With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, global education was widely affected. International students faced extreme difficulties in mapping their way in a foreign country.
The atmosphere of a physical classroom was brought to an abrupt halt, with campuses deciding to close down. Virtual education and virtual classrooms were the only saviors of many students in many universities across Canada and other countries.
Many international students pursuing higher education abroad from many top institutions had to return home to their respective countries and were forced to adapt to online learning.
International education in Canada was left negatively affected as the education sector is essential to the economy of Canada. Border closures and travel bans in Canada and other countries left everyone asking the most important question - Should students study abroad in Canada amidst a global pandemic?
This article aims at helping you better understand and discover the international affairs dealing with higher education study programs and what is in store for students to study abroad in the next phase.
Canada - A Hub for International Students
Canada has always had unique relations with international students, offering them a wide range of international programs in higher education in some of the country's top institutions.
The education sector in Canada has always been thriving with global engagement from across many nations. Many universities in Canada provide an overall experience for international students.
The country focuses on offering a wide range of academic courses to international students and helping people from diverse cultural regions enhance their language skills.
The educational sector in Canada has always focused on enhancing students' overall experience, and the Canada Bureau for International Education (CBIE) mentions that 96% of students recommend Canada as a study destination.
Why Do Foreign Students Choose to Study in Canada?
The country offers many international students exceptional study abroad programs for higher education. The global engagement programs offered in Canadian universities are top-quality!
College students experience a rich culture, connect with students from different nations, explore campuses and life in Canada.
The future of the educational sector in Canada has always been a booming one for various reasons, such as:
Canada offers quality education to many international students.
The country has a rich culture, heritage, and practices non-discriminatory, giving equal importance and education to each person.
Canada is a safe country for people travelling overseas, whether for work or study purposes.
For many years, Canada has been catering to the many needs of international education in providing a world-class education to international students and living up to student expectations.
Students fly to Canada to attain college degrees for higher education and pursue a career, basically experiencing life from a new perspective.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, many students are currently pursuing virtual internships.
Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad in Canada
Studying abroad is a dream of many students who wish to pursue higher education in top universities. Canada has become a prime destination for many international and foreign students for global education.
Students from various nations get to experience a new culture, see the world from a new perspective and explore all that life in Canada has to offer them.
Despite the closure of offline classes due to the corona virus outbreak, universities continue to operate and hold online courses for overseas students. The Canadian Education System is considered one of the best in the world. Students can quickly build a career after studying in some of the country's leading cities.
Now, let's check out some of the major reasons why studying abroad in Canada could be a good thing for a student.
No Language Barrier
Canada is home to many different languages. English and French are both considered official languages in Canada, and thus, you can easily find people who speak these languages.
If all you know is the English language, you can still survive and find your way in Canada without any hassles! More importantly, you'll feel at home even in a foreign country.
All top universities in Canada offer college degrees taught in the English language. Whether you're looking forward to pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D., you can efficiently work your way around.
While you're studying in Canada, you can also pick up some language skills and be proud of them! One of the best perks of studying abroad, don't you think?
Canada Has Some of the World's Top-Ranked Universities
Canada is home to some of the world's top universities and a long history. Some of the world's most remarkable people have studied at these universities.
You can rely on the quality of information and knowledge offered to you in Canada. Even if you're pursuing online education, you will be provided with the best.
For students who wish to pursue global education in Canada, you can find some of the world's leading universities like,
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
University of Montreal
University of Alberta
Experience a Rich Culture and Heritage
Canada is a diverse and prosperous country with many different cultures as its essential parts. It is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse nations.
The country witnesses nearly 1,20,000 student enrollments each year. Students from many countries like China, India, and South Korea enroll in Canada.
This gives many students a chance to experience and explore the multicultural dimension of this country. If you wish to study abroad, choosing Canada as a preference will turn out to be great for you. Canada offers excellent study abroad programs to all its international students.
Canada is one of the Safest Countries
Safety is a primary concern of many students and their parents, especially when moving away from home to study abroad. Canada is known to be one of the safest nations in the world and, the place offers you a quality life too.
A study abroad program in a country that offers safety is essential to students and parents. Canada has low crime rates. It is way ahead on the social development front. As a student, you will get access to a quality life essential for your growth.
Quality Education
In Canada, you can rely on finding quality global education without having second thoughts about it. Canadian universities focus a lot on research. This gives students a broader scope to experiment with various projects and assignments and encourages them towards forward-thinking.
Even students who attend online education get access to the best quality education, just as one would in offline classes. The teachers at the Universities create ample opportunities for the students to explore their interests, invest time in research, and expand their horizons.
Popular College Degree Programs in Canada
There is a broad scope of course options available in Canadian universities. Whether you choose to attend classes online or offline, the possibilities are endless for you!
International education is a booming industry in Canada, and rightly so. Universities offer courses in arts, Languages, History, Management, and Engineering. You only have to pick your favorite course and apply to a suitable university.
Some of the most popular courses offered by Canadian universities are listed below.
Business
Students who want to follow their passion for business can choose from the wide range of specifications offered by universities in Canada.
Brand management, risk management, logistics management, and just a few of the many exciting and top specifications offered in this field. You can even pursue distance learning courses as part of international education and get to complete your course through online learning.
You will be taught under the expert guidance of some of the finest professors from around the world.
These are some of the universities you can study business in:
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
McGill University
Social Sciences
Social sciences programs in Canadian universities deliver an interdisciplinary perspective. This helps students gain essential leadership, critical thinking, and project management skills.
The current job market is vast, and corporate constantly look for young and genius minds. You will develop an overall understanding throughout your academic year.
You can choose to pursue psychology, international relations, political science, or other similar courses.
Following are the universities where you can find this program.
Simon Fraser University
University of Western Ontario
Concordia University
Environmental Science
Environmental problem solving is a growing need in today's world. Canadian universities offer this program to train students in understanding and building a more sustainable world.
This program is experience-based and gives thorough learning to every student who wishes to pursue it. Through this program, you also experience the first-hand impact of human activities on the global environment.
You can find this program in some of the following universities:
University of Calgary
University of Alberta
Dalhousie University
Arts
Art is one of the essential parts of Canadian cultural heritage. It holds a long history and legacy. Art program courses like painting, sculpting, photography, film and design, etc., are offered by universities in many large cities.
Many students prefer this program as it provides knowledge on a mix of different art styles. You can find a plethora of art courses in many universities.
Here are some of the top universities offering you this program.
University of Windsor
Carleton University
Toronto Film School
Medicine
The importance of this field is essential to all humankind. The area of medicine has evolved through the years and continues developing.
Canada's healthcare system is known to be one of the best in the world. Students who wish to study abroad in Canada and pursue this field will learn and practice under some of the best professors. The medical schools in Canada focus a lot on research. You can rely on this course to offer you the best knowledge.
Here are some universities that you can consider applying to.
York University
McMaster University
University of Saskatchewan
Engineering and Technology
Canada has constantly been producing some of the best infrastructures, construction, and transportation globally. All thanks to the genius engineers who made this possible!
Engineering and technology are some of the hottest programs of all time. You can never go wrong with this program. System engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, biomedical engineering are specializations in this field.
Here are some of the best universities offering you a course in this program.
University of Regina
Ecole de TechnologieSuerieure
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
How Has the Corona virus Outbreak Affected Student Choices?
In 2020 and 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic created a widespread rage all around the world, many universities had to shut offline operations and move to online learning.
Some universities initially shut their campuses for two weeks hoping that things would get back to normal soon. This widely affected the academic year of many universities and students.
Amidst travel bans, restrictions, and curbs, overseas students had to find their way back to their home country. Many students were stuck due to continuous lock downs.
Universities and faculty members quickly adapted to online learning and thus began the next phase of global education.
Studying abroad, students had to attend classes online, appear for exams the same way, and some even graduated online!
Though the Covid-19 outbreak brought adverse effects and impacted many lives, the education sector in Canada survived.
The gates were opened to more virtual options, and students across the world adapted to different time zones.
How to Overcome the Covid-19 Challenges?
Study abroad students had to face many challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was challenging to find the solutions to these challenges right away.
But the faculty members, along with the students, persisted and helped them find a way. For all the students who wish to study abroad, here are some ways to beat the challenges.
Stick to Your Plan
Of course, no one wants the pandemic to stay. And no one even dared to imagine how deadly this would turn out for everyone. But you can't turn it away or around!
There could be temporary restrictions or travel bans, so wait it out. Keep yourself updated with the global news and wait for countries to announce a lift on imposed bans or lock downs.
Explore Universities
If you want to study abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic, this is the best time to review universities with covid-19 responses.
Institutions and universities across the world have tried to accommodate the needs of students in the best way possible. They have undertaken measures that best suit the needs of overseas students.
Once you start exploring universities, you will get a clearer idea of which university has better measures to deal with overseas students during the pandemic hit world.
Postpone Admissions by a Year
If safety is one of your utmost concerns, maybe you don't feel comfortable travelling to another country to attend your academic year on campus. In that case, you can consider deferring your admission by a year.
You can talk it out with universities if you've already applied to them. If you haven't, you can wait until the respective countries' situation gets better.
There are many things to consider before making this decision. Keep in mind that you will also join the market later and miss the economic rebound.
Since this is a very personal decision, make sure to think it through before concluding.
Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad
There are numerous reasons on this list for why you should choose to study abroad. Despite the Covid-19 outbreak and its impacts, the education industry is still booming.
Foreign schools and institutions have a lot to offer, and you will not be disappointed with the reasons.
Apart from the quality education and knowledge, you also get to connect with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. This holistic experience is essential to your overall growth.
Here are some of the reasons why you should consider studying abroad.
Better Career Opportunities
Students who study abroad have the upper hand at better career opportunities and global employ ability rates. The universities abroad prepare you for an overall life experience.
Though the economy has been affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, countries are rapidly recovering and emerging as economic giants once again.
This will allow you to place yourself in the economic rebound and help improve the country's economy.
Quality Education
Apart from positive career prospects, you also get a quality education when you study abroad. You get to learn and attend lessons from top professionals in the industry.
While the course degree plays a vital role in determining your career path, your overall growth and life experience help you simultaneously.
Studying abroad will give you exposure like none other, and you will not be disappointed by what the world has to offer you.
Gain Global Perspective
One of the best things that global education offers every overseas student is the global perspective on life, education, and much more.
When you connect with people from various cultures and traditions, you learn to adapt much more quickly to the world's ways. You know to become more welcoming.
When you study abroad, you prepare yourself for a much greater cause.
Is Moving to a Different City In the Pandemic Hit Era Still Worth it?
Yes, absolutely! According to recent studies, only 5.4% of students wished to withdraw from studying abroad.
Even if things get back to the old normal, online learning is here to stay. And one of the most significant advantages here is that you get to study abroad even if you can't physically make it to the country.
You can pursue a course degree through a distance learning course. Many top universities offer distance learning courses for students to study abroad.
How Can I Still Study Abroad?
Many universities are offering top courses. For students who wish to study abroad, the options are endless. You can go through the list of colleges offering you programs of your choice and accordingly apply to them.
Given the circumstances, it can seem daunting in the beginning to go ahead and pursue your desired course. But with proper research and information at hand, you can find what best suits your requirements.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused extensive suffering to many students studying abroad. They have faced extreme challenges in the last 2 years and continue meeting many more.
While this has left many students wondering if it's safe to travel abroad to pursue higher education, it has also given them many insights on the risk factors involved in travelling to and fro from their respective countries.
Many universities have opened their gates for international students and have begun international education practices in full swing.
For fully vaccinated people, this can prove to be a beneficial step as they can travel without any restriction to Canada and pursue their degree programs.
Before deciding to move to Canada to study, you must go through the rules and regulations as they keep changing based on the current Covid-19 situations in the country.