If you’re planning on studying in Canada, amongst the many documents required for your scholarship or admission application, is a study plan. Study plans can be tricky to get right, especially if this is your first time writing one. But don’t worry; we’ve got your back covered with everything you need to know about a study plan and how to write one in this article!

So, let’s get into it.

What is a Study Plan?

Study plan is academically defined as an essay of explanation on your academic interest, study proposal, academic schedule, and reasoning for taking a particular course in a specific University or country.

In simple words, a study plan includes a brief overview of why you want to study in the chosen country (in this case, Canada), your academic goals and objectives, plans to achieve those goals, and how studying in that country impacts your future plans.

Additionally, your plans for working alongside your degree (or partaking in extracurricular activities, internships, volunteer work, etc.), and your plans for time management to ensure that you are not compromising your studies should also be included in your study plan essay.

How to Write a Study Plan?

To write the best possible study plan essay for Canadian Scholarship or University Admission Application; make sure that you include all of the points given below. By using the given points as a guide when writing your study plan, you will ensure that you have covered all of the points that the scholarship committee will be looking for in your essay.

1# Describe why you have chosen Canada specifically:

First and foremost, you are going to talk about your reasoning behind wanting to study in Canada. Were you attracted by the university’s rankings or perhaps the culture of the country or maybe, the diversity of the student population in Canada, etc.?

2# Describe why you are not pursuing a similar field in your home country:

Perhaps the field you want to pursue is not easily accessible in your home country, or maybe the level of advancement in the field in terms of research and resources is very limited in your home country as compared to Canada.

As a minor especially, when you’re outlining your reasons for studying in Canada, you also need to include your parents or guardians’ immigration status, their bank statements, investments, properties, and other financial assets owned by them.

3# Describe your educational goals:

This is the section where you will be talking about which academic field you’re studying in, your reasons for pursuing this field, and how it ties in with your future career plans. Are you planning on performing any research in your field, or pursuing an internship or work opportunities while you are there? If so, don’t forget to mention them in your study plan essay!

This section also provides a good opportunity to briefly mention how you will be creating a study schedule for yourself and dividing up your time amongst the academic courses and other activities. If a research project is involved as part of the degree, details must be included about the funding required, the objectives of the project, and the impact that it will have on the related field and on your career.

4# Describe the challenges you might face in Canada with possible solutions:

Studying in a foreign country poses various challenges for everyone; from language barriers to the difficulty of having to navigate life in a completely new country, to having to balance the independent lifestyle alongside your studies. Identify what you think might be a challenge for you in your move to Canada and how you plan on overcoming that challenge.

5# Describe how the course will help enhance your chances of employment in your home country:

The long- term impact of your degree must be included in your study plan. After getting your degree from Canada, how can you use it to pursue a career in that field in your home country?

Try to research the qualifications of different jobs that you might be seeking in your country and identify whether and how studying in the program will help you meet those qualifications. Again, if the degree is research based, then what will be the long-term impact of the results of your research in your field, and how will it pave the way for other scientists and future endeavors.

6# Write down your educational background:

In this section, you will describe your educational background which includes the names and addresses of all the schools that you have attended, along with the starting and ending dates, course names, and degrees awarded. Additionally, don’t forget to mention any skills you might have acquired over the years, along with notable achievements and past work experience.

7# Describe your family ties and travel history:

In this section, you should briefly mention any family ties that you might have with people in your home country, for example, your parents, partner, or children.

Along with that, this would also be a good time to mention your travel history, or your parents’ travel history as that might improve your chances of getting your application approved.

Conclusion:

Lastly, in conclusion, you are going to summarize your academic goals, reasons for wanting to study in Canada and show appreciation to the scholarship committee for considering your application.

Tips for Writing a Study Plan to Study in Canada:

• Keep your study plan to the point. The admissions office does not need to know a lot about your current institution, courses, extracurricular activities, etc. Rather they are more interested in how studying in Canada at the institution you have chosen will help your academics and career.
• Make sure your study plan is factual and personalized. You should only be writing our study plan after you’ve done ample research on the degree you want to pursue and the institution. Talk about what it is about their university that makes it the perfect fit for your academic goals and remember to be concise.
• Try to keep your study plan only one page long.
• Write in simple terms. The person who is reading your study plan may not be aware of all the technical terms regarding your field, so your language needs to be simple enough that a third party can easily understand what you are talking about.
• Once completed, ask a professional with the right experience in the admissions field and a good grip on the English language to help you edit and proofread your essay before sending it in.

Good luck!

By following the format given above and keeping the given tips in mind, you will be able to write the most concise study plan essay possible that will definitely increase your chances of getting the scholarship.

To give you an idea of what your study plan should look like, here are some successful samples of study plans published by Trent University.