DeafAudi

Yes. of course I would become bilingual in the language of whichever country I move to, which is why I'm seeking opportunities to do so in Canada or through a work/volunteer experience. I was more referring to the fact that my M.Sc. would theoretically allow me to practice worldwide in my field (with the exception of the U.S., where they require an Au.D.). I realize that I would face many challenges as an expat and appreciate any advice anyone can provide. I will be going to grad school in Canada although I would have preferred to study abroad because my program is not highly funded. Because I was not able to have this opportunity, I hope one day to work abroad. The idea of practicing in a foreign country and learning the local culture and language is what appeals to me. I enjoy being in Canada, but I want to experience something more, too. This is why I said that I wouldn't mind living somewhere culturally similar to Canada, because I'm not unhappy here. HopefulComparativist, I will definitely look into that. If you get citizenship in one EU country, does it become easier to get citizenship in others? Also, the Baltic countries are intriguing! I would love to visit one day.

Thank you for the advice, jenste and maelia8! Unfortunately, I only know English and very limited French (I know, I know, boring!) but I would really like to pick up a second or even third language. Maybe I will start with Swedish as it sounds like it's closer to English and go from there? I will definitely check out those websites, jenste. I know that I need to gain language proficiency before I even start applying for jobs so perhaps it would be worth going on a kind of exchange program and enrolling in an immersion course when I'm there.

Thank you for the advice! I was actually leaning more towards Denmark, Sweden, or Finland out of the Nordic countries. Do you know anything about those languages? I heard that Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian are quite similar but Finnish is different.

That is very encouraging re: the possibility of qualifying for a passport because my grandparents were born there. I'll definitely look into that as well. How did you go about getting Italian citizenship? It's true that I haven't really experienced much outside of my own country and culture. Part of this was because I'm young (25) and have been in school since I graduated high school so I never really had the money. I also got into a relationship young and now that's over, I've realized that I held myself back and didn't take risks, such as travelling or living abroad like I've always wanted to. I've always wanted to go to Mexico City! I'm sure it's a drasically different experience than tourisy Cancun and PV .

Wow, you have had quite the experience! I'm very jealous . This is a great idea! I don't know how to go around finding these opportunities but that will be something I'll have to look into. Possibly my program advisors will know something?

Thank you for your well thought out response! I agree that I would need to immerse myself in a different culture to learn the language, so perhaps saying that I would become fluent in Canada was too optimistic. I would definitely study as much as I could before moving to a foreign country. It would also be more difficult with my hearing loss, but I've never let that stop me before . I'm interested in the Nordic countries because it would be fairly easy to transition there with my masters degree in Audiology and I don't think it's too hard to get a job in that field. Of course, it would be much more difficult as an expat (as you said). I've also always been attracted to the idea of living in Europe. I've heard that it is similar to living in Canada in some ways, and my grandparents were born in Austria, Germany, Ireland (another option) and Sweden so I wonder if getting status would be easier. I've also heard that the Nordic languages are easier to learn from English. I still have a lot of real research to do. I like your suggestion of maybe considering developing countries. They may not be as "sexy" as Europe, but if I could find a job in my field and still live comfortably while experiencing another culture, I'm sure it would be an amazing experience. Did you find it challenging moving from place to place? What did you do with any possessions you accumulated? Did you manage to set down roots in any of them, or are you still looking for that perfect place? I haven't actually looked into getting EU status. As I said before, my research is very preliminary and this dream of mine is really just taking roots!

I guess I'm not the only one with travel on the brain today (see: Has anyone thought about living overseas? thread), lol. I've only lived in Canada, in my home province (Alberta). I've traveled to various places in British Columbia,St.Louis, Missouri, Mexico (Cancun and Puerto Vallarta) and Bermuda. Exciting!

More and more lately I've been thinking that I want to move to Europe, most likely one of the Nordic countries. Of course, this would require learning a second language, which would be challenging because I have never learned any language other than English. I'm planning on maybe working a few years after graduation in Canada and becoming fluent in a second language. Canada is a great country but I'm bored and want to see the world. I've never lived more than a hour away from my parents. Is anyone else in the same boat? Has anyone actually made the move overseas?

Haha, I hate rain too but I hate the cold/snow even more!

I upvoted you simply for your AMAZING username and display picture, haha.

Yeah, I was wondering about that! Although, there are a couple of people from Ontario in my program. I actually feel like the minority because I'm the only one from small town Alberta so far! I can't wait to experience BC . I bet you can't wait to leave the snow and COLD behind, hey? I don't think it gets much below 0 degrees in Vancouver (thank god).

At least the summer is a bit longer in Vancouver than in Alberta and (I think) Toronto so hopefully we'll be able to enjoy a couple of months when we finally get out there . Have you met anyone else going to UBC? I've met one other person on here in my department and others on Facebook. Most of them are from the area, though.

I think the comments on vocabulary are interesting because I didn't study for it at all and scored in the 81st percentile. I definitely didn't know all the obscure words but I knew enough to be able to eliminate and narrow down answers. I would say I have an average to slightly above average vocabulary, nothing special. I recommend spending more time on learning the strategy than the words themselves. In particular, be sure to study reading comprehension and sentence equivalence because those are tricky when your mind is tired. OTOH, my quantitative score was completely another story. lol.

I would move earlier if I could! I'm hoping to find a place in West Vancouver or downtown. Kitsilano would be ideal. From what I understand from talking to other people, cars can be a bit of a nuisance because the roads are super congested. I think it would definitely be nice to have for trips to the store etc, though!

Oh, and I've heard from people in my program that it isn't the best idea to commute from Surrey or Burnaby because people would get burned out. The comparatively low prices in Burnaby are tempting, though...

I thought about renting a U-Haul as well! How much is it going to cost you? I won't be taking my vehicle so I would have to rent a truck. Either that or my dad will take a few days off of work to drive us. I know that's a lot to ask, though. It's also a bit more difficult because my roommate will be moving out in July and I won't be moving until August. When are you moving? Bachelor apartments in Vancouver are so expensive! Maybe you can contact people in your program to see if they are looking for roommates? I don't know about you but I'm SO excited to move to Vancouver! It's always been a dream of mine to live there .

ME! I'm taking the M.Sc. in Audiology. What are you taking? Have you started looking for a place to live yet? I'm moving with a friend and I'm having a bit of a hard time! There don't seem to be many furnished options that allow small dogs in our price range (read: upwards of $1500 each a month in rent ). I think we will have to find an unfurnished place and either move my furniture from Alberta or buy it when I get there.

Haha, I live in western Canada where it is regularly that cold in the winter and I have never heard of anyone using ski goggles outside of skiing! Why not, though? I'll have to try it sometime!

I got ISFP--The Artist. Interesting!

Anyone waiting for UBC--I just got an email that the SLP and Audiology classes have been finalized for September 2014.

There isn't much funding for professional degrees so most of us end up paying for at least part of our degree.

I eat ketchup on my pizza!

Interesting! Only about half of the electrodes are functioning in my right CI but some users make use of that, so I'm excited to see what happens!

Same here. It's still going strong and I'm only upgrading to the Air because I want something a bit lighter to carry to school with longer battery life. In fact, I feel a bit guilty about giving away a perfectly functioning laptop.