Yams

Wow - thank you so much for the replies, everyone! I don't have time to reply right now but just wanted to say a massive thanks Will respond later on, but it all sounds positive so far! Looking forward to getting the ball rolling with my applications.

Hey - first post on GradCafe! I'm just finishing my Masters in the UK and I'm thinking about applying to UBC in Canada for a PhD in 2014. It seems like it's fairly difficult for international students to secure scholarships, so I was thinking that trying to get a TA position might be the best idea. My question is - is it enough?? I've done some teaching at my current university and the problem is that hours are fairly sparse, unreliable, and completely dry up over the summer. I supported myself with a 'proper' part-time job (i.e. a regular 20 hours per week) and mainly did the teaching because I enjoyed it and wanted to get experience. Does anybody have any experience of being a PhD student and TA in Canada? Does it provide enough money to get by? Alternatively, does anyone have any better ideas for an international (British) student trying to fund PhD studies in Canada? Thanks!