Over the years, many of our talented and successful students have managed to go abroad, study, and finally settle down. Some are in the process of doing so. It is our good fortune that they still remember Samit’s English Academy. As they live their dream every waking moment, I pray that it never comes to an abrupt end. That they continue to confidently forge ahead in life, tasting success in their chosen country. Just like they did back home some time ago.
This is their story. In their own words.
Atyender Pal Singh
I have been dreaming about coming to Canada for years, but I have been here for a month now and it still doesn’t feel real. I have never been away from my family before, but I am slowly adjusting. When I first got off the plane in Toronto, it hit me how far I really was from home. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m always excited about new adventures.
College is the best part. The campus is huge, the classrooms are so advanced, and the teachers are extremely helpful. The education system is very different, focusing more on practical knowledge and hands-on practice, which is great. I’ve already learnt so much and it’s only been 3 weeks.
The life of an international student is hard, having to work, study, and cook. All on your own. But the friends made, the knowledge gained, and the experience learned, are all worth it.
Bilal Aziz
Making a move to Canada from India is a life changing experience. The journey to migrate as a student and then to settle down takes about 4-5 years or longer. However, immigrating as a PR holder directly puts you in the job market and you are able to settle down faster.
Currently the Toronto Gta area is experiencing high inflation and housing shortages, making rental extremely expensive and Inaccessible. Talking about the job market, there are opportunities still mushrooming in the IT sector, however traditional pathways like finance, accounting, banking, marketing, HR and general management have high competition.
My suggestion for students choosing to move to Canada would be to choose cities like Calgary, Edmonton in Alberta and Halifax in Nova Scotia. The cost of living and housing over all is much better in these cities with low tax rates. I think starting a life and building a career in these cities would be a smarter choice.
Kunwarpal Singh Bakshi
The first three months will be the most crucial for students as we need to adjust to a new country, find a new house to stay in, get a part-time job that might not be of your previous background or choice, and get acclimated to the new school and study formalities. APA citation will be new to everyone. You will get used to it quickly, and there is no need to panic
Planning for success will be your key. Think long term and not short term. The Canadian government allows students to work for 20 hours a week. The rest of your time must be spent on studies and planning your semester deliverables. You will find ways to manage work and school, be it college or university. But, no one will do your job. Either inside or outside the office. Better learn how to manage time, to meet deadlines, and to work long hours along with your school activities.
One piece of advice, try to connect with your professor during or after class hours to get your thoughts and queries cleared. Block their calendars and schedule meetings with them. Speak in your class, and make sure it is relevant and not off-topic. Professor wants to see your confidence, and they will correct you if you are wrong. They foster you to be active and engaging. This way, your professors will never forget you from the entire class strength, and your grades will be given accordingly.
Know that time will seem to fly here. Every minute counts in Canada. So, you should leave your comfort zone and make your path to reach your goal. All the best!
Priyanka Yadav
Hi. I was a PTE aspirant one month back. I needed 65+ in each section and 65 in total. I wanted to make it my first and last attempt. For that, I practised regularly from a variety of sources. A little of everything. Every day.
Speaking: Trust your fluency and pronunciation and please don’t go with the keywords. We have this tendency to watch a lot of videos on YouTube, and they tell you to speak only keywords. Don’t do that. Try to speak full sentences, which make grammatical sense. Don’t stammer or stop, and you will get a full score.
Reading: Practice a lot of questions and focus on understanding the meaning of the sentence.
Writing: For the essay, after attending the classes, I read around 8-10 essays online. Only to find out how to organise my thoughts. I practised Summarize Written Text extensively from various online sources and the study material that was provided to me. And I wrote PTE Academic essays on alternate days.
Listening: In Summarize Spoken Text, I tried to make sentences while using keywords. Practice listening to different accents, because an unfamiliar way of pronouncing can confuse you.
I practised questions from Language Academy and Apeuni. And took mock tests from Apeuni, Ptenote and Pearson official mock tests. I practised around 2500 questions and 15 mock tests before my final test.
Shashwat Sengupta
I prepared for IELTS mostly by following along all the tests and assignments that were provided in Samit sir’s classes. Since I had a full-time job, the evening classes followed up by doing some assignments every other day is how I prepared for the test.
Consistently doing a few exercises and then getting feedback from the trainer. That was the way for me. A little but every day. That was my strategy.
And, to my delight, it was really effective.
Vaneet Singh
In the reading section, I practised reading a wide range of texts from Cambridge Official Guide and the material provided by Samit sir. I also practised skimming and scanning techniques to improve my speed and accuracy as well the technique of elimination method taught by sir.
You should consistently practise, taking your IELTS Reading tests starting from the easy level, and then moving on to the more difficult ones. Remember to follow the schedule given by sir, and also give your daily report to sir by messaging it or discussing it in the class.
For the Writing section, I had focused on improving my grammar and vocabulary by using the content generation technique that was taught in the writing classes. Additionally, I practised writing essays under timed conditions to simulate the exam environment.
For the Listening section, I practised regularly with online resources, such as audio recordings and videos. One of the best ways to improve is to listen to BBC news as well as regularly checking out the sites provided by sir. Never get distracted and lose your attention and focus in the Listening module. Read the question first and then follow each line while listening to the recording.
For the Speaking section, I practised expressing my opinions and ideas fluently and coherently, and also worked on my pronunciation and intonation. Don’t use a fake accent, and be calm. Avoid repetition as much as possible. Don’t use fancy words. Speak simply, naturally, and to the point.
Arpit Verma
In September 2021, I planned to go to a foreign country to study in a prestigious university or college and get an international exposure. I started my journey by joining the IELTS classes of Samit sir at his academy.
In December 2022 I landed in Toronto to pursue my post graduation studies. Actually, things I expected were not the same here. Initially there was a lot of struggle, ups and downs, stress of getting a decent-paying job and many more things. It has been 6 months now. And there’s been a lot of hard work: finding a job, managing all the domestic things here, as well as completing my first semester. Tiring, but great fun!
There are things I love about this place. You get to learn how to be independent. You start making money with your hard work. Abundant career opportunities. A great lifestyle.
Don’t come with unrealistic expectations. Everything won’t happen in a jiffy. It takes time and hard work to settle down here. Avoid coming to Toronto area – Mississauga, Brampton, North York – and other cities near Toronto. Everything is very expensive there compared to other developed cities of Canada. Also, these areas are overpopulated as well, which causes shortage of jobs and accommodation. Consider Calgary, Edmonton or any city other than Vancouver and the Toronto area.
Navneet Sandal
Talking about my life and study experience here in Canada, it’s been 9 months now and my life has changed completely. I feel more confident, self- reliant. I enrolled myself in Niagara College. Life here is a bit hard, though astonishing!
Even in India, I have been working since 2019. I already hold an MBA degree with specialisations in Finance & HR. But after coming here, I feel self-sufficient and secure to a much greater degree. You feel proud of yourself that you are managing everything all by yourself.
Needless to say, as an international student, my study experience has been satisfying, and quite pleasant . Niagara College has been supportive towards international students .
Rishabh Allawadhi
Choose a course and college in a cold province like Winnipeg or Nova Scotia if PR (Permanent Residency) is your final aim. Because, nowadays it is hard to get PR in Ontario and BC (British Columbia) because the CEC (Canadian experience class) cutoff is quite high. So, it’s obvious that in the future it will go up even more.
Gone are those days when students took courses at colleges located in Ontario and BC, and then after completion of the course they moved to these cold provinces. Nowadays, these provinces will only accept the PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) of those students who have taken a course from a college in their province.
Initially, the students will not get the jobs in their respective field. Many factors come into play, like opportunities in the specific region, how well you network with your seniors and peers, references, and so on. A good reference, indeed, plays a big role in getting a job.
In Canada, commuting is a common problem. So, be prepared to get a driving licence here. Come along with your DL (Driving Licence) abstract, so that you can save your time in making your driver’s licence.