First of all, I really appreciate RCIIS by offering high standard teaching materials not only Michel and Juliet were the great teachers but also Tong, the director and Tomomi, the school counsellor were so helpful and generous...well, I might have been sassy by asking too many questions sometime.
I totally recommend RCIIS if someone ask me where to study in Toronto. I am NOT saying an empty compliment here. I am telling the truth! It was quite obvious for me that I chose RCIIS from the beginning when I had knocked the door of RCIIS. Why? Because IKEA was on the list of their internship companies they have contract with. Since I had worked at the field of interior design related job, IKEA was one of the most famous Swedish based monster companies. I was hoping to seek a chance to work there somewhere in my heart, when I came to Toronto. At the same time, studying business was something I had never done in my life. So it was such opportunity to be at school. Overall, it was astonishing and delightful that I have learned so much ideas about business and rediscovered so many things related to my previous work experience. That surely gave me some kind of confidence.
Both Michel and Juliet were the most talented teachers who have tons of experience both at work and in their lives (I think they do! because they were such wonderful people), and who knows how to bring out students' natural desire to learn. Lessons were based on textbooks but there were additional materials as well as teachers wouldn't mind being asked from students about subjects they were studying!
Being an intern student at Ikea was so much fun. I had never worked for a big company before and I really enjoyed it. Maybe, Canada itself is a multicultural country that is why Ikea was also one of multicultural organizations. I had a chance to work at the showroom of beds and bathrooms. From the beginning, my manager told me that it was one of the busiest sections that co-workers had to deal with customers. I did see it from the day I started working. Oh gosh, customers didn't mind who I was...They just kept asking questions such as ' where is a bathroom?' or ' why Ikea doesn't carry European sized beds anymore?'...such and such. There were quite bits of work to do... such as tidying beds or getting orders from customers. Every co-worker was really helpful. I asked so many questions because I was curious how this place worked out... Time after time, some of them started teaching me how to use the computer system to take some simple orders from customers and showed me their latest product detailed information to help me working. The co-worker I was supposed to help taught me things as much as she could. Also, there were lots of co-workers who taught me about working at Ikea, working in Canada or living in Toronto. Moreover, working for customers at Ikea developed my communication skills not only in English but also as a person. This is incredible and I will never forget how this experience deepens my life.
In conclusion, through all these events at RCIIS and IKEA, I have learned there is nothing to lose until you try so it is better to step forward even with fear. Then, you will know what's there and learn something out of it. This may sound really simple but something like this can be forgot really easily when you are working like a dog in so-called 'my routine'.