Manon Marcelet

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Moving to TRU as a new beginning

Bymarceletm

Many people think that studying abroad is just a wonderful adventure. They think it’s about relocating to another country, soaking up different cultures, and getting ways to open up new doors. Actually, there is a flip side to it. When you change your country of residence, you also have to adapt to a new lifestyle which might require efforts. You can even get isolated and not sure what your next steps are.

New country, new language, new styles, It is quite a change engaging every sense and it could be overwhelming at first. What the nature of the challenges you face really depends on how correlated your culture is to the one you’re moving to.

Another thing is that the time spent by oneself allows people to develop self-confidence, come up with new ideas and do many other things that they are otherwise deprived of when socializing. Whenever the students from the same country come together, they talk most of the time in their language and do things that remind them of home. The students who have developed friends from the new country usually are the ones who have to deal the least with homesickness.

Later on, after settling down and getting used to it, there is a good chance that you will make friends that will last a long time. You will be able to connect with people from other cultures and quite possibly make some friends for life at TRU.

TRU campus view, october 2025, Manon Marcelet

I spoke with Shashank, an Indian student who came to Kamloops for his studies at Thompson Rivers University. In our discussion, he shared his feelings about leaving his family and his home country, the few difficulties he experienced upon arriving in Canada and, lastly, he described how his stay here affected him in a positive way.

Through a conversation with Shashank we understand better the experience of studying abroad. We get to see through the lens of someone who not only moved, but also integrated into a foreign country and students of other countries. In the end it was a very rewarding journey as Shashank told us.

What Shashank explains about what it means to study is undoubtedly valuable for every aspect of life. Start here if you want to get a real understanding of what it means to move and start anew in a foreign country Canada in this case.

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Leap, an affordable way to socialise and explore the Kamloops area.

Bymarceletm

Arriving at Thompson Rivers University means starting a whole new life. Especially for international students, everything is new, the campus, the city, the people, the academic requirements. At Thompson Rivers University, Leap trips help students discover places, people and activities around Kamloops. At Leap office, located in the International Building, we can find James, working to create great memories with students.

Participants work together during a rafting activity organized by Leap Trip at Interior Whitewater Expeditions, Clearwater. September 2025 (Interior Whitewater Expeditions)


Making social connections is one of the major advantages of Leap Trip. Rafting, for instance, is a team-building activity that requires communication. Aylin Yoamy Zuniga, international student for four years at TRU, says that “Leap enables students to meet new people while having fun”. Moreover, there is no pressure of making formal introductions, and students are able to make connections through shared activities, making it very easy to make friends on the first weeks at Thompson Rivers University.

Students explore natural landscapes near Kamloops after doing zipline with Leap Trip. September 2025 (Manon Marcelet)


In addition to creating great bonds during activities, Leap also assists students in finding their way around the natural environment of British Columbia. The rivers, mountains, and parks form the backdrop of the first experience at university. The discovery of these environments is an important part of the process of helping the students feel at home and less stressed after the challenges of university life, particularly those from other countries. Aylin adds “there are a bunch of different activities from free match to cheap sportive activities, everyone can find a cool leap trip that they’ll like”.

Waterfall view during outdoor activities organized by Leap Trip. October 2025 (Manon Marcelet)


For most students, nature-based activities like rafting, ziplines or guided trips are way too expensive. But Leap provides an alternative to this problem by giving students the opportunity to participate in such activities at a lower cost. Thanks to Leap, students can easily enjoy during weekends, and have an access to activities they initially are not able to afford. For Aylin, this is perhaps the most interesting point : “For example, you can ski at Sun Peaks or go to Vancouver at a very affordable price with Leap, it’s very cool. You just have to be quick to get a ticket before they all sell out”.

By combining social connection, outdoor discovery and affordable activities, Leap helps students adjust to university life in Kamloops. Students interested in discovering activities and community may want to learn more by visiting the Leap website.