Thread by @TundeTASH

Congratulations to students who have been able to land in Canada & will be starting school in January.

Some things to note:

- Get yourself a very good winter jacket.
- Have your gloves with you at all times.
- If you don't drive, check bus schedule before going out.

- Aside Toronto, buses run every 30 mins on weekdays & every 1hr on weekends.
- Before buying textbooks, check with Lecturers if they are okay with you borrowing from Library rather than owning.
- If you can't afford the school residence, you can rent very close to school.

- As a student, you are allowed to work 20 hours per week.
- It is cheaper to cook than to eat out.
- Sobeys is a high end grocery store for students. Try others.
- Connect with students from prior year for course tips.
- Ask questions a lot in class.

- Mix with students from other backgrounds to learn and understand other's perspectives.
- Research how to be successful in your course of study.
- Research what certification is relevant to your field in Canada.
- Mix with other Nigerian students to reduce nostalgia.

- Be mindful of your study permit expiry date and when to apply for an extension.
- It is never too early to start reading about the process of PR.
- The International Office of your school is your first stop for questions and concerns relating to your course.

- Be mindful of 'Them-Say-Them-Say'. Be sure to request for the source of an info to read it in black and white.
- Remember the daughter/son of whom you are.
- Don’t get carried away by infrastructure /because the system works.
- Distinction is not bad at all 🤷🏾‍♂️.

- Get your G1/G2/G licenses as soon as possible.
- If you are particular about meeting Nigerians, there is most likely a church /mosque in your city where you can network in that regard.
- If you can, have only one credit card. You can use it to build a credit history.

- Look for banks that have account perks for newcomers / students.
- Don't call Nigeria directly with your local Network if you aren't sure of the call rate.
- Look up your school website to see if there are awards/ scholarships available for international students after school.

- If you need to extend your passport, the Nigerian High Commision is in Ottawa but call them because of the lockdown.
- Register with a local job agency to ease your part-time job search while schooling.
- It is cheaper to fly outside Canada than within Canada.

- Punctuality is key. Try to adjust as soon as you can.
- School is very important, but remember to live too. Explore your city and neighbouring cities.
- There’s most likely a chapter/association for professionals in your field. Try to be a member of such.

- Get your resume reviewed to a Canadian format.
- Create a profile on Indeed.Ca. Never too early to see what the labour market looks like.
- Your SIN Number should never be given to anyone other than CRA or your employer.

- You can get a provincial ID Card as a means of identification so you don’t have your passport with you at all times.
- You should also get your school ID card.
- Check your school tuition breakdown to see if there are any health benefits entitled to you.

Again, it isn’t too early to start reading about the Express Entry program. In some cases, student find they are eligible and begin the process early.