By SARAH SHAW
Studying abroad doesn’t always mean checking out a woman.
The 18th annual Study and Go Abroad Fair was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Oct. 1 and 2. The fair informed and helped students who are considering working and studying overseas.
The weekend-long event, which is the largest international university fair in Canada, encouraged students to broaden their horizons and included numerous seminars on the career value of studying abroad, scholarship and award opportunities and in-depth information on specific countries and the programs they offer.
Prospective students also had the opportunity to visit many of the individual booths.
“Students who are even considering studying abroad, had an opportunity to meet directly with university representatives from all over the world to find out more about program choices, fees, scholarships available and admission requirements,” said Katie Idle, director of sales and marketing for Recruit in Canada Fairs.
The Toronto fair offers information on college and university programs in Australia, England, Switzerland, Italy, Fiji, Ireland and many more.
“This was really a unique opportunity,” said Idle.
Also attending the event was author of The BIG Guide to Living and Working Overseas, Jean-Marc Hachey. The “guru for international travel” kicked off the day with a seminar at noon filled with global career skills designed to kick start prospective students’ international career and motivate them to travel abroad.
Chantel Duncan, a third-year applied science student at Queens University, jumped at the chance of travelling abroad for a work opportunity before she started university and would encourage anyone to do it.
“I went to Lübeck, Germany for three and a half months to be an au pair, which gave me an opportunity to experience the culture and language of Germany while staying with a host family and helping to care for their children,” Duncan said. “It was an experience that has allowed me to become more adventurous and independent, and to meet a lot of great new people!”
While most students may feel weary of the price that comes along with the decision to study abroad, Idle disagrees and insists there is a large number of possibilities to help fund your trip.
“Many students think that it’s too expensive to study overseas, but it really doesn’t have to be the case,” she said. “Many universities have very reasonable fees, and there are a lot of scholarships available for Canadians.”
Studying abroad wasn’t the only focus of the fair; anyone interested in volunteering, work programs and adventure travel also found something to aid and help inform them in making a decision about venturing somewhere new.
People who attended the fair were able to find out about volunteering options, working abroad, learning a language overseas and taking internships. “Really, there’s something for everyone,” Idle said.
The free event also took place in Ottawa and will move on to Vancouver and Calgary throughout October.
If you were unable to attend the Study and Go Abroad Fair and would like more information, there are numerous tips and resources available on their website at www.studyandgoabroad.com.
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