Masters and Ph.d in Canadian Universities
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yes, ON, you are quite right. the choice of a supervisor is in fact just as important or even more important than the university itself.
when i did my masters at the U of Montreal i was almost destitute. Living in Cote des Neiges and wondering if i would make it through the second year of the program. Thank God, my supervisor asked me to work on his ongoing research project, 20 hours of paid work a week, doing work for him that coincided with my thesis work anyway!
i had initially chosen that professor for abstract reasons: his area of expertise, his personality, his reaction to my thesis proposal, and so on.
in retrospect, i wonder why i was so naive and did not choose a supervisor on a more pragmatic basis (i.e. financial clout/academic projects/ research groups).
i was lucky that the one I chose had considerable leeway to help me out.
hopefully, the new generation is more pragmatic in its choices.
Quote:
Orginally posted by Ottawa_Nerd
Mercury6 to answer your question...It all depends on circumstances. As I mentioned earlier, this thread is meant to inform students of how to apply for higher education courses/programs...it doesnt matter if they are on student visas or they are landed immigrants.
A person with a family, having kids and a wife may find it tough to jump into a Masters degree program. The next resort would be to take student loans and that will complicate his life if he is not able to repay them on time. As I mentioned before,
The best option would be the following :-
1.) The candidate has work experience in his/her field of work back home in India or abroad
2.) The candidate is well off financially or has no dependents (I mention this as I have written this post for all those students who come here immediately after completing their bachelors degree's)
3.) The candidate can slog it out till he gets his citizenship / passport..after which he/she can move down south to the USA....So you get a world class degree by paying a fraction of the costs and you also end up getting ur citizenship !
A person with experience in Technical Sales (8 years) and Technical education (B.E) would like to further go for short term course in Business Administration or Marketing Analysis or Logistic Management. Now, do you feel college like CDI, Humber, Seneca or George Brown will hold any value.
Finance will be through OSAP, after completion of 1 year Post Graduation Diploma what chance does that person hold in work front.
Any Suggestions, esp regarding the above college names.
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Try overtaking child's imagination
is there one consolidated website, ON, with a list of gov't and university bursaries and grants? i think many people would benefit from applying to university and then deciding on whether to actually enrol depending on (1) the RA/TA positions offered to them, (2) the scholarships offered to them.
a person could apply on a whim or even on a yearly basis and then decide if it were actually feasible after crunching the numbers.
i know some people that are making a decent salary simply 'studying'. why not get paid to get a diploma and sit in the cafeteria and student lounge chatting up chicks?
Location: Ottawa (Now in Bangalore)
Posted on: 23-12-04 22:06:04
Quote:
Orginally posted by Chris
i know some people that are making a decent salary simply 'studying'. why not get paid to get a diploma and sit in the cafeteria and student lounge chatting up chicks?
Chris..My stay in Canada fell under that category. I will shed light on that in this post. I will also show how I was able to "exploit" my student status in Canada (of cos Pre 9/11) to get admission into the USA...
To answer your question..there is no global answer. It all depends from University to University, province to province. I am only aware of scholarships in Ontario, and to a lesser extent in Alberta...
The best place to look for scholarships/bursaries/grants would be the university web sites. They themselves publicize those scholarships to attract students. But international students please be warned :- Most scholarships in Canada are for Citizens and to a large extent , Permanent residents.
Students coming from India can apply for INLAKS scholarships. They focus their attention toward Oxford/Cambridge..but they can easily consider scholarships for High ranking Canadian universities also.
So to answer Chris's question...what are the Pro's and Cons or applying to a university when you dont know if you will be eligible for any scholarship. I can only think of a few pros...and a single con :-
Pros :- YOu start taking courses and can transfer them to other universities. You start exploring potential research supervisors by taking their courses. You have access to all resouces to explore other universities and other professors, while staying in ur current university.
Cons :- Paisa/Money (or lack of it) can hamper your day 2 day survival. You need to live as frugally as possible. You can stay in shared accomodation with other desi students (assuming you are a bachelorette/bachelor).
Getting a TA/RA depends on luck. For a TA, you need to perform way above the rest. Remember, for 30-40 posts..200-250 applications are received every semester. I can explain the situation with my own experience. You (the reader) can draw your own conclusion as to how to go about obtaining a TA/RA
I joined Ottawa U in Jan 2000. Those were the last few months of the famous dot com boom. Ottawa was synonymous with Nortel/Alcatel and other Hi-Tech companies. Bachelors students used to be in their final semesters and they used to get hired by Nortel/Motorola etc. As a result, getting a TA at the university was very easy. So much so that during a few semesters I was also asked to take additional TA's for french sections ! (even though I couldnt Parle vous francois
) .... My supervisor had a funding ('cos of his name and research expertise ...period..nothing else..), hence I also got funding from my supervisor. This is a good feature of Canadian Universities in Ontario when compared with other Canadian Universities in Alberta (or even universities in the USA). Getting a TA is independent of your RA.However, I was not able to save much. My fees were deducted from my pay slip. All that changed in Aug 2000. I received an offer of "Admission scholarship" from the University for 2 years. I guess it was because of my previous journal and conference publications. Being an international student, it helped me..as it came to around 23000$ for 2 years. I got reimbursed for my fees for the past 8 months. Little did I know that this scholarship would help me in something far more bigger !
That same month, I obtained a letter from the Canadian consulate in Seattle that I was scheduled for an interview on Sept 27, 2000. Dutifully, went and submitted my fingerprints and got the medicals done. It was an effortless task. I infact drove with my landlord and hand delivered the results at the RCMP headquarters. The medicals were sent by Aug 15th, 2000
Now came the tricky part of obtaining a US visa for my interview. Those were the days when Desis and Chinese were the bad guys, who always came in droves as illegal immigrants
. I was rejected the first day I went. The reasons were obvious. I could not show any ties to Canada as I was an international student. The situation is no different today. It has become even more tuff to get a visitors visa to enter the USA if you are on a students visa in Canada (or want to apply for an F1 visa from Canada, while being on a temp visa). Let this be noted down by potential students who plan on obtaining their students visa for US studies from Canada, and who are not PI's or citizens . I was dejected and did not what to do. I wanted to trasfer the file to New Delhi..but... On returning home I even thought of writing a letter to the Immigration minister (Elanor Caplan or something like that
) "why should I have to go to the USA for an interview etc." . This was of cos wishful thinking and I was having a chat with my supervisor . It was Aug 25, 2000. He raised the issue of my scholarship and the time limits for it and then voila ! I had the answer to my problem. Please read this carefully. It may help future students who are/will be in similar situations.I had signed a legally binding contract with the University of Ottawa to remain as a full time student for 2 years. If I failed to do that, I would have to reimburse the entire money that would have been paid for as part of my fees. This became part of my strategy to show "SIGNIFICANT TIES WITH CANADA". Moreover, this point was emphasized when my supervisor gave me a letter.
Armed with this letter I went to the embassy again on Aug 28th. Those were the days when vistors to Canada could apply at the US embassy without any prior appointment. This time, I got a different agent. "I see you applied last friday. Why are you applying again now"..."I must attend the immigration interview on Sept 27, 2000"..So he took my file, ignored all stuff except the letter issued by my supervisor. "Main tumpe Juaa kheloonga (Dialogue from Deewar..and his words were "I will gamble on you"
".."Pay the visa issuance fees and collect your passport tomorrow"..(*ps :- For a Recent case, check out the following link
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=8381&page=1#46847 )
So that was the first and last time that I ever had a US visitor visa stamp on my passport. So you see, with this "real life tweak", many future students can demonstrate "significant ties to Canada", even though they may be all alone here.
That being said, the dot com bubble burst in the fag end of 2000. Ppl who had left for NORTEL were being laid off in the coming years. Hiring companies were not hiring. So the only recourse left was the apply for Masters degrees of PhD degrees. This meant that the old trend of getting TA's (or even multiple TA's) was soon going to be a thing of the past. I was lucky enough that I never had to face the crunch. I was not able to get any TA's for summer 2002 and 2003. However, I did manage to get TA's for other semesters. In addition, due to a couple of conference publications, I was even considered for a 3rd and 4th year doctoral scholarship. This covered my Tution fees (but not dental and incidental insurance fees). So in effect, I was able to study in Canada for free, got paid for studying/research work, got my immigration and citizenship...then unfortunately had to leave Canada as I was "over qualified" for the type of work I do.. The only places where I could have workd would have been Govt research labs..I hope some day I will be able to return back and work a few years in Canada. By the time I left the uni, getting a TA was not guaranteed. There was a lot of competition for TA's and many students (good students) were denied TA's... I was lucky enuff to have missed facing such a situation. I dunno what the status is now...
Some tips for getting a TA :-
a.) Whatever "respectable" members may say but, "school" should be pronounced as "school" and not as "iskool"...else you are easily tagged as a "Paki" by the students. Be clear and legible when u address students. Their opinion/feedback may help your case or screw u up for the rest of ur TA career.
Update
Check out this link for more information.
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=9770" target="_blank">http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=9770
b.) Be professional but keep ur distance from students. Sexual harrassment in any form will not be tolerated. Even hints of impropriety can land you in big trouble
c.) You can be friends with students, but when it comes to grading etc., you are and should be impartial to everyone.
d.) Try and correct the papers sequentially. I always followed this scheme. Initially I had to correct all papers. However by the first two assignment I could figure out who the "brainy" and who the "others" were. So I made it a point to correct the "brainy" papers first before embarking on the "other" papers.
e.) Keep a good relation with the instructor of the course. HOwever, you should not overstress urself with TA work as you have to focus on your research work also. Remember, you have unions (at least in Ontario universities) to protect your rights as a TA
f.) Apply to those courses you feel you can effectively convey your point. TA work will also help you improve your public speaking skills and give you an idea as to how you should go about making presentations in future work environments.
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"Aur Vaise Bhi, Sharafat ki jab kapde utarti hai, sabse zyaada mazaa shareefon ko hi aati hai"....(From The Dirty Picture)
Warning !! SCAM ALERT !!
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=4169 & http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=1379
This is a Useful Health related Tip
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=3865
Please visit
http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/quran/verses/009-qmt.php for some interesting Information ! (Especially 009.005 )
That's some really comprehensive info there, OTN!
Good initiative and good work! 
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Are you there?
you've had a very successful career, ON, keep it up! (not just chatting up the chicks, i mean, academics too
two comments: one is that the number of TA positions depends on the department. in the French department at UWO it was guaranteed that you'd get one. i actually got two; one during the year and one in the summer. it was a windfall for me.
the other comment is on "sexual improprieties". dude, you have hit the nail on the head. the anglos are now crazy about imagined "sexual aggressions". keep in mind that ANYTHING can constitute sexual aggression.
at UWO there were no less than 3 TENURED PROFS dismissed for 'sexual harassment'. after lengthy investigations and massive lawyer fees, they were all re-instated. one of the claims was that a prof had sexually assaulted a student in the uni swimming pool! the prof was absolutely disgraced. (he was married on top of that, so i imagine he had some things to resolve with his wife) he was removed from his position the same day, as is the procedure. no details of the case were available.
we all imagined that he raped her poolside in broad daylight or something. a year later, it emerged that the charge was that "he had looked at her". ???? the jury probed for hours "how" he had looked at her, for how long, with what intent blah blah blah. finally he was reinstated.
another prof, an anthropology prof, was dismissed for saying that 'female circumcision was horrible'. he was accused of sexual harassment and fired. 2 jealous feminists found that he was pronouncing a judgment on another culture and felt "like they had been raped" ????
anyway, after a year or so he was reinstated.
(you can look all these up on the net; i'm sure they're there)
the moral is, don't express ANY opinion in class. there are these feminists who come into classes and even check what examples you put on the board. if you put too many male-oriented ones, you could be open to a lawsuit. the atmosphere, obviously, is not conducive to academics, though perhaps UWO is unique this way: these sort of cases would be regarded as SCIENCE FICTION at the University of Montreal where i did my MA.
you stated once, ON, in a comment on Gandhi, that hypocrisy is the namesake of the anglo saxon culture and truer words have never been spoken on this forum. i love my country for some things, but i must acknowledge that it is the most HYPOCRITICAL culture in the world. image is everything. at night, all these 'respectable' public figures dealing out these punishments go home and log on with fake user ids on the internet, surfing porn websites. then in the daytime, they put on their suit and tie and rant against the 'objectification' of women.
so sad... in this way, the french are light years ahead of us.
sorry for the rant... ahem... as you were.
Location: Ottawa (Now in Bangalore)
Posted on: 24-12-04 22:50:32
Quote:
Orginally posted by Chris
you've had a very successful career, ON, keep it up! (not just chatting up the chicks, i mean, academics too
two comments: one is that the number of TA positions depends on the department. in the French department at UWO it was guaranteed that you'd get one. i actually got two; one during the year and one in the summer. it was a windfall for me.
the other comment is on "sexual improprieties". dude, you have hit the nail on the head. the anglos are now crazy about imagined "sexual aggressions". keep in mind that ANYTHING can constitute sexual aggression.
at UWO there were no less than 3 TENURED PROFS dismissed for 'sexual harassment'. after lengthy investigations and massive lawyer fees, they were all re-instated. one of the claims was that a prof had sexually assaulted a student in the uni swimming pool! the prof was absolutely disgraced. (he was married on top of that, so i imagine he had some things to resolve with his wife) he was removed from his position the same day, as is the procedure. no details of the case were available.
we all imagined that he raped her poolside in broad daylight or something. a year later, it emerged that the charge was that "he had looked at her". ???? the jury probed for hours "how" he had looked at her, for how long, with what intent blah blah blah. finally he was reinstated.
another prof, an anthropology prof, was dismissed for saying that 'female circumcision was horrible'. he was accused of sexual harassment and fired. 2 jealous feminists found that he was pronouncing a judgment on another culture and felt "like they had been raped" ????
anyway, after a year or so he was reinstated.
(you can look all these up on the net; i'm sure they're there)
the moral is, don't express ANY opinion in class. there are these feminists who come into classes and even check what examples you put on the board. if you put too many male-oriented ones, you could be open to a lawsuit. the atmosphere, obviously, is not conducive to academics, though perhaps UWO is unique this way: these sort of cases would be regarded as SCIENCE FICTION at the University of Montreal where i did my MA.
you stated once, ON, in a comment on Gandhi, that hypocrisy is the namesake of the anglo saxon culture and truer words have never been spoken on this forum. i love my country for some things, but i must acknowledge that it is the most HYPOCRITICAL culture in the world. image is everything. at night, all these 'respectable' public figures dealing out these punishments go home and log on with fake user ids on the internet, surfing porn websites. then in the daytime, they put on their suit and tie and rant against the 'objectification' of women.
so sad... in this way, the french are light years ahead of us.
sorry for the rant... ahem... as you were.
Chris, luckily...I was in the Comp Engg department...and the only females we had in class were Chinese and Iranians and a few Indians... I dont think they care a damm abt "female circumsion is bad = denigrating a culture" ( personally I find it bad also..screw the feminists
) ..All they are interested in was their grades and assignments... I started this thread with a caveat..it was meant for Engineering and not social science students .. However, your inputs can surely help students from the arts stream as well.Okay, with that..today I would like to talk about getting a Visa from India as well as the process of avoiding being scammed !
Getting a Visa :-
------------------
I applied for my Visa at the Canadian Consulate in Mumbai, May 1998. It is located in Nariman place. An interview took place at the Taj International, July 17, 1998. I was asked abt my studies, what I planned to study in Canada and whether I had any funds or not. The Visa process for students is much simpler for Canada when compared with the USA. YOu need to show the admission letter from the University and your source of funding.
This may include your promise of TA/RA from the university or our own funding. Please show a reasonable amount of funding. If you have some sort of TA/RA then show a sum of 12000/year for 2 years...
If not then you need to show funding to cover your fees as well.
Many ppl have told me that one can apply for a Canadian Student Visa at the New Delhi High Commission only. I dont think that is the case ( I may stand corrected at a later time). You can even apply at the consulates in Chandigarh and Mumbai.
Complete your medicals and send your passport. You should get your passports within a few weeks.
How to avoid being scammed :-
-----------------------------------
A University is a university PERIOD.... There is no substitute for it. The level of desperation amongst folks back home to travel in a "foreign" land is very high. Without sounding corny I will admit, once upon a time I too had that urge. So if you have that urge, then PLEASE AVOID ALL "UNIVERSITIES" THAT COME TO INDIA AT VARIOUS STUDY EXHIBITIONS. University of Windsor is the prime culprit... Avoid University of Windsor if you want to purse an academic career. It is a desi Ghetto...and I can tell you, from first hand knowledge that it is filled with the academic Junk amongst the Desi's (Indians and other south asian countries).
Also avoid Community colleges (e.g., Algonquin, Devry, SAIT, NAIT, BCIT, etc. )... These wont help you further your academic career much. Of 'cos..I am speaking with an Engineering degree in my mind. IF you want to pursue something else, then please do so at your own risk !
WARNING !!
Avoid all consultants who promise you admission in a college with 10-15K $ Fees and after than acn easy access to work in Canada... They are the scamsters, frauds, cheats, crooks, the scum of society...
****a.) YOu cannot work in Canada (Legally) as a student****
****b.) You are not assured of a work visa if you are a student****
Update:- The previous rules have changed. Please refer to
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=12775" target="_blank">http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=12775
for more information
c.) YOu cannot (i.e., no guarantee) go to the USA legally to work, if you are a student in Canada. Anyone (read "agents", "consultants"
who promise you such stuff are cheats...-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Aur Vaise Bhi, Sharafat ki jab kapde utarti hai, sabse zyaada mazaa shareefon ko hi aati hai"....(From The Dirty Picture)
Warning !! SCAM ALERT !!
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=4169 & http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=1379
This is a Useful Health related Tip
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=3865
Please visit
http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/quran/verses/009-qmt.php for some interesting Information ! (Especially 009.005 )
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