How Canada helps international students relocate

In Tunji’s experience, Canada does a great job of helping international students immigrate and settle into their new lives. He explains, “One of the great things Canada as a country has done is to help immigrants like myself settle into the country nicely.” (04:26)

Tt the end of 2020, there were 530,540 international students in Canada. Not only does Canada extend a warm welcome to these students and offer them an exciting place to live, but it also offers them lots of support. This includes international scholarship opportunities for non-Canadians and information on how students can stay in Canada after graduation.

Tunji was also grateful to the Schulich School of Business for the additional support they offered him. 

For example, if you need help figuring out how you’re going to finance your MBA, Tunji says, “Schulich has a solid financial aid team, which you can get in touch with from time to time, analyze what your challenges are, and you can actually have a sit down with them to discuss the best ways [to resolve] a lot of those challenges.” (04:56)

All in all, Tunji’s pleased that he chose to complete his MBA at the Schulich School of Business because of its solid support team and classic Canadian hospitality.

Differences Tunji noticed while studying abroad in Canada

Tunji admits that life in Canada is extremely different compared to Nigeria. He explains that “living in Nigeria, in Lagos in particular, is [tough and challenging].” (06:33) When he first moved to Canada, he realized that his day-to-day life would be very different.

While studying abroad in Canada, he really noticed how developed the country’s economy was. He realized that “the government [was] deliberately investing a lot in infrastructure spending,” (08:01) for example. This even remained consistent during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to stimulate the economy.

One of the reasons this really stood out to Tunji was because he feels that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa like Nigeria need to invest a lot more in their infrastructure.

Even though living in Canada has many advantages, Tunji jokes that he really misses Nigerian weather. He says, “Lagos is tropical, Nigeria is tropical. It’s sunny all year round pretty much, and it’s just totally different in Canada.” (07:31)

The Schulich School of Business’ two-year MBA program structure

Tunji is enrolled in the Schulich School of Business’s full-time, two-year MBA program. It is delivered over four semesters, two from September to December and another two between January and April. Students also have the option to do internships during the summer months. 

The Schulich School of Business full-time MBA program also gives students the opportunity to participate in an international exchange program. Tunji decided to sign up and “will be doing [his] international exchange in Spain in the fall of this year.” (03:06)

In Tunji’s opinion, the biggest advantage to doing a two-year MBA program is the internship. Internships give students the chance to put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice in a real-world setting. They’re also a fantastic way to network and even land employment opportunities after graduation. 

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If you would like to get in contact with Tunji Hamzat to ask him additional questions about his MBA experience, then get in touch with him via his ambassador page.