In recent years, the number of students seeking international education has grown in leaps and bounds. Canada has emerged as one of the most popular student destinations for international studies. It is attracting thousands of students each year in the top universities scattered across the country. These universities boast some of the best teaching methodology, quality education standards, immense internship, and job opportunities. Not only that, but Canada is also a safe haven for international students with no significant reports of major crimes and racism-related issues. We are also providing Illustration essay services from highly educated experts.
However, the cost is a factor that bothers many students when they choose Canada as their study destination. Though the cost of living and tuition fees are much lesser than that of the US, one can still not tag Canada as inexpensive. So, if you plan on studying in this country, you must figure out how to save money before moving to Canada.
Here, we tried to show you the best ways you can save money as a student while studying in Canada –
1. Apply for Scholarships
You can always apply for scholarships in Canadian universities as an international student. In addition, there are a lot of non-profit organisations that work towards providing scholarships and grants to international students. The Canadian Government also helps international students get some kind of scholarship if they plan to pursue higher education in Canada.
If you successfully get a scholarship, you can use that to sponsor your education partially or completely. Getting hold of any such scholarship will help you to reduce your education costs significantly. Below is the list of a few scholarship programs for the students trying to study in Canada –
- Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
- CIHR Fellowship
- CIFAR Global Scholars
- IDRC Research Awards
- Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships
There are a lot more scholarship programs, however, these six are some of the most popular ones.
2. Optimise your Cost of Education
There are different factors that impact the total cost of your education in Canada. Living expenses can be considered as a separate entity. However, the cost of education is a major factor that leaves you with room for optimisation. You can save a lot of money if you can minimise your cost of studies.
You can apply for universities with low tuition fees – There are a lot of Canadian Universities that offer graduate or post-graduate programs at affordable rates. Some of the less expensive colleges are
- Canadian Mennonite University
- Brandon University
- University of Guelph
- Universite de Saint-Boniface
The best and most affordable universities providing master’s courses are the
- University of Northern British Columbia
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Simon Fraser University
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Calgary
- Cook your own meals
When you move to a new country, you may need some time to settle in a new environment. You may need to eat out and know your neighbourhood for the first few days. However, once you get settled, try to buy an induction oven and some cookware and make your own food. You may face some difficulties initially. For example, you may not be very good at culinary abilities; you may not get time to cook your meals after your classes or a job.
But, if you can continue following a routine and keep reminding yourself why you need to do it, you will be an expert in cooking up a dinner in a jiffy. Preparing your own meals has two benefits. One, you can save a lot of money. Secondly, eating out daily is not healthy. So, you can skip the excess junk and processed food of a restaurant and lead a healthy lifestyle with home-cooked meals.
4. Shop at second-hand stores
Canada and the US have a lot of thrift stores all across the country. These stores sell only second-hand clothes and appliances. However, you can find a lot of good stuff if you can browse through them on your weekends.
Many students prefer to buy from these dollar stores since they are student-friendly, economical and give exciting deals at dirt-cheap prices.
5. Don’t give in to peer pressure
Peer pressure is a dangerous thing for a student. When a young soul finds new, exciting clothes, gadgets, make-ups, restaurants, and pubs, they are attracted to such things. Additionally, an immigrant is bound to make some local friends. These expensive things are something that they can afford since they are locals.
However, being an immigrant, you need to keep in mind that you cannot give in to peer pressure every time. You need to save money. Perhaps you need to earn as well from some part-time jobs while studying. If you keep splurging on such expensive things, that will upset your budget.
Certainly, you can give in to occasional pleasures, but if it becomes a habit, your struggles will never bear the fruit as you will spend all your savings on clothes or gadgets.
6. Commute on foot
Try to commute across the city on your feet as much as possible. That way you will get to know a lot about the new city. Additionally, you will be able to save a lot of metro and cab fares every day. Not to mention walking every day will make you fitter too.
7. Use student discounts
You can avail yourself of student discounts in many places in Canada. Even if you are not sure, ask the officials if there is any provision. Usually, students get discounts on public transport, sports tickets, and certain fast-food outlets. These coupons and student discounts come in handy for numerous students who try to sustain themselves in Canada.
Summing Up
One of the benefits of studying in a foreign country is exploring and traveling the new places. The real essence of foreign education is developing your personality through the learning experience. You get to experience the melting pot of different cultures, ethnicities, religions, foods under one roof. These experiences are invaluable to every student. Not only do they give the students global exposure but also widen their horizons and way of looking at the world. You need to travel, socialise, network, and work with the locals to soak up all the learnings. All these require money. So, while you are a student, try to save money as much as possible so that you can experience all these things that truly enrich you. Follow the tips mentioned earlier to save money as an international student studying in Canada.
Author Bio:
Michael Haydon worked at a reputed university providing managerial accounting assignment help to students for over a decade. He has recently joined MyAssignmenthelp.com as an assignment writer. He is also an excellent pianist and loves to play his piano outside his professional time.