Student Global Experiences at the University of Toronto
In the Summer of 2017, the Innovation Hub sought the voices of students at St. Michael's College who have had global experiences, whether they were international students arriving at the university, domestic students going abroad, or students from small towns moving to Toronto.
Summer 2017
How can we understand students’ narratives about their global experiences at U of T?
The goal of our project was to understand students’ narratives about global experiences at U of T. More specifically, we wanted to understand the positive aspects of global experiences and bring them to the forefront. Insights, quotes, student personas, and questions that emerged out of the findings were shared to support ideation process in our communities that ultimately meet student needs.
KEY FINDINGS
We found that even though every student was confronted with challenges and difficulties at some point in their global experience, they still label that experience as ‘positive’. This core finding is explored through two key themes:
- Connection & Community: Many students shared that a pivotal point in their global experience was finding community, even if this “community” included just one other person. Students mentioned that up until the point of finding a sense of connectivity or community, they had thought about their global experience as negative. Unfortunately, some students did not find community until weeks or months into their experience.
- Language & Resilience: Although students have to prove their English proficiency in order to attend the university, many international students see language as an academic and personal barrier. Language is a way in which international students step out of their comfort zone. Strong curiosity and a deep will to learn more and persevere seem pervasive among the students we spoke with.
