By: Trevor Fernandes

What is life without challenges? Accepting challenges and striving to complete it is the key to success. To travel across continents and be in an alien environment can be daunting. The one that inspired me to take on this leap of fate was my mother and she always had my back.

In my mind I knew that someday, I had to go my way. I still remember the day I told my dad that I wish to study in Canada; I don’t think he believed me, all he said was its not going to be easy. These words could have discouraged me but I took it as a challenge. I went online and invested a lot of time researching various colleges in Canada besides I visited almost 12 banks to apply for a loan it wasn’t easy. When I finally got a green signal from a bank, I was overwhelmed. My Dad asked me and I’m sure you too would like to know why Canada? Well, Canada offers SPP i.e. Student partnership program which makes it easier for students to get a visa. Believe it or not, I got my visa in less than 12 days. Why did I chose a college and not a university? Apparently, to gain admission in a university a student must have 16 years of education however my graduation as a B.Sc. chemist was 15 years, moreover colleges provide hands on experience unlike universities which is crucial in the workplace. One more important factor is the cost involved, colleges are less expensive than a university since I already had a university degree, I decided to choose a college.

Canada is a beautiful country where sustainability matters, moreover, it’s the only country with the largest resource of potable water. Its obvious water and oil are two most wanted resources of all times. Being an environmental technologist will enable me to have knowledge to protect and help consumers use these resources wisely so that the future generations will not blame us for being greedy or selfish.

Durham Region lies on the outskirts of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and being a lover of the environment and born in the suburbs, I always wanted a not so populated place to study. From my experience so far I have understood Durham Region to be student friendly place with a lot to explore. Honestly, choosing Durham College was the best decision I made. When there are so many options it really gets difficult to choose the best. Well, trust me it’s not just the college but ones attitude towards education that matters a lot. I believe the soul of a country lies in its suburbs so I finally nailed the pin at Durham College. My journey so far has been awesome because I feel at home. Experiencing a sudden difference in lifestyle almost sent me into a state of culture shock however the international office staff guided me and helped me along the way. The other faculty and staff are knowledgeable and willing to help too. English was never a barrier and I encourage everyone to converse in English. The bottom line is this, if you show that you have the potential, you will be recognized and appreciated. That’s what I have felt through my experience so far. Having a university degree also helped me in clearing my concepts and getting hands-on skills which are necessary and what employees look out for.

There are always so many questions and doubts that arise when investing so much in yourself, but tell me, is there a better investment than investing in oneself?. I am now living a responsible life. A life where there is a balance of education, social service and fun. I hope this helps you.