Hey guys!
My name is Ingrid and this is my first exchange diaries video
Ok, I've waited some time to start filming my diaries because I didn't want it to be something long and obnoxious
And I didn't want to create unnecessary expectations
Today is January 24th and this video probably will not be up today nor tomorrow
I just want to make it clear that I'm filming in advance to record the whole process since the beggining
But I didn't want to start filming back in october to make people wait until freaking march for the trip to actually be shown
First things first: where I'm going?
Canada! Toronto to be more precise
And I'll be taking to the airport in March 29th
I'll be staying for 3 months to study and perfect my english skills
I consider myself pretty fluent in english, I'm able to have nice conversations in english
Where I'm lacking? Speaking!
I don't have english speakers to talk to in my daily life
And to me it's very difficult to practice and develop language skills if you don't do it with natives!
This is why studying abroad is by far the most efficient way to learn a language
Plus, my speaking is very slow! I take too long to form sentences in my mind
I'll be living with a host family...
And to many people that's some scary shoot because if you've watched a couple exchange diares...
You know a lot, A LOT of people have had problems with host families
But that doesn't scary me because first of all:
I'm paying for this whole thing
And I know my rights
So no one is going to trick me because if something happens that's not displayed in the contract
I'll be suing
Okay??
Second of all: I'm a legal adult
A common problem I tend to find with all these people who've had unfortunate experiences with host families
Is that most of them are minors and are taking high school exchange programs
So if you're a minor, you're going to be under the host family care because they're leagally responsible for you
Even if they suck
I know it can be frustrating because not everything can be resolved with you (a minor) simply leaving the house
If you have problems, the agency has to make everything right for you
Not being legally independent sucks
If I have a problem
(WELL I HOPE NOT)
I get in contact with my agency and ask to move to the school dormitory, for example
(if the family is the source of problems)
I've chosen to live with a host family because I feel I need the direct contact with natives everyday
I want to wake up in the morning and meet only english speakers
There's not going to be a single brazilian next to me inside the house
So I'll HAVE to use english to communicate no matter what
The dormitory option was never a first option for me, it still remains and emergency option in case of incompatibility
I would be alone!
And what I mean by "alone" is that your roommate is probably also someone who's not a native english speaker
I would only be in touch with english speakers during classes or in the streets of Toronto
The host family picks you from a list, so that's probably the last info I'll be getting
My program is focused on English
It's more chill option for those who want to study english and still have some spare time
My course offers classes in alternate turns
I'll be having classes in the moring by mondays, wednesdays and fridays and classes in the afternoon by tuesdays and thursdays
This way I'll always have a part of my day to do whatever I want to
Like studying for school activities, or getting to know places in the city
I'm already hoping I'll make some friends, because it's always more fun to have these experiences in group!
I know some people who chose to have intensive classes and ended up with almost no time to rest or have fun
So I think my decision was the best to enjoy every single minute of this exchange
I'll be studying at EC English Language School
I took a look at other schools
But EC really caught my eyes
I'm really looking forward to get to know the school and have the best learning experience!
Here's some pictures
This school is right up my ally because I really feel more motivated to study when the overall space is nice
There's technological resources, nice teachers, comfortable spaces
To me, if you're comfortable where you're studying, it shows in your grades
I'll be taking a semi intensive course
So here are some things EC Toronto offers:
Free Wi Fi
Which I like VERY MUCH :))
Interactive boards, a library, study rooms, a leisure lounge
There's a kitchen
This is very nice because you can bring your own lunch to eat at school, there's also a microwave and tables
There's also a cafeteria, which is good because I can't survive without coffee and snacks
There are centers where you can apply for proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, Cambridge, etc
I've already took the TOEFL test in September, 2018
And according to my total score I'll be probably at...
... EC's C1 - Advanced class
That's what I suppose
Because during your first day at EC you have to take a leveling test to make sure you'll be at the perfect class for your needs
And the minimum age to study at EC is 16 years old
EC also offers a variety of optional free activities for you to choose
If you feel the need to intensify your studying routine, there are these specific extra activities
I already know there are speaking and conversation extra classes which I'm definitely interested in
And right now I'll talk about how my exchange will work according to my personalized program
My exchange is a language focused exchange
Not High School, Not Au Pair, I'm going to improve my english
My classes start on April 1st
I'll take the plane on March 29th evening to arrive on March 30th
This way I'll have some time to rest a little bit to start my week with full energy on
I'll be living with a host family
And my room will be an individual room
There's also the option to share the room with some other student
And I know this is the best option to those who are looking to save some money
We all know how expensive all of this can be, so choose the best for yourself
I'm very thankful that I got the chance to choose which type of room I wanted
And to me, an individual room is always the best option especially if you're like me and you appreciate some privacy
I'll have 3 meals provided by my host family (breakfest, lunch and dinner)
There was also the 2 meals option, which is undeniably cheaper
But I thought to myself...
If I don't have to worry about spending extra money on basic daily meals, it's not that bad to choose this option
Then I'll only spend my own money in non essencial stuff, like a dinner with my classmates, a weekend trip...
All of this is included
What else is included in my program?
The total price of the english course, accommodation, registration fee, books I'll be using to study
I chose to be picked by a transfer at the airport which will take me to my future host family's house
I got a cancellation insurance
If something unexpected happens and you're unable to travel, you don't lose your money
Let's say a day before your flight you get seriously injured
You really want to get your money back or reschedule your exchange
The cancellation insurance has your back!
I'll also be having consueling 24/7
Something I liked VERY VERY MUCH about my agency is that they have a physical office at Toronto
Any problems, concerns, inquiries I might have, I'll still have people from the agency here in Brazil assisting me
Via e-mail, whatsapp, telephone
But I'll also have the actual agency representatives right there where I'll be living
Just need to take a bus or a cab and I talk to my agency directly any time
There are no agreements between my agency and a canadian agency, for example, to take care of my stuff there
To me, this is the main source of problem of all High School programs, because in most of the cases,
agencies from the country you're studying in don't give two shoots about you
My agency makes sure to provide you every service you can possibly need
What they got me:
Travel insurance
It's extremely important because if something happens with your flight or with your luggage, insurance covers your loss
Think about losing your luggage or it being stolen and having to purchase everything again with your own money
What else?
Life insurance
My agency got me this insurance service
It's a relief to not have to worry about medical assistance in case of an accident or injury
I'm really trying not think about the possibility of breaking an arm or leg in a country that's not my home country
My agency was also in charge of my flight bookings
My agency also got me a travel money card
To avoid using your credit cards where taxes are expensive for your handling, you can get a TM card
It's safer and you'll spend exactly what you'll spend, because it works like a normal debit card
My father will charge my card from here (Brazil) with the amount of money I'll possibily need for a month, for example
And I'll be in touch with him if I need more or less money
This is how I'll pay for my stuff while I'm there
That doesn't mean you don't need to carry real money with you in case of necessity!!
You never know when you'll need to use REAL BANK NOTES to pay for something, also you're not caught off guard if something happens to your card
What else?
The visa
Canada requires visitors to have a visa
How was it for me?
I've already got my american visa in 2017
If you already have the american visa, you can apply to get ETA
Then you don't have to apply for the regular visa and don't have to go through all the boring process
ETA is an eletronic visa, you'll receive a number and that number plus your passport allows you to enter Canada
It's really fast and immensely cheaper than getting a regular visa
Now this part really depends on where you're traveling to
I checked and Canada doesn't ask for it
But since I thought this could be necessary at any time in my life and precaution is never too much
I got my international vaccination certificate to prove that I have my vaccines up to date
Especially the vaccine for yellow fever
Here I'm showing you guys the activity schedule EC have sent me via e-mail
I'm going to be arriving in Toronto on March 30th, saturday
It's going to be a night flight and the arrival will happen around 5h30, 6 in the morning (in canadian time)
OBVIOUSLY I won't be very motivated to do anything major on saturday
I'll get home and sleep
These activities are happening on sunday afternoon, March 31st
It's not obligatory, you don't have to go if you don't want to
But I'm going and here's why
Besides the school tour to get to know the whole place and get used to it,
(me, rambling)
the EC guides will take us (the class) to the subway station so we can get our passes
This is important to me because I still don't know if I'm going to live nearby the school or not,
and regardless I need to have the pass to move around the city by myself, some things I'll have to do alone
And you guys, be sure: I'll be documenting EVERYTHING from start to finish
Not only for you guys to watch but for my family and friends as well, whom I'll be missing very much
So, if you stopped by to watch this video, I hope you subscribe to my channel to join me in this experience
Now starts the countdown!
I'll probably film another exchange diaries before actually travelling
I'll unveil some info about my future host family (but not too much obv) and talk about some last aspects
(rambling again)
Thank you for watching!
I hope you subscribe, hit the notification bell to get the notifications everytime I upload
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Share this video with your friends, with people who might be interested in studying abroad, with curious people who just like to watch this kind of stuff...
That's it! I hope you liked this video :3
Hope to see you in my next videos
Please visit my channel and my other videos, maybe there's something you like
I do make up tutorials, I vlog about everything, I talk about k-pop
See you soon! Bye bye!
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