By: Yannis Fernandes

I moved to Canada as an International student at the age of 19 from Dubai, UAE. As someone aspiring to work in animation, I knew Sheridan was where I needed to be. I started at Sheridan’s TRC campus in the Art Fundamental program knowing that I was signing up for a yearlong of intense portf­­olio preparation. My goal was to enroll in the Illustration program, and this was my way in. Once I enrolled in Art Fundamentals, I knew the next step was finding the place I’d call home for the next year.

Sheridan’s TRC Residence was my top choice for multiple reasons. The first one being its proximity to campus for all those early morning classes and my safety while walking back at night after those late portfolio prep sessions with friends. It helped that the friends I made also lived on residence, this eased my transition from living with my parents to living on my own.

Apart from the friends I made, the friendly faces I’d see every day from the front desk to the communal kitchen made my experience more enjoyable even when it seemed like I was too busy with the course work from school.

Moving to Oakville, ON from Dubai had its challenges. My life in Dubai was sheltered yet fast paced. Due to the labor laws in the UAE, children are not allowed to work, while here, most of my Canadian peers had their first job at the age of 16. Not having any real work experience and coming from a conservative background made me feel like I was sometimes worlds apart from those around me. I did have to remind myself that everyone has their own path in life, and I’d focus on similarities among peers rather than differences when it came to feeling left out. I’ve also learned that surrounding myself and having conversations with people of different beliefs and backgrounds has enriched my experience of moving away from home as I believe personal growth truly occurs when you step out of your comfort zone and ask questions.

 Nevertheless, I didn’t always get along with everybody. I learnt the importance of setting personal boundaries when I had my first roommate ever. We shared a suite and while most of our interactions were pleasant, we didn’t have one of those roommates to BFF success stories. Back home, I shared a bedroom with my older sister and after she moved away for University, I got comfortable taking up all that space for myself. My top tip for moving in with someone you’ve just met or don’t know very well would be to expect to adjust and establish reliable grounds for communication. For me, that meant a whiteboard on our fridge that told us whose turn it was to take out the trash.

 I was lucky enough to make some of my closest friends during my first year at Sheridan. All of them lived in residence which meant between attending classes and hanging out, I was barely in my own room except for when I had to go to bed. I’ll never forget helping my friend host our first dorm party or the time we had a sleepover just so that we could all be up early the next day to pick the right classes, so we’d all have the same schedules. I’m grateful for those experiences because getting to know people was a real challenge during the onset of the pandemic in 2020, my first year in the Illustration program.  

For students moving away from home, my first advice would be to strive for a work-life balance. When you move, the distracting temptations that come with being independent can be detrimental to your success at Sheridan. I recommend tracking your weekly/monthly goals to make sure you are not losing focus. When I enrolled in Art Fundamentals, my goal was to be accepted into the Illustration program and writing out my plan to achieve those goals is what got me here. Second and most importantly, take complete advantage of the resources offered at Sheridan. During my year of remote-learning, I was impressed with the amount of resources Sheridan had to offer especially the course evaluation forms that students filled in at the end of the term. When you take advantage of these resources, success is inevitable.

With newfound independence, the ability to juggle a social life, schoolwork and your health and wellness seems impossible. When I lived at home my parents made sure there was food at the dinner table and that I was up on time for my classes. This allowed me to solely focus on my academics and social life. Managing my meals, money, health, classes and social while having to grind on my Illustration portfolio was extremely new to me. It helped to have a strong support system. Being able to facetime my family and friends back home or vent to my Sheridan friends kept me on track as they reassured me. Now as I begin my 3rd year in the Illustration program, I can say that I’ve gotten better at living a balanced life.