Moving to Canada - International Student's Guide to Settling Down in a New Country

By Tiara Samosir, Humber College

So, you have arrived in Canada. What's next? You probably have your to-do list of what to do and where to go in Canada. That's great, but first things first.

Here are the things you should do once you are arrived in Canada:

Inform your family members that you have safely arrived. Once you set your foot in Canada, your phone may be out of reach. You may not be able to contact anyone and after several hours on a flight, you will be exhausted. As soon as you are able to connect to the internet, contact your family through email, Facebook, or Skype. Then you can sleep for hours to make up for jetlag and can sign up for a new phone the next day.

Take care of the important stuff. Report your arrival to your consulate and opening up a bank account are probably the most important things to do. Reporting to the consulate can be done online; however, to set up a bank account, you will need to visit the bank.

Get the essentials. The weather in Canada is pretty extreme. The temperature can drop from +30 degrees Celsius during the summer to -10 degrees Celsius in winter. This could be a huge adjustment if you are not used to cold and windy weather, so make sure you have the proper clothes, foods and medicines.

Attend orientation. Orientation is important and fun. You will get a lot of information of what exactly you need to know to avoid any problems later on and you will also get the general idea of what to expect in Canada, places to visit and cool local places to hangout.

When school starts, it is going to be intense. There are going to be a lot of assignments, exams and projects to be done, but you will have a lot of fun and meet a lot of new people. Yes, you are here to study, but it doesn't have to be all work and no play. Studying hard and having fun are the best things about being a student. And hey, you're in Canada! Have a blast!