This blog is an archived post written by Eva during her 4^th year in the Urban and Regional Environments stream.

 

 

 

My name is Eva and I am currently a fourth year student at the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University. I am an international student from Ljubljana, Slovenia. I lived in Turkey, Slovenia, Sweden, Mauritius, Costa Rica, and Argentina. I have always been interested in the urban environment and sustainability. I wanted to study abroad to gain an international perspective and get out of my comfort zone.

There are many reasons why I chose to attend York University:

1. VARIETY OF COURSES. I was particularly excited about the variety of courses that it offered, such as ecology, urban sustainability, and renewable energy. I wanted to explore my wide range of interests and discover my passion. The Student Success Coordinator, Ann Tsirgielis, was able to assist me in choosing courses.
2. MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT The faculty is diverse, as there are professors from different countries such as Sweden, Germany, and Chile. I was impressed by the multicultural environment, where I would get a chance to meet new people and learn about different cultures.
3. INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS ABROAD I was fascinated by the leadership and international opportunities that York University offers, such as summer internships abroad. I successfully completed two internships: Community Intern at Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation, and Ecological Welfare Intern at Middlesex University, Mauritius.
4. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS At York University, there are more than 400 student organizations. I wanted to join Bachelor of Environmental Student Association (BESSA) to meet people in my major. They organize events, such as guest speakers, coffee houses, and movie nights. This provides a relaxing environment for making new friends. I also wanted to make connections with upper year students and get advice on my courses.
5. SAFE CAMPUS I made sure that York University is a safe campus by checking of the variety of safety initiatives on campus, such as goSAFE. There is also a YorkU Safety app, so students can receive daily updates on safety initiatives.
6. STUDENT RESOURCES The Career Centre offers career exploration and job search workshops. They also provide mock interviews for practice.  Environmental Studies also offers its own career support. The Writing Centre provides workshops on citations, writing essays, and tips for effective writing. They also have writing tutors.

I was able to get valuable education and knowledge in environmental studies. I got different perspectives from the diverse faculty. I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge in international summer aboard internships.  I was able to make friends through social events offered by Bachelor of Environmental Studies Student Association. I felt safe on campus due to the safety resources. I was able to successfully complete my courses and get the necessary help form the Writing Centre. I was also able to learn about career opportunities and effective job search strategies by attending workshops by the Career Centre. Overall, my experience was positive and I would recommend York University to international students.