It was approximately 4 months ago that the first few students from Zhejiang University, partaking in the Dual Degree Program (DDP), checked in at Simon Fraser University. After much anticipation and excitement, the rest of the Chinese students have finally arrived.

Enjoying the Tim Horton’s brand of doughnuts that are the essence of Canadian culture, the DDP students from Zhejiang University participated in an introductory meet-and-greet session with members of the Faculty of Computing science as part of their orientation. The students told stories of their first few encounters on Canadian soil and more importantly, expressed their joy to be at SFU.

“The university is excellent,” praises Ning Yang of his new home for the next couple of years.

“The (SFU) campus is attractive and unforgettable,” states another overjoyed participant of the Dual Degree Program, Huafeng Shao. “SFU is a great school that has an ideal studying atmosphere and an abundance of activities as well.”

While the students were excited about their new school, they were also eager to explore the city itself. Some of the newer students took time before the meet-and-greet to enjoy the many sights and sounds of Vancouver. Some felt the need to get their shopping and entertainment fix through indoor centers, such as Metrotown, while others decided to explore the more natural landmarks, such as Stanley Park.

In both cases, they enjoyed the new experiences and surroundings.

“The natural scenery is amazing,” Xiaoyuan Xu exclaims. “I love the beach here, it is so beautiful!”

“I remember a shop where the pizza was delicious,” Shao recalls. “I was also impressed by the beautiful scenery and the comfortable weather.”

After some sightseeing, one student concluded that what he loves most about Vancouver is the mellow atmosphere that seems to be radiating through the people and the lifestyle of this city. “Life in Vancouver so far has a slower pace, which makes me feel less stressful. It gives me more time to meditate,” says Jingbo Fu.

Another aspect of this newfound environment, which the Chinese students deemed impressive, was the friendliness of the Vancouverites they have encountered thus far.

Yang, who is in her 3rd year of study and in her first at SFU, was one of the many that was thoroughly impressed with the people, including the students, that she has met so far. The people here are so kind and helpful. Whenever we encountered any problems, they would do anything they could to get us out of trouble.”

And trouble was a familiar site for these new students; they found themselves at somewhat of a disadvantage while exploring their new environment. A few of the students referred to the language barrier as an inconvenience. Others found that cooking for themselves was a difficult chore that they would have to get used to, while a few even found the classes to be harder at SFU in comparison to Zhejiang.

However, the Chinese students accredited and appreciated the people of Vancouver and the students of SFU in helping them overcome these difficulties and adjusting to the Canadian way of life.

“The people are very nice, always friendly, and honest.” Xu shared a story of how the people of Vancouver helped her friend. “One of my friends forgot his bag on a bus and he got it back from Translink after several days. It was impressive.”

Yang describes how the people he has met over the past weeks have helped him adapt to his new environment and helped him stay out of trouble. “I have three roommates, who are all Canadian, and they have been teaching me their culture. What’s more, with their help, I think my cooking ability has improved a lot.”

He says that his roommates especially have done all they could to help him feel comfortable. “My roommates have told me “this is our new home.””

Welcome home Zhejiang Dual Degree Program students.

Written by Kamil Karmali