Student Blog

1. What did she learn?

Honoka first studied digital marketing for five months at a local vocational school in Vancouver, Canada. It is a field related to IT. such as social media marketing, advertising, and email. She obtained four certifications, including Google Search certification and Google Analytics certification, which are related to marketing, by actually utilizing what she learned in class.

For Honoka, who studied in the College of Asia Pacific Studies instead of the College of International Management, it was a valuable experience to learn about an unfamiliar field in English. There were some difficulties, but through this marketing class, she was able to improve her English skills.

2. Challenging herself to work abroad

Study in Canada Co-op places students in a paid internship during the second half of the study abroad program. However, working overseas, including job hunting, is not easy.

Honoka, who wanted to work at Starbucks overseas, prepared an application form and went to 20 stores in person before finally passing the interview. She was able to get the position she wished for.

However, when she actually started working, there were many difficulties, including being corrected by the store manager several times.

Above all, she was surprised by the environment, which was different from Japan. At Starbucks in Canada, it was imperative to have simple communication with each customer. Although she was at a loss as to how to value her relationships with customers more, as time passed, she became able to have fun conversations. For Honoka, this work experience at Starbucks was a great investment.

3. Showing her overseas life on YouTube

Honoka first started a YouTube channel because she wanted to let other people know about the wonderful environment of Study in Canada Co-op. In fact, it was difficult to balance YouTube with her studies and work, but she enjoyed recording her life on video. “I want people to see that there are various ways to study abroad,” she says.

4. What were the difficulties of studying abroad.

There was the issue of money. Honoka-san covered her own living expenses, such as rent, while living in Canada. To do so, she worked at eateries other than Starbucks and even interned online in her spare time.

She said that studying and working were tough, but she was able to grow from it.

She achieved the three goals she set for herself: using English, taking on new challenges, and interacting with a variety of people.