Over 27 per cent of the McGill student population is international, more than any other university in Quebec. For many, it can be difficult to feel comfortable in a new country. In “From Away” The McGill Tribune asked international students: Where do you feel most at home on campus?
Saruul Khishigjargal, U2 Political Science, Mongolia
“There is really only one place I truly feel at home on campus, Rutherford Park. Sitting on that open expanse, watching the city skyline, I feel as though I have a piece of nature all to myself. I feel free and that’s home to me.”
Jeanette Zhong, U2 Philosophy, China
“The Nahum Gelber Library. It is so close to my apartment and I spend most of my time studying there. It is a quiet area where it is usually easy to find seats. Despite the construction surrounding the library, it is a beautiful building where I feel the most at home on campus.”
Eve Cable, U1 Cultural Studies, London
“I feel most at home in my dorm room in RVC, because I feel like I made it into a place where it’s a home for all my friends and me, not just me. Most people think my dorm room is super cluttered, and it is, but that’s because I have millions of photos of my friends from home and my family on the walls, as well as lots of tickets and posters from my walls in my old bedroom [….] My favourite part of my dorm room is the huge rainbow ‘Happy Birthday’ sign I taped up to the wall. All my friends here had their birthdays in November and December, and I decided to keep the sign up so that anybody having a birthday can use my room as the birthday room.”
Priyanshi Sharma, U1 Psychology, India
“It’s mainly the people I surround myself with, my roommate, girls from my sorority, AOII, and my friends. I thought it would be hard to settle here when I first got here but it hasn’t been like that at all.”
Soukaina Amrani, U3 English Literature, Morocco
“The things that make me feel most at home are my friends, my sorority, and my sister since she lives here. Without them I would be homesick and sad, especially with how cold and dark winter is here.”
Mohammed Haj Ali, Second year Masters in Environmental engineering, Syria
“I’m part of WUSC [World University Services Canada] McGill, a university club that helps McGill students […] sponsor refugees from conflict zones to pursue their education at McGill. It’s where McGill empowered me to transform the lives of individuals who suffer [from the same] conflicts […] my home country is currently suffering from.”
Navoneel Chakraborty, U2 Physics and Philosophy, India
“My favourite place on campus is McGill Pizza. Nothing like one-for-one beers and all day breakfast.”