Submitted by Jason Yokom


Bio/About: I am a 19-year old second year political science and history student at the University of Toronto. I am currently studying abroad at the University of Aarhus in Denmark.

The main reason why I wrote this is because I have had such a great time on my exchange, I have learnt so much academically and culturally. As a result I have tried to convince as many people as possible to partake in international exchange as well. I also created a web site here to get the word out: http://goingglobal.webs.com/.

My take: The world is becoming interconnected on every level. The idea of a purely national company is becoming extinct. As such, the leaders of tomorrow need to understand how the whole world works, not just how Canada works. We can gather facts from a textbook, but for wisdom we need to experience it. Someone graduating with not only a degree but also with international experience that they received from a year abroad is ahead of the curve.

As a result, every student should become aware of and when possible take advantage of the international exchange opportunities being offered. Most universities in Canada offer an exchange program in one way or another, but they are often not well advertised.

Further, there are common misconceptions about an international exchange - the main one being the cost. One common belief, for example, is that an exchange would require the student to pay international fees, which are significantly higher than Canadian fees. This, however, is rarely the case.

In a bilateral exchange, a Canadian student pays their normal tuition as if they were attending their home University. This is the same as a student from a foreign school who would pay their university fees and attend a school in Canada. So there is literally a "switch" of places, giving both students an international experience with no extra school costs.

By simply clearing up small misconceptions like this, I am convinced that we can inspire students to look into a year abroad, which would give them invaluable life experience. We need to motivate students early. The earlier a youth is inspired to see the world the more likely they'll be able to do it.

From the connections made while abroad to the increased competitiveness in the job market, there is no substitute for an international exchange. Let's encourage youth to take advantage of this and the best way to accomplish it is to educate everyone on their options.