CAMPUS SERVUS

Email Etiquette for Students

moderator — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:34:33 +0000

In a world where a growing amount of communication is online, we felt it would be beneficial to write a post about email etiquette. Here are a few things to keep in mind when emailing admission officers, university and college administrators, education consultants and prospective employers.

1) Emoticon Etiquette

Don’t assume the person reading your email will understand emoticons. If you receive a response with emoticons in the body of the email then it is appropriate to use them, otherwise avoid them.

2) Shorthand

When writing an email to someone whom you have never met, avoid the use of shorthand. Writing an email with “ur” and “thx” is not going to make someone feel more connected to you.

3) Properly Address Your Email

We see a lot of students who compose emails with no address line. When emailing someone you have never met it is always nice to say “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern” or better yet, take the time to find the name of the person who you would like to connect with.

4) Properly Sign Off

Equally important to addressing an email properly is finishing an email properly. Writing an email that says “get back to me ASAP” or “Please reply” is not the way to warm the recipient’s heart. “Thank you for your time,” “I look forward to hearing from you,” and “Thank you for your consideration” are far more appropriate.

5) Your Email Address

When you decide to apply to post-secondary institutions or start to look for work it is important to be professional and to present yourself in a mature manner. Its time to get rid of your email address that you use with your friends. Opt for a (firstname.lastname@) or (initial.lastname@) for your professional correspondence. Its hard to take someone seriously that has an email address associated with their nickname or favourite food.

Work It

moderator — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:56:55 +0000

This morning we woke up to a fantastic article a story about the bigger things ahead after graduation. I remember being 21 and constantly wondering why I was pursuing post-secondary education. What were the merits? Would I get a job? Would the job be better than one I would get with just my high school education?

Its always been our opinion that we need to make a bigger step towards integrating students into the workforce. Co-op education is a great way for students to test the waters in their desired field, the problem is that most universities don’t offer such programs.

Many international students don’t realize they can work up to 20 hours a week off-campus while they are enrolled full-time in a Canadian institution. The Canadian government want international students to take advantage of this fabulous opportunity. There’s more to studying abroad then getting to know the people in your residence and the decor in the library. Networking and life skills are valuable when looking for your first full-time post-graduation job. If you think you might want to work in a service related field as an accountant or lawyer why not try to find a job at a call-center using your native mother tongue. It might not be obvious now, but listening is an important life skill. Its never too early to start thinking about your resume, building on your experiences and gaining more expertise and skills!

Loans and Financial Aid for International Students

moderator — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:57:53 +0000

Funding for higher education is a major concern for most students regardless of their origin. Domestic students in Canada have access to federal and provincial loan programs as well as loans and lines of credit through major national banks. International students do not have access to these programs.

Australia is looking at offering Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) style programs to international students. This article we read in The Australian outlines how Australia is looking to maintain competitiveness in the high-education market by exploring the possibility of offering these programs. Undoubtedly the ability to finance one’s university or college education is a key consideration in the decision to study domestically, abroad or at all. Few would make an argument that higher education isn’t worth the investment which leaves the key question, how do we assist those that can’t afford higher-education?

The ability to measure repayment is a key concern for governments and would be for domestic taxpayers. How do you measure repayment when a student goes back to their home country? How do you gage whether a student legitimately qualifies for a loan if tested on a needs-based model?

Is Canada ready to answer these tough questions to remain competitive as well? A little to think about on an overcast day in January…

Study Abroad Opportunities for Canadians

moderator — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:37:08 +0000

Its probably obvious at this point that all of us at Campus Servus are passionate about promoting Canadian education. Its always been our belief that Canadian universities and colleges should seek ways to attract top talent from around the world. International students bring a talented pool of labour to our economy and help students gain cross-cultural experience. But does Canada do enough to promote study abroad exchange programs?

We love this article we just read in the China Daily. While Chinese students have often come to Canada and other western countries to study, wouldn’t it be a fabulous opportunity for Canadians to go on exchange in cities throughout China? If only we were still studying…

Navigating Canada’s Education System

admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:37:32 +0000

Education in Canada is a responsibility managed by each provincial government.

We loved this image created by the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (seen to the left) because it explains how provincial education systems differ from one another within Canada. While all provinces have fabulous college and university opportunities available to international students, this image may better explain the duration of studies and the intake ages of students at each level.

This link is another good resource we found that explains the differences and similarities at the provincial level. One important thing to note is that most Bachelor’s Degrees in Canada are now only offered through universities after 4 years of study. Most universities have a prerequisite that students complete a 4 year Bachelor’s Degrees before studying at the Masters level.