Studying abroad takes students from somewhere familiar to somewhere new. So, when you choose where to study abroad, it’s important to understand:
- What your classes will be like
- The career paths your program will prepare you for
- The opportunities on campus you might not find anywhere else
Here, we’ll look at six reasons why Ontario’s Georgian College is a great option for international students.
To help balance your budget, check out these scholarships for international students in Ontario.
Image Courtesy of Georgian College
Love Where You Live
Georgian College’s main campus and its Design and Digital Arts Centre are located in Barrie, Ontario. Barrie is a growing mid-sized community where students can enjoy a little bit of everything.
Located about 90 kilometers north of Toronto, the big city is easily accessible for weekend getaways or even a special concert or sporting event. Plus, thanks to being linked to the Greater Toronto Area’s public transportation, GO Transit, you don’t need a car to get there. But compared to Toronto, living in Barrie is less expensive. Many students love the smaller-town feel, where you can still see stars at night and enjoy a quieter community.
Barrie is set on the shores of Lake Simcoe, so you can enjoy everything from a lakeside run to kayaking, skating, swimming, and more. The city’s economy is diverse; its pillars include education, IT, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, and health care. This means there are lots of different local opportunities for co-op terms.
Georgian’s other five campuses are in mid-sized communities throughout southwestern Ontario. The towns of Collingwood, Orangeville, Owen Sound, Orillia, and Midland are all safe and welcoming places to study, each with its own charming personality.
Canadian winters can take time to adjust to. But visiting one of these winter wonderlands in Ontario might help you love it a little faster!
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Unique Student Housing Opportunities
Finding safe, affordable student housing can be one of the more challenging parts of student life. This can be especially true for international students, who might not be able to check out their new home in person before moving in.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for finding a place, but there’s a new option available to Georgian College students. Thanks to a partnership between Georgian College and the technology platform SpacesShared, students at Georgian’s Barrie campus can rent a room and share a space with older adults in the Barrie area.
It’s a win-win arrangement: seniors are able to rent unused rooms and earn a bit of extra income, and students are matched with compatible hosts via the SpacesShared algorithm. This means you’ll be paying an affordable monthly rent in exchange for helping out with house chores or yard work. Seniors and students can be vulnerable to social isolation, so this partnership can also help you both to bridge generation gaps and maybe even make a new friend.
Here are some key things to remember when looking for student housing.
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Intuitive Student Services
In February 2023, Georgian launched the MyGCLife student portal, an online one-stop-shop for campus resources. Type in a question and get links to articles related to your question, or submit a ticket to get a personalized answer from a staff member.
Having this portal means you won’t have to search online or visit different offices to find an answer. With access to articles, ticketed questions, or live text chat, you can choose the communication style that suits you. Tickets are tracked, so if you’re looking for a direct response, you can see where your ticket is in the process. Just need a quick answer? Self-serve features are accessible anytime, which means no waiting for office hours. To see the portal in action, watch the MyGCLife video walkthrough.
Or, are you looking for in-depth support with international student services, academic success, insurance, or immigration advice? Connect with the Georgian staff team on Navigate. This free app can help you make appointments with student services teams, remind you of important dates and deadlines, and host your to-do list. Not every college offers easy digital access to student services, so it’s a great touch—and especially important for international students.
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Access to International Student Ambassadors
The Georgian College team wants to ensure that the services they offer are what their students need and want. And, with students from over 85 countries studying at Georgian College, it’s a truly international setting. That’s where the International Student Ambassador Program comes in.
This group of students will welcome you, share their lived experience, and work with staff to set up events and programming students are interested in. They can also answer your questions about mental wellness programs and student insurance. Connect with them online, or reach out to the International Centre on Instagram at @icgeorgian!
Wondering how to get student health and travel insurance in Canada? Check out our blog.
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See (More of) the World with Georgian
International co-op and exchange opportunities aren’t just for domestic students at Georgian! The college sees the importance of helping all their students become global citizens. So, short- and long-term global opportunities are available to international and local students alike. You can learn practical skills and gain experience in a new city, province, or even country.
With an international co-op experience, you’ll earn academic credits and related work experience. Remember, if you pursue an international co-op, it must be approved by your co-op consultant first.
Equally, if you want to stay closer to campus for your program’s work term, Georgian has a list of co-op companies who have been reviewed and validated as safe places to work.
Co-ops, internships, and placements can supercharge your experience as an international student. Read our blog to learn which type of work-integrated learning opportunity suits your needs.
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A College of Changemakers
Since 2017, Georgian College has been recognized by Ashoka U as a “Changemaker College.” This is the leading designation for social innovation in higher education. It celebrates the college’s innovative and collaborative spirit. In fact, Georgian College is the first Canadian college to receive this designation.
As Georgian College’s then-President and CEO, MaryLynn West-Moines, noted in the 2017 partnership announcement:
This prestigious designation recognizes the leadership of our students and staff across all of our seven campuses who understand that making social change is vital to our way of life. Some examples of how we have begun our journey include assisting community non-profit organizations in the creation of social enterprises, travelling all around the world to help others such as frequent trips to the Caribbean to provide health care, inventing new apps for policing or food production, and so much more.
Once you’re at Georgian, the ways you can become a changemaker are virtually endless.
Here are some ideas:
- Work with industry partners to solve technical challenges
- Partner with local charitable organizations to address community issues
- Step up as a student government representative
- Study one of Georgian’s designated changemaking classes, from The Social Impact of Technology to Ecological Citizenship
- Seek mini-grant funding for your own changemaking project
From social change opportunities to one-of-a-kind housemates, and co-op programs both in Canada and abroad, there are tons of reasons for international students to choose Georgian College. Its future-facing programs and interactive classes will prepare you for careers in tomorrow’s top fields, and its staff, faculty, and fellow students will help you feel at home in your new community.
Ready to start your study abroad journey? Check out current programs at Georgian College on the ApplyBoard Platform.
