Being a Student in Canada: Where and How Can You Stay?
Canada in recent years; prestigious universities, vibrant student cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec; With its well-organized lifestyle, natural beauty, tolerant and multicultural structure, it has achieved the title of being one of the most preferred countries by international students. Known as the country of immigrants, Canada is a center of attraction with its official languages consisting of English and French, its non-dense population, and lower living and education costs compared to countries such as America, England and Australia. Let’s take a look at the accommodation options for students in Canada together!
Being a Student in Canada
Being a student in Canada means taking advantage of a rich variety of programs and scholarships at quality universities in the country with a high standard of living. There are many government and university scholarships as well as private scholarships in the country. Canada, where more than 200,000 international students and researchers study, ranked first with Montreal in the best student cities rankings in 2017.
Good news for students considering life and career in Canada, universities in the country have cooperation agreements with more than five thousand international companies. In schools that guarantee new graduates to find a job in as little as 6 months, they are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week while they are studying.
Accommodation Options in Canada
Accommodation options in Canada for foreign students, as in most countries of the world, vary in the form of university dormitories, homestays, rental houses. Accommodation prices in Canada, which vary according to the popularity of the cities, the location of the university, shopping centers, transportation networks and proximity to the campus, also differ according to your short-term or long-term stay plans.
Short Term Stays
The first thing that those who will be students in Canada and apply to universities in the country should know is to find the right time for accommodation options. Students who will stay in the country for a short time may prefer hotels and hostels.
- Hotels:
If you are thinking of studying in Canada for a short time, we can say that hotels are just for you. The point you should pay attention to; It is to make reservations for the hotels that you will prefer on a weekly, 15-day or monthly basis 2-3 months in advance and not make them between the busy August-May months.
hotels in Canada; It offers services such as daily cleaning, wifi, tv, bed and breakfast, as in countries such as England, America, Australia, New Zealand. In general, the distance to the center and the changing prices for early reservations vary between the lowest 45-75 Canadian dollars on average.
- Youth Hostels / Hostels:
In terms of accommodation prices in Canada, the fees of hostels preferred by students who will stay outside the campus for a short time range from the lowest 10$ to 25$ CND. While areas such as toilets, bathrooms and kitchens are used in common in hostels, which are not very comfortable compared to hotels, the rooms mostly consist of beds for 3-4 people. You will have the opportunity to make friends with students from different nationalities that you will meet while cooking in the shared kitchens, and if you are using your hostel temporarily, then you will have the opportunity to rent apartments for 2-3 people together.
Long Term Stays
Accommodation in Canada is divided into on-campus and off-campus accommodation for international students. It is useful to determine the most suitable accommodation options for you according to your lifestyle, habits and budget, and to do your research before the university application dates.
On-Campus Accommodations
- Homestay:
Homestay accommodation, which is the most preferred form of accommodation for most students who will study abroad, is provided by the school. The best part of these accommodation, where you can improve your foreign language with the families you will live with, is that you can adapt to life and daily life in Canada more easily. While you continue your student life in a safe and orderly environment, you can also request breakfast and dinner from your family that you will live with. Sometimes it is useful to contact your school in Canada for these services, which are included in the accommodation fee. Internet access, TV and cleaning are provided by the family in single and specially furnished rooms. In terms of accommodation prices in Canada, homestays are frequently preferred by international students, with fees between $700-$900 CND.
- Student Dormitory:
If you are considering a long-term student life in Canada, student residences on or near campus are the best options. Basic needs such as bathroom, kitchen and toilet are used in common in single or double rooms. In dormitories separate for girls and boys, expenses such as internet, electricity and water are included in your monthly fee. You can make friends in the dormitories, where you will have a library, computer room, and common study areas, and you can also get help from each other about lessons and homework.
While a city like Toronto pays an average of CAD 9000 to $13,000 per year, prices will be slightly higher at universities in cities like Montreal or Quebec. It is useful to make the right choice by consulting the universities where you will study accommodation in Canada. You can apply for the September semester at the latest in May, and within the beginning of January, starting from September.
Off-Campus Accommodation
Students starting their education life in Canada are more likely to consider renting an apartment in their second or third year of study. Because it takes a long time to get used to the country and the city, to absorb its culture and traditions, and to adjust their budgets. Moreover, if the flat prices are high, finding a flatmate, getting scholarship support and taking advantage of part-time job opportunities will also affect the proximity of the flat to the university and the city. Although rental fees are high in modern and big cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, they are more affordable than cities such as New York and Sydney. We recommend that you do research while studying in the country on rents starting at an average of $1,000 CND.
You can usually use local newspapers and websites for rental houses and apartments. It is also very useful for advertisements posted in schools. Because students from the previous year or the same semester may be looking for a rental apartment like you.