-Yuri Brandão – CAPES funded student with the Canada-Brazil Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science without borders) Scholarship Program
Living in Canada and studying at Brock University was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had for several reasons. First of all, this is a country where you can feel like you’re home even when you’re not. Looking back, when it was the time for me to make the choice as to where I was going to apply through the Science without Borders program, I felt like I could not find any place to live abroad that would lessen the “missing-my-home-country” feeling. In the end I picked Canada and I don’t regret it at all! Here are the reasons why:
- Excellent English training: The ESL teaching I received while studying at Brock University, was frankly great and definitely helped me to improve my English skills. My English improved so much that I was able to take academic courses in just a very short period of time. You really start to feel at home when you can communicate and express yourself the way you want to.
- Class structure: I have to confess that the way academic courses are taught is quite different from my Brazilian home university. I feel like the Canadian ones prioritize the student’s home-studying time, whereas mine in Brazil doesn’t. Additionally, my schedule while I was in Canada provided me with enough free time to also take care of myself.
- Feeling safe: What a benefit to be able to go anywhere by taking public transportation, being outside and not fearing any threats. That’s exactly how I felt while I was there. The country has many outdoor beauties and anyone is able to visit them with ease. For instance, the Niagara Falls are just awesome! I visited them a couple of times and wish I could still do so nowadays. This sense of security did impact my life positively because when the world around you is fine, so are you.
- Learning new skills: For my internship, I completed a medical observership at Sick Kids Hospital where I could see first-hand how the Canadian public health system works. Most of all, it was just incredible to have learned so much about Paediatric Neurosurgery in a short period of time. Such things were possible because the doctors are always available to help you when needed. Also, as a Brazilian medical student, I was impressed by how organized the hospital was. This was a very exciting experience for me.
I recommend Canada for any foreign student who wants to live safely and take advantage of a country that has a high level of education. I had so much fun studying abroad in Canada. Hope I can go back there someday and that you can visit Canada too!
Here are some photos of my time studying at Brock University:
