Foreigners in Canada - an international student diary

Including my home country of Pakistan, Canada is the fourth country in which I was educated. After obtaining basic home loan, they started my journey as an international student from pursuing a bachelor's degree in business in both the US and Dubai.

While there, I face enormous challenges on several levels.

These challenges ranged from culture shock and adapt to the new environment of racial discrimination. At one point I found myself laughing out loud when I heard a Canadian comedian Russell Peters said that the Middle East are today black people what they had to go through since 9/11.

One thing is certain, though: I was extremely relieved when Osama bin Laden was killed. I was relieved as I had no idea what to say when I was - often - "Where is Bin Laden", asked people in the American South

Today people travel for many reasons and more often than at any other time in our history. The spread of globalization make very important, but how you study trips saw? There are international students today are seen as tourists or foreigners take advantage of "the system of public education in our country," as some say?

We, of course, welcomed by governments as we are seen as a source of income for them; and most educational institutions, foreign students generally pay a percentage of the premium fees.

If a country is well organized for accommodation of foreign students as Australia's international education can be a major export. Studies show that education is the third largest export to Australia, international students, generating revenue than US $ 20 billion a year to Australia. These statistics can change people's perception of these "foreigners".

There are several types of institution-sponsored educational programs, which include a trip to another country.

They range from the exchange - where students from related departments of universities in different countries have the opportunity to attend a partner university in another country - to study abroad programs in which students are encouraged to travel to another country for their education.

These programs may continue academic term or academic year. They are pre-arranged, carefully organized and are usually conducted in groups, the main aim is to gain experience in another country as part of a movement of globalization.

Then there are independent international students who for the most part, out of their trip on their own. This is the most traditional form of education abroad and includes a student like me, carefully choosing a university in another country to pursue higher education.