How to find friends and support as an international student 

No matter what your interests are, there’s more than one person with those same interests on campus. Writing? School newspaper. Low-pressure sports? Intramural dodgeball. If your college or university hasn’t already had a Club Day (it’s normally during or shortly after orientation week), keep a look out. If Club Day has already passed, look for a list of clubs on your school or student union’s website. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and pursue your passions outside the classroom.

If you’re an extrovert and you’re reading this, you’ve probably already taken the plunge and attended a bunch of orientation week events. But even if you’re an introvert, take it from us: it’s worth going out to at least one mixer. You’ll probably find someone you want to talk to, and even if you don’t make any new friends, you can usually score some free snacks or drinks out of it.

Canadians pride ourselves on our diversity, and that’s largely true. Nearly 450,000 international students come here every year, from all over the world. So if you’re feeling homesick, don’t worry: you’re probably not far from people from your home country.

You might have already found them on campus, but if not, look for an international students’ association. They’ll often organize social events and be able to provide you with some tips on getting settled in Canada and where to find some comforts of home, whether that’s snacks or something as simple as the laundry detergent your parents use.

Feeling homesick is hard, and it comes at an already difficult time, when you’re juggling your studies with life in a new country. Most colleges and universities have counsellors on staff to help, but here are some other resources for each province:

• British Columbia

• Alberta

• Saskatchewan

• Manitoba

• Ontario

• Quebec

• New Brunswick

• Nova Scotia

• Prince Edward Island

• Newfoundland & Labrador

• Yukon

• Northwest Territories

• Nunavut