected. A sense of excitement and anxiety combined with a sense of adventure. Meeting people and getting such a strong group of friends so early on really helped and forced me out of my comfort zone. As for the academic side, the differences in how I have to approach my studies has helped me to strengthen my methods of research as well as my writing style. My first few weeks in Canada has taught me that what people say about requiring balance is absolutely true! You need a strong social system to help not becoming overwhelmed with university.