My Journey to McMaster Engineering as an International Student
Aaditya Senthilkumar, Rafi Hasan and Roxxannia Wang
An “international” Gathering
3 Nationalities. 3 widely different personalities brought together by one common dream.
It was last October that three of us met for the first time in the recruitment office when we officially started our position as International Student Ambassadors. It was exciting to meet each other for the first time, because we are all international students who came all the way to Canada for the education opportunities, came to McMaster for the rich learning environment, and gathered in the Faculty of Engineering for our passion for bringing change to the world.
Canada is a perfect place for international students because of its multiculturalism — not only you can get in touch with many other cultures, you can also find your own cultural group and be proud of your own background. Canada also has great educational resources and many top universities and programs are offered here. Even though we came to McMaster to fulfill our dreams, we all had different journeys, stories, and reasons for coming to Canada as international students. We want to share our own journeys coming to McMaster Engineering as international students and we hope to hear yours.
Rafi’s Journey
Even before finishing high school my mind was set to go abroad to get my bachelor’s degree. It really just came down to narrowing which country I will get a fresh start from. I took many factors into account but Canada came out as a clear victory in my eyes. Not only is the education curated and top-notch, but the people here are also as nice as the country is beautiful and mesmerizing. Being a fish out of water in a completely new country 10,000 miles away from friends and family, I knew I had to go somewhere I would be supported both academically and in life to its fullest.
When it came down to picking a university it was really a difficult choice because all the universities in Canada offer excellent programs. I chose Mac because when reading upon multiple testimonials on Reddit and various sites that Mac had, both mentioned the excellent and inclusive community, which is something I really value.
While the stress of getting into a good university was gone, another obstacle was looming over my shoulder. It was time for me to get my visa for my study permit. This was uncharted territory for me and something I had really little control over. What made matters worse was that there wasn’t anyone who I knew that was knowledgeable about the whole process. I skimmed through hundreds of articles and help sites to finally gather the knowledge and courage to apply for my Visa. Luckily I received my visa within a few weeks and I was set on my way to the Maple land.
With just a suitcase in one hand and my dreams in the other, I embarked on a grueling 23-hour flight to Toronto, Ontario. It was at that POE (Point of entry) where I received my work and study permit. I took my first year at McMaster very slow. I did not join any clubs or teams because I wanted to experience a lot of things first before I committed full time to a club. This in turn gave me a lot of opportunities to discover my passion and interests for things that I didn’t even know existed. I think everyone should keep an open mind and be adventurous coming into university. You might never know what the universe holds for you.
I am not gonna sugar coat it and say engineering is easy. First year engineering can be pretty challenging and being an international student just adds another layer to that. While that remains true, it is possible to do well and maintain a healthy balance of studying and just enjoying yourself. In fact, Mac offers a plethora of support to make sure the students are well equipped to do their best in each and every course.
At the end of the second term of first year I decided to buckle down and get a part time job at McMaster Hospitality. You would be surprised to hear how much transferable skills you can hone at a job that is not related to Engineering. I learned the importance of teamwork and working under pressure.
With the skills that I gained I decided to try my luck at something a little more professional, a little more that would make my resume stand out. I decided to apply for the Engineering Recruitment job. If you are reading this then, well everything worked out just fine.
Aadi’s Journey
For every high school student, there is always the fear of never getting an acceptance from any university, but on March 8th 2019 in the middle of my final exams, I got my first acceptance letter from a university and it was from McMaster Engineering. It was followed by a bunch of exams and the fear of my study permit application being rejected. But at the end of the tunnel, there’s light. All that waiting, all that excitement was all worth it in the end and believe me it was an amazing journey!
Well McMaster is one of the best universities in the world. I had to choose between 3 universities, and it put me in a really conflicted situation. I felt that McMaster gave me the best opportunities as we have a common first year for engineering and we can choose our major in the second year! Well, Canada is a beautiful country and has notoriously friendly people. I was genuinely scared of winter but it was a bit better than what I had trained for. Hamilton is naturally warmer as it is near a water body but be sure to get yourself a good winter jacket. A transition from +40 degree celsius to -20 is just crazy!
The first day of classes was very interesting. McMaster has an amazing community. The professors are really nice and helpful. You will meet a lot of new people, hear a lot of amazing stories and also make new friends. I had 3 back-to-back lectures on my first day and it felt so much different from school. I’ve enjoyed every moment so far, be it hanging out with friends or preparing for exams. Living alone has taught me a lot, I’ve learnt to cook, do my own laundry and a bunch of other things. It has helped me discover some traits of mine such as hiking and cooking innovative dishes.
I participated in a couple of tournaments at the university’s intramurals tournament which gave me an amazing opportunity to try out new sports like football (not the one we know from back home, its American football), and also had the opportunity to play cricket with my team which was sponsored by International Student Services. Hence, intramurals are a good way to relax and take a break from studying.
In conclusion, this was the best year of my life!
Roxxannia’s Journey
Coming to Canada had always been my dream since I was little. Since my grandparents and my aunt immigrated to Canada a long time ago, I have heard a lot about the wonderful education opportunities. Plus, growing up with the fantasy of high schools in North America from all the Hollywood movies, a little seed of dreams was planted in my heart.
I was originally aiming to come to Canada for just post-secondary education, however, that little dream seed grew into reality before my 15th birthday — I came to Canada as an international student in Grade 9 and started my high school journey. Living across the Pacific Ocean from my mom and traveling to a foreign country all by myself was not an easy decision. I had to give up all my previous connections and establish new networks in this unfamiliar environment and learn the language at the same time. Thinking back, it was a tough time period for me because the transition was not smooth. Though it was not hard for me to adapt to the new environment and the language, it was not until I came here that I realized the value of having extracurriculars and various volunteer and leadership experiences, and developing myself in all aspects, instead of just academics.
As Grade 12 approached, the stressful university application time started. I had many areas of interest — Math, Business, Biology, Physics, which complicated my choices as I was applying. I put in a lot of effort researching what programs fit my interests the best and went on university tours to see which one gave me a feeling of belonging. I finally locked my eyes on the McMaster Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program — because I know I am always keen on design activities and real-life applications integrating both biology and advanced technologies.
When it came to deciding which offer to take, it was a long struggling period for me as I received a couple of biomedical engineering related offers and was hesitating on which destination would be the best. After talking to my teachers and friends that were already in university, I had my mind settled on McMaster iBioMed program — not only because of the combination of two prestigious Engineering and Health Sciences programs, but also because of the flexible co-op, the study environment, and the creative side of the student community.
In August, I packed myself and happily took my first official step to McMaster University. I was greeted by passionate red suits and started the new, exciting chapter of my life in McMaster Faculty of Engineering.
First year started off well as the transition from high school to university did not hit me hard. I got to make a lot of friends in classes and clubs. I entered multiple research competitions with my group from my iBioMed design tutorial since I am always keen on doing research after I graduate. I have also participated in Sumobot and DeltaHacks — more technical competitions as they are good opportunities to learn new knowledge, challenge myself, discover my interests, and meet people with similar hobbies. I also joined the McMaster Marching Band since I have always wanted to learn a second instrument; I met so many nice people from other faculties too.
Other than joining clubs and teams, university is also a cherished place for me to prepare for stepping into real society and gaining more work experience. During the summer I accidentally saw a position posted on Oscarplus (a McMaster job hiring panel) — International Recruitment Assistant, and I instantly clicked apply. I wanted to share my own fresh experience as an international student applicant. I am also excited to help more international students with their questions or concerns coming to Canada, and give advice on getting through the transition period. Now I am happily working in this position and I feel so accomplished every time I help a future prospective student.
Be Ready for Your Greatest Experience
We have enjoyed our whole year at McMaster as international students, from all aspects — including the learning resources and student community, and we do not regret our choice regarding all the great memories we had.
In the end, we hope every international student (no matter if you are already at Mac or you are a future student) can find McMaster a “home” and enjoy every single moment here. We want to hear more international students share their journeys and experience at McMaster.
Infinitely different personalities from all over the world are brought together by one common dream, to make a “Brighter World”.
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