Kevin Nguyen is a current third year Western student studying mechanical engineering. All the way from Vietnam, he has come to Canada to study. He loves to travel and is a very social person. 

Dean Holbrough is a Canadian musician who took his studies abroad to the UK. Listening to Dean's story introduced me to a whole new perspective on what it is like to study in a different country. Studying abroad opens your eyes to a variety of new cultures and experiences, but also imposes many challenges as well. In the future, Dean plans on pursuing a career in the music industry.

Caroline Johnson is a PhD student at Western University in the Clinical Medical program, She has her Master's degree in nursing, and is from Nigeria.

Grace Villena, a certified Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician, is currently studying General Arts and Science as one of the requirements to gain admission to a Collaborative Nursing program. It is an accredited four-year degree between Fanshawe College and Western University, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BScN). 

There's no experience quite like studying abroad. It can literally be life changing, setting you on a different career path entirely or introducing you to friends who will be significant to you for the rest of your life. Living and going to school in a different country and culture is so different from going there as a tourist, and what you learn in the semester or year that you spend abroad will inform the rest of your life. However, there are things you can do to improve this experience, starting with the tips below.

This article is based on the experiences of an international student from Saudi Arabia, Lama Ba Saad. I chose to share her story because I discovered many interesting and unique things about her country, and learnt from her how she overcame her challenges in Canada.

Lama Ba Saad is a student at Fanshawe College. She dreams to be a nurse in future and loves drawing.

Ayden Berkey is a 2020 college graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she double majored in Marketing and Human Resource Management. Since graduation, she has co-founded a free scholarship search engine and college resource platform called Access Scholarships. Find her on Instagram and TikTok - her username is @accessscholarships ! 

David Wienir is the author of Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District, released in May 2018 with De Wallen Press in paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats. David is a business affairs executive at United Talent Agency and entertainment law instructor at UCLA Extension. Before UTA, he practiced law at two of the top entertainment law firms where he represented clients such as Steven Spielberg and Madonna.