Student Blog

By Susan Seto

Yes, you’ve made it! You’ve been accepted to study abroad. You’re dancing around in your kitchen while reading your acceptance letter out loud. It’s an incredible feeling, isn’t it?

Just as the adrenaline rush dies down, you realize this isn’t going to be cheap. However, don’t let this discourage you. With careful planning and preparation, you will be able to pursue your dream to go abroad.

Here are 10 ways to save:

1. Start saving now. Open a separate savings account and set aside a small amount each week. Even if it is just $5 each week, it will accumulate. Every little bit counts.
2. Keep a budget. Give yourself a budget each month. Track your spending in an excel sheet or download a...

I’ll be embarking on my journey overseas in less than a month now, and things are starting to feel a lot more real. I’ve been planning for this exchange for over six months now, and these plans are all finally coming to fruition.

The process has been long, and there have been a lot of bumps along the way, but it’s all coming together – I’ve been admitted into the University of Toulouse, my French visa has been approved, and I was accepted into residence. In all honesty, though, it really has been time-consuming preparing for this exchange program. Arranging all of the paperwork to submit my French visa application took months; working out the details for my residence in Toulouse with an international coordinator in France who doesn’t speak English was a struggle; taking French courses in...

By Susan Seto

If you were to tell me five years ago that I would be living out of a suitcase for a year, I would think you were crazy. Last year, I decided to take a leap of faith to pursue my passion to go abroad.  It was a bold move to leave my career, apartment, and family and friends in Vancouver for the unfamiliar. Looking back, it was by far the best thing I did for myself in terms of personal and professional growth.

I had the opportunity to live in four different places through the Master of Global Business program at the University of Victoria. I studied in Canada, Taiwan, and Austria and completed a summer co-op term in Hong Kong. All of these were enriching in their own ways.

If you’re asking you...

On Sunday I will be celebrating an important milestone of my life. Exactly 10 years ago, on August 31, 2004, I landed in Vancouver to embark on a life-changing journey in this beautiful and welcoming country. Ever since, every day of my life has been eventful and memorable.

Shortly after finishing middle school in Kazakhstan, my parents realized that graduating from a high school overseas would better transition and prepare me for post-secondary success. As a safe, multicultural and accepting English-speaking country, Canada had no competition. In 2004, I entered Bodwell High School, a co-ed boarding school for international students in North Vancouver. I also had the opportunity to learn more about Canadian culture through studying French in Montreal while living in a Quebec homestay.