Students from around the world are more NC Ready thanks to a wide-range of pre-arrival educational tools and programs over the past year to prepare incoming students for their studies at Niagara College and ensure a smooth transition to life in Canada.
In-person and remote pre-arrival training was offered in China, India, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Toronto, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam, which included in-country sessions and courses delivered by members of the NC team.
Incoming students from India participated in a two-week pre-departure and academic preparedness program, which was delivered in six cities across India. School of Community Services associate dean, Carol Phillips, was one of the NC team members who traveled to India this August to help prepare students for their transition to the College.
“I developed a greater empathy for the culture and education shock these students face when they arrive in Niagara,” said Phillips. “I witnessed the impact the program had on their level of confidence, competence, and excitement for learning at NC. I am better positioned to act as a resource for faculty, support, and students as they navigate teaching and learning together. Over the past few weeks, I have had smiling Indian students approach me to shake my hand and tell me we met in India. Sharing that connection with incoming students who have been meaningfully prepared by NC is very rewarding.”
Simranpreet Kaur, first-year Photonic Engineering Technician student, completed the program and shared the many differences between the Canadian education system and that of her home country. She appreciated learning about citations and plagiarism, classroom etiquette and expectations in a Canadian context and how they can impact her educational experience in Canada. As expectations with time differ around the world, Kaur learned about the concept of time in Canadian standards which she felt were especially important in allowing her to transition to the Canadian education system.
Since the College could not logistically offer in-person training to all of its incoming international students from over 80 countries around the world, NC developed a series of online Be NC Ready training modules for students to complete before arriving in Canada which include topics such as academic honesty, classroom expectations and workplace skills. Students who successfully completed these modules received recognition on their Co-Curricular Record.
Pictured is one of the in-country training sessions that was offered in Korea.
“My NC journey did not begin the day of Orientation – it began three months ago when I started preparing myself and my family for our new life in Canada,” said first-year Business – Sales and Marketing student Levi Carneiro Nepomuceno, originally from Fortaleza, Brazil. A branch manager with the country’s largest bank before moving to Canada, Nepomuceno read everything he could before he arriving at NC to feel more comfortable with the transition, completing all the Be NC Ready modules and reading every additional resource recommended throughout the online series. “I have a wife and two kids – I have to do the right thing and be as prepared as I can be because I also have my family to think about,” he said. Nepomuceno’s wife even joined him in learning from some of the more important modules to help her know what to expect in Canada and ensure their children would adjust well.
“The modules are very short, but at the same time have a ton of information that really help students settle here in Canada and at Niagara College,” said first-year Mechanical Engineering Technician student, Julian Garnica, originally from Bucaramanga, Colombia. “I would absolutely recommend other students do pre-arrival training because by the time you start College, you are absolutely prepared and more NC ready then ever before.”
Another new initiative last fall was a weekly bulletin emailed to incoming students each of the four weeks leading up to the start of term, highlighting key dates, available resources, tools to better assist students with their transition to a new country, and new post-secondary conduct expectations.
Facebook Live and WeChat pre-departure sessions were hosted leading up to the start of term to respond to student inquiries in real time and feature pre-arrival tips from experts from various service and academic areas of the College. NC’s global educational partners also received additional virtual training sessions from NC staff on how to best prepare their students for the transition to life in Canada.
Over 900 participants are estimated to have engaged in one or more of these initiatives, demonstrating their desire to be prepared for their transition to Canada and upcoming academic experience at Niagara College however a final review of the initiative will be completed after the start of term.
Incoming students who did not attend the in-person, virtual sessions or modules had the opportunity to attend a three-day Be NC Ready pre-orientation program hosted at NC. During these days, NC International student advisors provided an academic overview of the demands and challenges of college programs and the expected conduct.
First-year Ecosystem Restoration student, David Castro Baena from Bogotá, Colombia, attended the pre-orientation session and completed the online modules. Though he’s been studying in Canada for two years, he found the information helpful as he continues to adjust to Canadian culture. “In my country we have citations, but the rules are not as strict as they are in Canada,” he said.
“It was so useful, I feel that I am now ready to start my studies here,” said Victor Angarita, first-year Business – Sales and Marketing student originally from Cúcuta, Colombia. “I highly recommend all students studying at Niagara College participate in these pre-arrival programs.”
As part of NC’s efforts to help students prepare for their studies, the online Be NC Ready modules will remain available to all students throughout the term and act as an additional resource for faculty and staff.
