Geneva Gradiate Institute VS Univ of Toronto

[echo9193]

Please help to make decision: I was accept to Munk School MGA with 6000CAD and Geneva MIA with full scholarship(very attractive) I majored in international relations during my undergraduate study. I hope to work for international organizations after graduate school.

The thing is I cannot speak French so I am concerned about my life in Geneva

Also anyone knows the job opportunities in those two cities?

[actuallyatree]

Geneva certainly looks the better option for work prospects after graduation. Plus, full scholarship, and you've got what, five months to work on your French? Geneva, to me, looks like your best option.

[nugget]

I agree with Actuallyatreee. While French is not amongst the easiest of languages to learn, in 5 months you could learn to make sentences in the past, present and future tenses and you'd learn even faster after you arrive. You can also connect with other foreign students at school which you'll appreciate on the days you feel homesick or want to socialize and relax without thinking about your grammar for a change.

 

I don't know much about your field, but you would probably be a more competitive job candidate if you were bilingual, so I'd say go for it!

Edited March 22, 2014 by jenste

[echo9193]

Geneva certainly looks the better option for work prospects after graduation. Plus, full scholarship, and you've got what, five months to work on your French? Geneva, to me, looks like your best option.

I hope five months will be long enough to manage French... Thank you for your advice. reasonable!

[echo9193]

I agree with Actuallyatreee. While French is not amongst the easiest of languages to learn, in 5 months you could learn to make sentences in the past, present and future tenses and you'd learn even faster after you arrive. You can also connect with other foreign students at school which you'll appreciate on the days you feel homesick or want to socialize and relax without thinking about your grammar for a change.

 

I don't know much about your field, but you would probably be a more competitive job candidate if you were bilingual, so I'd say go for it!

 

Thank you jenste. networking is absolutely important. To me, it is also  like a large university VS a small institute thing...

[siggbottles]

I wouldn't worry about French in Geneva. It is pretty much an international city and you can definitely survive there knowing just a few basic stuf (of course it would be better learning French and there a lot of free/cheap French classes there).

 

I do not know that much about your field, but there are loads of opportunities in Geneva for people like you (most in English). UN, ILO, WHO, zillions of NGO's.. 

[echo9193]

I wouldn't worry about French in Geneva. It is pretty much an international city and you can definitely survive there knowing just a few basic stuf (of course it would be better learning French and there a lot of free/cheap French classes there).

 

I do not know that much about your field, but there are loads of opportunities in Geneva for people like you (most in English). UN, ILO, WHO, zillions of NGO's.. 

Yes, I think so. After hearing your advice, I am leaning to Geneva.

[siggbottles]

If you decide to go to Geneva, feel free to PM me

[djdjdj]

Geneva hands down.  Language skills are absolutely necessary in the field post-graduation.  Crash through some intro/grammar courses before you go and you can pick up the rest when you get there.  

 

I'm in the same field and the Graduate Institute would have been my first choice because of the language opportunities and connections to all the organizations in Geneva (I didn't end up applying for relationship reasons).  I wouldn't pass up the chance to study there if I were in your position.