Di bawah ini adalah beberapa point penting yang perlu diketahui dan dibiasakan bagi student yang baru mulai belajar di Canada.

Attendance
Attendance is important in Canada; students do not simply receive their grades based on one final exam. Attendance is seen as an indication of commitment from the student.

Participation
In many countries, students receive a passive, rather than active, orientation toward learning, in which they are expected to simply listen and receive information. But in Canada, questioning and critical thinking are expected at the post-secondary level; students are encouraged to speak out in class and/or volunteer answers.

Lower Level of Formality
Most international students are surprised by the “informal” relationship between instructors and students in Canadian educational institutions. It may take some time before they feel comfortable asking questions or offering an opinion. They may initially be embarrassed or unsettled by direct communication with instructors. Instructors are definitely the experts in the classroom, but they are open to receiving feedback and encouraging discussion among students.

Evaluation
The process of evaluation at university/college is often new to students from other countries. They may be accustomed to being graded on the basis of one final exam and are unused to progressive evaluation throughout the term. They may not be aware that attendance, participation, projects, and small quizzes can contribute to a cumulative grade.

Individual and Group Work
The distinction we make in Canada between individual and group work is not always shared by other cultures. In Canada, individual work is expected to be original and not the result of a group of friends doing the work together and each submitting the same content. With group work, students are expected to fully participate; this is why language support is important for international students: it helps them be more confident in engaging in group situations.

Academic Honesty
The meaning of academic honesty is difficult for many students to fully grasp. The concept of plagiarism may be new for many international students who may never have been required or taught to properly cite sources. In some educational environments, information is a public commodity; ownership of ideas is not recognized in the same way it is here. In addition, in many cultures it is preferable to quote the “expert” rather than to paraphrase in one’s own words.