Chaitaniy Interview – Student at University of Alberta, Canada
By HSB
Chaitaniy Razdan is doing is Masters Degree at University of Alberta, Canada. He is also the Chairman of Indian Students Association at UofA. He was kind enough to spend lot of his time to answers some important questions about Life in Canada, Job Opportunities, Financial Aid at UofA.
1) Give a brief intro about you, what are you studying and where?
Hello, I am Chaitaniy Razdan currently doing my Masters in Engineering Management from Univ of Alberta, Edmonton. I did my undergrads from NIT Jalandhar in Industrial Engineering and after that worked for couple of years in a software company at Pune.
2)Why did you select Canada instead of US Universities?
The tuition fees in Canada is very less if we compare it to what US universities charge and getting a Permanent Residency is way easy. If we see job prospects, they are almost equal, so I thought here I would get a better value for my money.
3) How many students are currently studying at UofA (approximate)?
Approximately there are about 200 Indian students here at UofA. This is a rough figure and it includes Bachelor’s, Masters and Phd students.
4) When people think of Canada, they think its very cold. How do you manage the winter and how cold does it get?
Well yeah it gets really cold here. The temperature dips to about -35C to -40C during winters and that restricts your movement outside. But people here enjoy winters and there are lot of things to keep yourself busy during winters. All the basic amenities are easily available and transportation facility is also good here (Free for students).
5) Cost of living for a typical student from India?
Well an Indian student can manage a decent standard of living here for about $800. I have seen Indian students here living on $600 dollar budget too and some spending $2200 every month. So, in my opinion it depends on you how much you want to spend.
6) what kind of funding options are available for Graduate students? Does every student get funded?
Funding options here are quite better then US univ’s. Almost all graduate students here get funding from the university espacially the one’s in Engineering Streams (Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Petroleum to be more specific). Pharmacy students also get good amount of funding from their department plus there always is chance to get TA.
How long does it usually take a graduate student to find a job in her/her field after graduation?
It depends on the field of graduation. Alberta is known as oil country as it has second largest oil deposits after Saudi Arab. Students from Chemical, Mechanical, Civil and Petroleum backgrounds are almost always in demand and sell like hot cakes. People from other streams also are able to find good jobs quite easily.
9) Can they work anywhere in Canada or just in Alberta Province?
You can work anywhere in Canada. After graduation, you are eligible to get 3 years open work permit which is valid throughout Canada, no matter in which province you are.
10) It takes many years to get Green Card in US? What is the scenarios in Canada, how long it would take for a student to get Permanent Residency in Canada?
After filing for the PR, it usually takes 14-18 months.
11) What advise would you give to a student considering to apply for US?
Well the only advice I would like give to the people who apply for US is that consider all the options, evaluate using multiple parameters and then do what you feel is right for you.
* All the statements above are as per my knowledge about the subject and might differ from one person to another. It is recommended to seek multiple opinions before taking any further steps. For accurate data and information about PR, visa or immigration laws I would recommend everyone to visit Canada Govt Website.
If you have more questions about Canada and admission to Universities in Canada, leave a comment to this article. Also, check out the ISA website at UofA for more detailed information about various aspects of life in Canada.
Related posts:
- Alberta, Canada Welcomes H1B Visa Holders from US
- Top 5 Universities in Canada
- Top 20 Universities in Canada
- F1 Student Visa Interview Questions
- F1 Student Visa Interview – “Why This University”
hi Chaitaniy.I liked your replies & i appreciate those.I have doubt on
the average salary that we can get after doing MS from Canada from a reputed university.I also want to know that, for taking admission in Canadian universities GRE is important or TOEFL?
By the i am a b.tech final year student planning go to Canada for my MS.
Hi,
As per my knowledge, both TOEFL and IELTS are accepted by Canadian Universities. But Could you please tell me if the Universities give preference to any one exam compared to other, as in do both carry equal weightage or preference is given to students who have appeared for TOEFL instead of IELTS.
Thanks and Regards.
hi chaitanya.. I m doing BE in Information Technology. I m in 4th yr now.. Could u plz tell me wht r d requirements for getting admission in masters in computer science field in ur university.. actually i will be giving GRE in first week of Nov.. I am more interested in doing masters from canada then from US but i m not much sure about the requirements of universities of canada.. Plz tell me whether GRE marks are taken into consideration or not?? and on wht factors the universities focus regarding students’ admissions??
Hi, The canadian universities which i wish to apply for Masters in pharmaceutical science accept both IELTS and TOEFL. I am yet to sit for either of them and thinking of taking TOEFL. My question is whether IELTS is mandatory to get canadian visa ? If it is so, then i shall go for IELTS.
Please reply as soon as poosible.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Hi, i would appreciate if you could let me know about universities in Newfoundland? I desire to pursue my PhD in mechanical engineering. My GRE score is 1310 and toefl results are awaited. I am currently doing my M.Tech in Thermal Engineering at IIT madras.
Hi,
If possible, could you please give me more insight into Pharmacy field since I am a masters in Pharmacy and want to either continue with PhD or a certificate course (2/3 semesters)in Clinical Research. What is the scope of Clinical Research and Pharmacology in Canada.
Thanks,
Monika
I have chosen University of Victoria & University of British Columbia from British Columbia because of its low fees structure. I am from computer science background. Do you have any information from that state regarding oppurtunites..? I want information from any of your friends over there, not from some web site.
@MS Prakash – I really doubt if someone is going to respond to query when you demand “I want information from any of your friends over there, not from some web site.” there is really no need for anyone to respond to you and if you are going to be demanding, trust me you will not get help from anyone here.
I don’t intend to demand. But I want to say that you need not take time investigating on the web or some thing, if you don’t know people from there or if you are not from that place.
I understand your concerns, then your choice of words should have been different. When we communicate through email/blog expressions and emotions are not visible. Only the words in front of you counts. In that case choice of words you had used looked demanding. Chaitaniy is Chai for Indian Student Association in UofA, you can look at his pic and more details from the website listed in the article.
Hi Chaitaniy,
Thanks a lot for the useful info. I am planning to apply to Canada for my PhD. I have completed my masters in pharmacy from India. What is the scenario in Canada with respect to Pharmacology or Clinical Research? Is it possible to get a job in USA on the basis of a Canadian Degree.
Thanks and Regards,
Monika
Finding job in US with degree from outside USA will be a challenge. First you need to find a job, then they have to sponsor your H1B.
to get job, you will have to travel to US for Job interview and you need visa to enter US just to attend job interview. I dong you will find any consulting company who will sponsor H1B for Pharmacy and PhD. If you want to come to US, consider applying for PhD in US Universities.
Beloved Chaitaniy Razdan
with great love and great respect i welcome you
it is indeed very kind of you to share your exposed experience about Canadian education and the opportunity for residence ship and also career prospects.
yes i have been listening to one internet radio which is from Toronto, Canada, kalasamdotcom a very lively radio program
in fact i attended one Canadian education fare here in Bangalore,
there i came to know glimpse of Canadian education system.
barring the cold which prevails in this great country i am told my friends life is really wonderful and comfortable
when compared to US life style , many of my friends are of the view that Canada is much simple and beautiful
that is about Canadian exposure i had from my friends
dear friend
i am a farmer from south India, Tamilnadu.
our source of income is only from agriculture, some how my brother son is now on the verge of finishing his B.E-Mechanical Engineering and he has a burning desire to pursue his M.S and perhaps later his PhD in Mechanical engineering
can you take a moment of your precious time and feed me what are the option and which are the colleges that are offering M.S Mechanical,perhaps with financial assistance
what are the basic requirement for an Indian student to apply
i am told if some one lives in Canada for 3yrs with out break
he is eligible for residence status.
but my query is about education and career opportunity
which you have already said
please respond as you please
in case my son gets admission in Canadian or USA university
he will be the first one from my village, and our village people are hoping that our boy will be able to meet the demand of higher education at Canada.
i once again thank you for your time in sharing with us via this blog. please do convey our greetings to all indian students.
wishing you all a happy Deepavali
thanks
easwaran
India