From Mumbai to Toronto: My Journey as an International Student

Palash Sambre | July 4, 2025

Hey there! I’m Palash Sambre, currently studying Professional Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University (or TMU, as we call it). I’ll be starting my third year this fall, and honestly, time has flown by.

Why I Chose to Study in Canada

I’m originally from Mumbai, India — the city of dreams, street food, traffic jams, and of course, Bollywood. I’ve got a younger sibling back home who’s eight years younger than me (and probably bossing everyone around by now).

The decision to study in Canada came to me back in 10th grade. I knew I wanted to do something in the media, and the universities in Toronto felt like a better fit — more options, more freedom, and more opportunities to explore what I really wanted.

I reached out to an agency called Career Launcher, and they helped me with everything — applications, the whole visa process, and even figuring out where I’d live. One more thing that really helped was meeting international students at TMU through Zoom to ask questions about university life.

Arriving in Toronto and Getting Settled

I started looking for student housing a bit late (classic me), around June, and things moved quickly after that.

When I landed in Toronto, there were a bunch of things I needed to sort out:

Immigration checks
Getting my study permit
Setting up a phone plan
Applying for a SIN number
Opening a bank account and connecting it with my GIC

I was super nervous about the study permit part. I kept double-checking my documents, convinced I was missing something — but it honestly took less than five minutes. The line was long, but the process went smoothly.

Adjusting to Life in Canada

Even though I’m far from home, I still see little pieces of India here — like Bollywood music playing at Dundas Square, familiar faces, or grabbing Indian food when I’m feeling nostalgic.

That said, the culture here is very different. People are incredibly kind — they hold doors open for you, smile at you on the street, and sometimes cafés even give you freebies just because. It’s wild in the best way.

The Culture Shock: Closing Times

In Mumbai, we say it’s the city that never sleeps — malls, restaurants, even salons are open super late. But here, things wind down early. By 7 PM, most shops are shutting, and malls usually close by 9 PM. It’s definitely a shift.

Living at HOEM

I heard about HOEM from a friend who stayed in Pitman Hall, one of TMU’s on-campus residences. Living at HOEM has honestly been one of the best parts of my experience so far.

I’ve made so many friends, and the events at HOEM are always a fun break from classes or just the daily grind. The staff are super friendly too — talking to them doesn’t feel formal at all, more like chatting with a friend.

One of my favorite spots is the games room on the second floor. It’s got Cards Against Humanity, Herd Mentality, ping pong, foosball, an arcade, and — the holy grail — a coffee machine. That machine has pretty much carried me through late-night study sessions in the common rooms.

Looking Ahead: Career Goals and Dreams

I’m really hoping to land a summer internship at CBC next year. I want to build more experience, meet new people in the industry, and (hopefully) become a bit more confident in the process.

So yeah, that’s been my journey so far — from Mumbai to TMU, from nervous beginnings to late-night ping pong tournaments. Let’s see what the next chapter holds