Eric LillowThe following is part of a series detailing the experiences of international students at the University of Alberta. Given that these students face separation from family, paying more than $20,000 in tuition per year, and uncertainty when it comes to rising tuition costs, we are sitting down with some of these individuals to talk about their experiences at the university.
After missing Orientation, Yi Heng Low spent his first day on campus being completely lost between buildings. Now in his fourth year, Low feels his experience at the University of Alberta has made him more adventurous.
Low moved in 2013 to his uncle’s house in Edmonton to study civil engineering at the U of A. He had delayed his departure date from Kuala Lumpur, his home and Malaysia’s capital and political and commercial centre, to spend more time with friends and family.
“For most Malaysian students, they’d choose to go to Australia or the United Kingdom simply because it’s closer to home,” he said. “I thought of going to the United States as well, but I came to Canada because my uncle is here.”
He ended up missing orientation and arrived in time for the first day of class — and, along with another student, ended up getting lost on the way from the engineering buildings to Tory.
Things have changed for Low since then as he’s learned to make connections in the community. Low says there aren’t a lot of Malaysian students at the U of A, which was an early challenge for him. This forced him to “mix around with Canadians,” which ended up working out okay. He also remains good friends with the fellow engineering student who was lost with him on that first day. Since his friend lived in Lister, Low often visited there and made more friends on campus.
As for finances, Low’s parents are paying for his tuition. He couldn’t cover his tuition on his own.
“I live with my uncle, so it’s not the worst-case scenario, but I know a lot of friends who work because they have to cover (their student loans),” he said.
Low also had to adjust to Canadian weather, as he was used to the hot and humid weather back home.
“My first winter was a big shock,” he said. “But it’s a different experience, and I’m always open to new and different experiences.”
As an international student, Low’s student visa only lets him work 20 hours a week. His income goes towards paying for other expenses, such as his travels to other countries during the summer, which is how he intends to celebrate his graduation this year.
Aside from work and his six-course workload, Low likes to keep himself busy by getting involved with International Week, the campus Malaysian club, and intramural futsal.
With this the U of A’s three per cent raise to international student tuition for the 2017-18 academic year, Low feels disappointed about the U of A’s decisions. While he understands that the university has comparatively lower tuition compared to other Canadian institutions, he worried about how this might affect international students who are in a weaker financial standing than he is, and how it might interfere with their plans on finishing their degree.
Read more about international tuition: International undergraduates to pay three per cent higher tuition in 2017-18
As for his plans for the future, Low wants to complete his undergraduate degree, and gain experience in the field. While he wanted to study renewable technologies in civil engineering, he said the U of A doesn’t have a lot of courses in this area. However, his professors have told him that it’s something he could pursue with post-graduate studies.
“Eventually I might do a Master’s in Business Administration further down the road, who knows,” he said. “There are endless possibilities right?”
Read the previous installment in Lives of International Students: Lives of International Students: Megnath Ramesh — India
