But baby, it's cold outside
International students Hélène Voldaire (France), Maged Fouad Barsom (Egypt) and Delphine Vignhal (France) show off proof of their international credentials at a recent orientation session in the Hall Building.
Photo by andrew dobrowolskyj
In her hometown of Lahore, Pakistan, the average temperature now hovers around 15 degrees Celsius.
“Montreal is very nice, but I’ve just realized that it’s too cold,” said first-year Art History student Mahnum Sohail.
Over the last month, the International Students Office (ISO) conducted orientation sessions to help nearly 400 new international and exchange students adapt to life at Concordia.
A large part of that was how to cope with the unforgiving Montreal winter: No wet hair. Dress in layers. And, if need be: How to treat frostbite.
“We added this section this year because a lot of people seem to get discouraged about the weather,” said Kelly Collins, an advisor at the ISO.
Cross-cultural advisor Pat Hardt says that while the transition to another climate and culture is difficult enough, “Up to 10 per cent of international students will also experience extreme loneliness.”
To help meet new people, she encourages them to become involved in campus life, especially the Concordia International Students Association.
It works closely with the ISO to plan cultural activities, and to ensure students know what resources are available to help them succeed in their studies at Concordia.
Maged Barsom had left Egypt only three days before finding himself in orientation on Jan. 4. “I learned a lot of things I didn’t know about,” he said.
While he had overcome the first major hurdle – finding a place to live – Barsom, who is working toward his PhD in electrical engineering, was on his way to get his health card and a graduate course calendar.
Although Hardt has been giving orientation sessions for more than a decade, she says her job’s never become dull.
“It’s cheap travel,” she said. “International students are a special breed: adventurous, bright and confident … I love to talk to them about their cultures.” She encourages all students to do the same.
During the recent break, 200 international students who spent the holiday season far from home enjoyed a festive dinner at La Cabane Grecque in the Plateau, courtesy of the Concordia International Student Association (CISA) and the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA).