Mood Check: Are international students city or country people?

People often describe themselves as being either a city or country person. Algonquin College is full of people from different backgrounds and lifestyles. Students come from all over the world to be a part of Algonquin’s diverse community. How do they see themselves?

Name: Serolf Flores, international student from the Phillippines
Program: Development Services Worker

“I would say I am more like a city person because I grew up in the city and I have more interest in the city. Going out and seeing street lights, taking a bike or outdoor activities, like roller skating and hanging out with friends in the city where we can all be free.”

Name: Oussama Zaanouni, international student from North Africa

Program: Marketing Management

“I’m a city person I think. Going out, drinking and going to parties; the city in general, like bars and clubs. There are a lot of different things like housing and transportation.”

Name: Noura Sayegh, international student from Lebanon
Program: Culinary Management

“I grew up mostly in the city, so I am more familiar with the city. I don’t know anything about the country. I like to drive a lot around the city, which is very therapeutic. I like to do sports. Some places in my city had lots of fields to play football [soccer] or volleyball. Other than that, there’s shopping, going to the mall with friends and hanging out. If you were to compare my city to Ottawa, then it is kind of different because here there are more fields, trees and nature. There is barely any nature in my city. There are just small palm trees and barely any other trees, but there aren’t any fields of grass. You rarely see that.”

Name: Ifeoluwa Olubode, international student from Nigeria
Program: Culinary Management

“Country. I love the country so much. I love animals so much. I also like gardening, going to peaceful gardens and I like being surrounded by nature. I’m not the type of person to like being around city noise and the busy city view isn’t cute. Back home, if someone is from the city you would say they are ‘more from the city’ and if someone is from the country, you would say ‘that person isn’t a city person’ or that they don’t ‘vibe with the city aesthetic’.”