Top 10 reasons to study in Canada

Why study in Canada ? Top reasons:

 

I came to Canada back in 2004 for my higher studies and have made Canada my home now. My experience could be different from others but I want to share my experience so that it can help others make informed decision.

I had started my masters in computer science in Sweden and then came over to study as a visiting research student at Queen's university.  Queen's university is located in the beautiful city of Kingston, Ontario. I had best days of my life studying at Queens.  Ontario is on the south of Canada and this is where most of the immigrants end up. Toronto is the biggest city and the financial capital of Canada. You can call it the New York of Canada. Probably this is the reason lot of student  prefer universities in Ontario.  Pretty much every province in Canada except slightly for British Columbia get lot of snow but it is not something to worry much.Some of the reasons Canada is good for studies is listed below:

1) It is not as expensive as studying in USA or UK and the standard of education is very high. It probably is twice as expensive to study in those countries compared to Canada.

2) The professors have Phd degrees and are pioneers in their area of research. This is true at least in the top universities. You get to do research activities under them and you get an opportunity to learn a lot from them and also publish papers etc which helps a lot in your future. They give lot of lab activities and you will learn how to apply your knowledge. 

3) You get a lot of international exposure. You can interact with people from diverse background. You will find students from every part of the world. It is also a good place to get used to canadian culture which will later help you if you want to settle down in North America.

4) Lot of the cities and towns where these universities are located are very beautiful and you can do lot of fun stuff. This could be like exploring all the tourist places, night life, winter sports, etc.

5) It is easy to find jobs when you study in the Canadian universities for international students. You can use the career service provided by the universities and lot of companies come to campus to recruit students.

6) International students are eligible for 1 to 3 years of work permits depending on the duration of their studies. This makes it easier to find jobs, get permanent residency and settle down in Canada

7) Canadian universities and education is well respected outside. So most likely your education and international exposure is going to keep you in good stead even after returning back to your home country.

8) Some universities have co-op program which helps get industry exposure while studying in Canada and most likely those companies also tend to hire the co-op students.

9) Health care is free is Canada for permanent residents and citizens. Students get covered for a small amount from provincial health care system.

10) Lot of students who comes for higher studies like Masters and Phd get scholarship from University. It depends on the professor and if he has sufficient funding. In top universities it should be relatively easier to get funding for studies. Also, there are work study programs that allow you to work as you study and cover some of the cost of studying in Canada. 

I did not have scholarship at the beginning but soon my prof started funding my research and I was getting enough to sustain myself. Queen's university provided me all the above and made me a better person, student and prepared me for my future in Canada.

 

The other big universities in Ontario are:

1) University of Waterloo (Waterloo)

2) University of Toronto  (toronto)

3) McMacters University (Hamilton, close to toronto)

4) Ryerson University (Toronto)

5) York University (Toronto)

6) University of western Ontario (London)

7) University of Oshawa

University of Toronto is the biggest and the top one with many locations in Toronto. University of Waterloo and Queens University along with University of Western Ontario are among the top universities in Ontario as well in Canada.

The other popular provinces to study are British columbia, alberta, quebec, etc.Vancouver is located in british columbia and might be suited for people who do not want to deal with snow and cold in canada. Some of the other universities outside quebec that I can think of are below:

1) McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) - One of the top university in Canada

2) Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec)

3) University of Alberta (Alberta)

4) University of British Columbia (BC)

5) Dalhousie university (Halifax )