While preparing for admissions to a university of your preference in Canada, if you find yourself day dreaming about how your life in Canada, then we have a perfect solution. In this blog, we will talk about some of the unique things about Canada with the intent of giving you a flavor of what would it be like to go and stay in Canada. So, here we begin:
Local Culture
Canada’s culture is a beautiful mix of British, French and American ethnicities. This can be noticed in the languages spoken across the country, variety of cuisines, places of worship and the attire adorned by the local population. While English and French remain the languages that are most common, there are some other languages which also are used very frequently like Spanish, German, Punjabi and Italian. Known for their peaceful nature, Canadians are very particular about polite manners. So, when studying in Canada, you should make sure to use please and thank you more often and observe and learn the mannerisms that are more commonplace.
Local Food
Canada’s local food is heavily influenced by the multicultural history of the country, though as per a lot of native Canadians, the strongest influence is that of British cuisines. As per famous Canadian author and Geographer, Lenore Newman, there are 5 key elements that define Canadian cuisine and they are seasonality, multiculturalism, wild foods, regional dishes and the privilege of ingredients over recipes. Some of the must try dishes are Poutine, Bannock, butter tarts and lobster rolls. In case, you are a vegetarian, you may experiment with dishes like Pasta with beans or sweet potato and curried red lentil pizza.
Breathtaking views
Canada has one of the most beautiful landscapes to explore and relish. If you are a fan of mountains, you might want to travel to the west of Canada that has Canadian Rockies, Mt. Robson and Mt. Logan. If you want to immerse yourself in the beauty of glacier lakes, then you might want to visit Glacier National park of Canada or the Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. You have the Nahanni National Park in Northwest Territories if you want to venture into the wild and in case you are a beach lover, you have the Long beach in Vancouver Island waiting to embrace you. There is something for every taste in Canada.
Weather in Canada
Canada is a huge country spanning across 5 time zones, hence depending upon where you put up, you might experience different types of weather.Canada experiences 4 seasons annually just like India – winter, spring, summer and fall.Overall, Canada is one of the coldest countries in the world with temperatures dropping up to minus 40 degree Celsius during winter. Summers are fairly more pleasant and humid with temperatures ranging from 20 to 27 degrees Celsius. Spring is cooler with temperatures ranging from minus 7 to 19 degrees Celsius. Fall also is very similar to Spring in terms of temperature range. Hence, students going to Canada from India, might take some time to get adjusted to the cool weather of Canada but the natural beauty that wraps up Canada during spring and fall seasons makes it worthwhile.
Etiquette and mannerisms to follow in Canada
Canadians are polite people; hence any gesture that suggests otherwise is not encouraged in Canada. The first one in the list is punctuality. It is deeply embedded in the culture of Canada. Next in this list is spitting anywhere other than the designated place or cleaning one’s nose with anything other than a tissue – they are outright rude and unacceptable. Open body gestures are more common since they suggest a friendly and warm nature. Open body gestures include making eye contact, smiling, open hands etc. If you wish to know the complete list, talk to one of the culture experts today.
Recreational activities to do in Canada
For students who might want a break from their hectic college schedule to go for some recreational activities, Canada offers plethora of choices. If you are a wild life enthusiast, you may opt for a polar bear safari and Tundra Buggy Adventure in Churchill. If you are more of a water person, then there is Canadian canoeing at a variety of places like Toronto and Ontario. Not scared of heights, then you might go for Bungee Jumping as well. This list could not be complete without mentioning the world famous Northern Lights or aurora borealis that lit up the sky during winters and to notice them you might want to go to places like British Columbia, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia.
While this list could go on and on since every country has its own set of uniqueness that helps it stand out in crowd. The more important thing to remember here is that to be able to witness all of this, you would need to be studying in Canada and for that to happen, you would need to get a seat in one of your favorite universities in Canada and an approved study visa. This is the more difficult part since Canada is one of the most preferred destinations for students around the world. You are going to compete with thousands of students (if not more) for that one seat in your preferred university. Getting a successful admission requires immense amount of preparation, clarity of the eligibility criteria, beautiful crafted application forms, well-researched and answered student essays and SOPs and of course marks that state how strong you are academically. With a study abroad consultant, this journey becomes easy since you get to use the experience and expertise of the consultant to prepare at every stage of the selection process. There is less ambiguity and more clarity and hence greater confidence. SO, if you are still in two minds about whether to go for a counselor, talk one of our admission officers to understand the other major benefits of partnering with a Canada study visa consultant. Who knows, this might be a life changing experience for you!