U-Start International

Eligibility: Only international students and recent immigrants starting university undergraduate programs at the university in September 2012 can apply to this program.

Deadline to register: July 12, 2012

Program cost: $50 registration fee (not including food and accommodation)

For more information: ustart_int@usask.ca 

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Activities

Join us for a great introduction to your new life as a student at the University of Saskatchewan. The experiences U-Start International offers are priceless!

Getting started

On days one and two, U-Start International students and staff will help you get settled.  You will really get to know and connect with the students (Canadian and international), staff, and faculty involved in the program.

Campus and city introductions

From day three to fourteen, the focus will shift to a more intensive academic, social, and cultural orientation. 

Mornings

Each morning, award-winning faculty members will give a sample lecture on a topic related to your area of study, and teach you ways of understanding and learning.  You will have the opportunity to share ideas, questions, and your own perspectives and experiences after the morning sample lectures.

Afternoons

Afternoon activities include workshops on essay, lab and report writing; hands on library and IT  tours; an introduction to your chosen college and areas of study; and Canadian-style science or psychology labs.

Evenings and weekends

You will have time to have fun and relax in the evenings and on the weekends during U-Start international—enjoy a movie night, experience a Canadian barbecue, go to a Huskies football game, visit a local art gallery, and take a trip to Wanuskewin—a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more information, you can contact ustart_int@usask.ca

Accommodation

Accommodation and meal options

You have three options for accommodation during U-Start International.

Option 1: Mohyla Residence

Mohyla is a private residence just three blocks from campus. You will share a bedroom with one or two other people of the same gender. Bathrooms are shared.

• It is clean, friendly and safe.
• The common areas feature wireless Internet, a large screen TV, coin-operated laundry facilities as well as foosball and shuffleboard games.
• You can supply your own pillow and bedding or you can rent them from the residence. Internet service in your room is available at an additional charge.
• Mohyla provides tasty, nutritious meals.
• Cooking your own meals is not an option at Mohyla.

For more information about this residence, visit Mohyla's website. 

Cost: $30 per night (includes meals).

Option 2: The College Quarter

Only available to students who first register to live on campus from September 2011 to April 2012. Apply to live in residence.

In College Quarter, you will have your own bedroom and share a bathroom, kitchen (with a fridge and stove) and living room with two or three other students of the same gender.

You must supply your own cooking utensils, dishes, bedding, and towels. There will be time for shopping trips near the beginning of the U-Start International program to purchase supplies for your kitchen and bedroom.

If you choose this option, we strongly encourage you to share some of your meals at the Mohyla residence during U-Start International (see detailed meal information below).

Cost: $30 per night (meals extra)

Option 3: I will find my own accommodation off campus

Your third option is to find somewhere off campus to live throughout the U-Start International Program. You should arrange a place to stay before you arrive.

It can be a challenge to find accommodation in Saskatoon in the late summer or early fall when university students are returning to the city. Carefully consider the information provided by the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union before choosing this option.

If you choose this option, we strongly encourage you to share some of your meals at the Mohyla residence during U-Start International  (see detailed meal information below).

Meals options

• Eat together in Mohyla

  We recommend that all U-Start International participants eat together in the Mohyla residence, especially for weekday lunches and suppers. Mohyla provides tasty, nutritious meals at a reasonable cost. If you decide to eat at the Mohyla residence, but not live there, lunch costs $5 and supper costs $7. Vegetarian meals will be provided if requested in advance.

• Purchase meals at restaurants

  U-Start International staff will introduce you to food outlets on campus and nearby campus, that will be open during this two-week period. Prices for food on campus vary but would be more expensive than eating at Mohyla (see information above).

  You also have the option of purchasing a university food Cash Card to purchase food on campus from Mondays to Fridays. There will be an opportunity to purchase these cards after your arrival.

• Cook your own meals

  If you have your own accommodation with family or friends or if you are staying in College Quarter, staff have planned an optional grocery shopping trip at the beginning of the program. Cooking your own meals is not an option at Mohyla.