An International Student Perspective – Inside Student Life at Vancouver Island University

My name is Natalie Wang, from Beijing, China and I am a soon-to-be graduate from Vancouver Island University (VIU), in the MBA Program.

When I first came to Canada, everything was unfamiliar. As a student in the MBA/MScIB program at Vancouver Island University, I knew the most important thing I should do was adjust myself to the new environment and get ready for the first semester.

During orientation week, I got the basic ideas about course details, cultures in Canada, and all kinds of student services I could get to support me in my study and life in Canada. My tight schedule didn’t give me enough time to get used to life and academic expectations here (lots of reports drove me crazy at first). I started to realize that the writing style and report format here were different from China. I suddenly remembered, I could ask the writing center to help me with not only referencing and citation, but also grammar and vocabulary. For MBA students, we have our own writing center where we can also go for helpwith presentations. Once I realized that I could get all the help I needed at University, things got much easier. It is the first step that is troublesome. After successfully finishing all the tasks for the first semester, things were getting better.

Now I could really enjoy my life in the beautiful coast city. I was enrolled in the VIU homestay program, and my host family here was great, they even took me camping. It was my first time sleeping in a tent and I saw wild deer just beside me. It was a great experience. On weekends, I would sometimes go swimming or on a day-trip, arranged by campus rec. It was wonderful that someone already arranged everything for me and my job was just to enjoy it. On-campus activities were also great ways for me to get involved. During VIU’s International Education Week in the Fall, I saw traditional clothes from India, Saudi Arabia, Korea and many other countries. The Marimba musicwas so lovely, like the sounds of nature.

The MBA program at VIU did not onlystrengthen my analytical, presentation, written and oral communications skills, but also built a career bridge for me.VIU provided me with the big picture and knowledge required to apply toward a much more focused career path than I had before. Our internship coordinator even provided us with internship opportunities, which is how I got to where I am now: working as an intern working for Vancouver Island University’s International Marketing and Recruitment team, I have learned a lot about international marketing and my mentor helped guide me in understanding the big picture about the global market. This opportunity will be very helpful for my future career.

So, are you ready to begin your own study abroad journey? Come and join us at VIU. Learn what you love and love where you learn. MBA program at Vancouver Island University: http://www.viu.ca/calendar/Business/mba.asp
Apply online: http://www.viu.ca/international/application.asp