Brock World

To celebrate the diversity of international students at Brock, the university hosts an annual event called the Celebration of Nations. In this event international students representing their country of origin set up a display table consisting of a display board, food and artifacts from the host nation.

This year I had the privilege to host my native country, Bangladesh. We put on our national clothing, played a video and served some traditional sweets. It was wonderful to explain to others my identity and interesting to learn about other countries, cultures and students at Brock.

The highlight of the event was the cultural show from various nations. The show really represented the richness of other cultures and we celebrated our student body’s diversity without having to travel beyond our campus in St. Catharines, Ontario.

What is your name and what are you studying at Brock?

My name is Liye and I am currently in my third year of Visual Arts program.

Where are you from?

I am from China, but Brock has become my home. I consider St. Catharines my hometown in Canada.

What do you do for fun?

Besides taking classes, I experience tons of fun on and off campus. I’m the vice president of Chinese Students& Scholars Association here at Brock (BUCSSA) and the creator of the Brock Mandarin Corner. So if you are interested in Chinese culture and meeting more Chinese students just come out and join us. Every year, we have a variety of events, such as Chinese New Year Show, Karaoke Contest, Sports Night, and so on.

Being a member of the team, I gained lots of experience beyond the books. The gym is one of my favorite places on campus; I usually go play badminton with friends. If you are a big fan of badminton, I’ll see you in the badminton court!

What is your name and where are you from?
I’m Ayman Alagili from Saudi Arabia.

What is your area of study?
ESL, Conditional Acceptance into Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Why did you choose to come to Brock?
I knew that I would spend 5 years away studying from home so I did a lot of research. I have a lot of friends studying in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and other countries and after asking them about their universities I choose Brock University because of several reasons:

Canadian people are friendly.
When I came to Canada I expected people to be polite and friendly, but I found them more than that. Canadians are awesome and I love Canada because I’m outgoing and almost all Canadian are like me. They make me feel like I’m home.

I love that people here respect you as who you are and they always smile for you and greet you every time. Whatever your hobby is you will find friends that like what you like and you will find new places to enjoy. Like me, for example, I love playing soccer, swimming and running.

Brock University allows you to be whatever you want to be by their available majors.
I had my associate degree of science in Information Technology System Support back home and I came to Canada to continue my education in computer science. I chose my major because it is very challenging all the time. Moreover, this field is always developing and changing which reduces the chances for ‘boring routines’ to develop in my future career.

You not only gain a degree, but you also gain wisdom and perspective.
Brock is not just place to take lectures, but also a place to open your brain widely.
Brock University provides me with the means to reach my dreams.

I can’t explain how much I enjoy learning at this university. All my teachers treat me as their friend whom they care about and want to be successful. They teach by their hearts and they do their job perfectly. In Brock my English skills developed so fast and not just that I learn about different subjects while I’m learning English.

I’ve had a great experience so far and will write about my experiences to come at Brock University.

What is your name and area of study?

Wasi Khan, Bachelor of Business Administration

Where are you from originally?

Bangladesh.

What has defined your Brock experience?

My Friends.

Looking back at the years I have spent at Brock – one thing which truly stands out is the number of friends I have made. I was lucky, in a sense, to have six of my high school friends join me at Brock. My friends really helped me assimilate to a new environment. We stuck to each other as a pack and came to each others assistance during the time of need. Given that all of us were leaving away from home for the first time, we all needed each others support.

Here at Brock there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people. There are numerous social events and clubs where you get to meet people of similar interests and likes. I have also made a lot of friends through the courses I’ve taken. Most of my courses require group projects through which I’ve met some wonderful individuals. I’ve worked with many different people under testing times and under pressure to cater to the sky high demands of our Professors.

At present my friend circle is very diverse, consisting of individuals from 11 different countries. This is a testament to the diversity at Brock!

Greetings all!

My name is Rachel, I am an International Recruitment Officer for Brock University. I travel around (the United States mostly) to spread the word about Brock and the myriad of opportunities that exist here for you.

Between my travels and time in the office I’ve come across an article written by one of my favourite American journalists, Lynn O’Shaughnessy. In it, she writes about  10 Reasons to Attend Canadian Universities.

Since I re-tell these 10 reasons to students on the regular, I thought I would also kick off our new Brock World blog by tailoring the list to Brock University in a little post that I’ll so cleverly call…

10 Reasons to Attend Brock University

1. Reasonable price.
International Students (students coming to Canada on study visa) at Brock pay a tuition of $14,160.15. No, that’s not a typo. Canadian tuition is less expensive than that of many American colleges.

For living expenses, you’ll pay about $8,000-$10,000 (accommodations and meals). Brock guarantees you a spot in on-campus residence during your first year.. so you can settle in, meet your new best friends, and have all meals cooked for you while you adjust to the college life!

2. Exchange rate is favorable.
Trust me. The Galleria Mall in Buffalo, NY is 36 minutes away from my home in Ontario. I shop there too often to know any different.

What does that mean for you? More bang for your buck.

3. Great quality.
Brock Faculties are accredited with prestigious organizations like AACSB International, which means our education is both internationally recognized and of the highest quality.

4. Scholarships available abound.
Brock awards students based on merit (leadership, community service, athletics, extracurricular involvement, benevolent work, etc.) Brock also awards those who excel academically. If you enter your first year with an average of 80% (about a B grade average in high school) or higher… you will automatically receive the Brock Scholars Award.

5. Canadian admission process
That’s right.. all we need to see are your senior level grades from Secondary School. All universities in Ontario use  OUAC. It’s kind of like our ‘Common Application’ system. When you’re ready to apply, submit your transcripts and info through OUAC and your application will make its way to us.

Getting a study visa is simple. Just visit Customs/Immigration at the Canadian border closest to you.

Confused? No worries, we’re here to help.

6. SATs and ACTs are not required.
If you’re anything like me.. you are a poor test taker. However, that does not reflect my ability to perform well in university.

We do not require standardized test scores from our Canadian students, therefore, we will not require them from you.

7. Oh, and no essays either.
If you would like to submit an essay and school profile to us, please feel free to do so. Of course we will take a look. Both will help us to determine what kind of student you are.

8. Canada… land of the true north, strong and free.
We’ll welcome you with open arms and open doors.

9. Attending college in Canada is a
fast track to becoming a permanent resident.
Hey, after you enjoy your time studying at Brock… stay a little while longer!  We’d love for you to join our knowledge workforce after you’ve completed that golden degree.

10. You will still qualify for Federal Loans from your home country.
Maybe you’ll even qualify for fun ‘International Student’ funding or World Bank scholarships too!

Why apply to Brock? More like… why Not apply to Brock?

Questions?
Please feel free to email us at international@brocku.ca or check out other pages on brocku.ca/internationalcommunity for more information.