My experience as an international student in Canada

Montreal is cheaper than Toronto or Vancouver, but rents have gone up a lot since I arrived.

Studying

Classes were smaller and more discussion based than in Colombia. Professors expect you to speak up and to question them, which felt strange at first. The workload was heavy but fair. My supervisor has been supportive and treats me as a colleague.

The international student office helped with everything from my study permit extension to a problem with my landlord. Use them.

Language

McGill teaches in English, but Montreal lives in French. I arrived with almost no French. For the first months I felt shy in shops and at the pharmacy. I took the free French courses offered by the Quebec government to immigrants and students (Francisation Québec), and now I can hold a real conversation. It changed how I feel about the city.

Winter

Nobody can prepare you for your first January. Minus 25 with wind. I bought a proper winter coat (320 dollars, worth every cent), boots and thermal layers. I also learned that Montrealers do not stop living in winter: there are festivals, skating rinks in every park and the underground city.

The hard parts

• Loneliness in the first semester. Most of my classmates were Canadian and already had friends.
• Study permit anxiety. The government's changes to international student caps and work rules in 2024 made many of us nervous about our future.
• Being far from family when my grandmother was ill. The flights home are expensive and long.

The good parts

• I have friends from Quebec, Iran, Nigeria, France and Vietnam
• My research on urban heat islands is meaningful and I have presented at two conferences
• Canada genuinely feels welcoming. People have been kind, especially when I was lost
• I can work up to 24 hours a week off campus, and I tutor Spanish on weekends

Advice

Apply for every scholarship you can find, even small ones. Join a club in your first month (for me it was the outdoor club). Learn the local language even if your programme does not require it. And plan your post-graduation pathway early, because the rules change often and the best options go to those who prepare.

I would choose Canada again, but I would come with more savings and more French.