We wanted to hear from students what they are looking forward to most this semester, so I attended a couple of the university’s orientation events leading up to the first day of classes. I was able to speak with some really friendly people, and I came away from both events thinking how worthwhile it is for new students to immerse themselves in the student life on campus. A huge thank you to every student who took the time to speak with me, you were all fantastic!
Residence Orientation BBQ in Quad

The first student I spoke with at this event was Mariia Valiieva, who has come to the University of Alberta from the Ukraine for her first fully in-person academic year. When I asked Mariia how she felt about the transition from studying online in her home country to being on-campus here in Edmonton, she told me she was far more excited than apprehensive. She quite beautifully described Canada as a meeting place for every culture a person can imagine, and explained that she was looking forward to experiencing lecture halls filled with all types of people, whom she is excited to learn more about.
Next, I chatted with Jeremy St-Laurent and Trinity Grant, both first year Education students at Campus St. Jean. Another thing these two have in common was that they each hail from small towns - meaning the crowds on campus and the bustle of the city were going to be a bit of an adjustment for them (I can relate!). When I asked if they were nervous, however, they voiced no concerns. As great as a close-knit community within campus can be, both Trinity and Jeremy told me they were really looking forward to having some larger class sizes and taking advantage of the opportunity to socialize outside of their faculty. And of course, Jeremy was right to point out what a convenient opportunity such a setting is to make friends. I congratulated Trinity on her choice to take an elective - Drama, which happens to be Jeremy’s minor - in her first semester at university. If you’re taking a semester full of required classes, why not supplement the load with a course that will feed your personal interests?

Then I sat down with Nishmin Unwala, who is starting the second year of her Masters in Clinical Psychology, and Ramish Raza, a political studies student in his second year of study. Both Nishmin and Ramish are international students who are very excited about having secured Residence Assistant (RA) positions this year! They told me just how much they are looking forward to meeting and forming connections with new people.
Because Nishmin is an experienced student by now, I asked if she had any advice to offer first-years. Without hesitation, she said: “Attend your classes!” She made the very strong argument that it is the best way to truly engage with people, and to develop the real-world skills you might one day find you need in the professional workplace.

When I spoke with Ramish about what he is most looking forward to, his response was something I’m sure we could all relate to after our first year: he said he is excited to take more classes that are actually relevant to his specific interests, and continue to drive up his GPA. Sound familiar, anyone? In all seriousness, though, there is something to be learned from Ramish’s words - chances are, you will perform best in the classes you are most interested in. Don’t be afraid to take more of those!

Finally, I stopped to chat with a table of 5 brand new international students who had banded together across faculties: Tahsina Amreen and Ashabur Raiyan from Engineering, and Fahim Shahriar Khan, Nehal Bin Murshed and Daniel Murad from the Faculty of Science. It was wonderful to hear Tahsina echo Mariia’s sentiments about the diversity of our country and our campus; she explained the differences she has noticed already between her own culture, which is so structured around the nuclear family, and the community environment on campus, where it’s all about socializing with new people, making friends and learning how to express yourself.
We also discussed some of the university’s clubs and organizations the students were interested in joining - particularly our esports association. What better way to find a school/life balance? I was also really pleased to hear these students talk about how excited they were to actually introduce themselves to their professors when the opportunity arises, and establish connections with people in their departments. So many people hesitate to do this - fair enough, profs can seem intimidating - but they are experts in their field who have deliberately made themselves available to you by being here on campus. Go for it!
International Student BBQ at the Telus Centre

The first three people I approached at this event were International Visiting Students Kokone Hoshino, Ririka Hisano and Risa Saito. They were all looking forward to the opportunity to learn/improve their English in an academic environment - what a brave undertaking! Ririka, who confided that large class sizes often intimidate her (unlike Kokone, who can’t wait for them!), is really looking forward to joining clubs and attending social events like skating drop-ins later in the year. Risa mentioned that campus bars like Deweys and Room at the Top are really fun to visit, and she’s excited to hang out there with her friends throughout the semester.

Last, but certainly not least, were Jayden Lewis and Aaryan Singh. Both of these guys are entering their second year (but first on campus!) of study in Computing Science. Aaryan is really looking forward to taking an Artificial Intelligence class (CMPUT 261) this semester, which sounds crazy cool. He’s “excited to attend large classes and experience the environment inside the halls,” which I assure him is one of the best parts of university. Jayden says he is looking forward to “making friends, absorbing knowledge and making lifelong memories.” As someone approaching the end of their undergraduate degree, I can assure you that he couldn’t be more right about what to anticipate.