International students have always been in challenging situations and this pandemic amplified it further. To smoothly transition to the educational platforms and integrate into a new country, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, international students need adequate support from educational institutions and governments. Integration plays a dominant role in adaptation to life in a foreign country and academic success. Based on Tinto's (2011) integration model, this study explores the unique challenges based on the lived experiences of an international doctoral student from a lower-income country, Bangladesh, enrolled in an Ontario university. It focuses on the learning experience of the international doctoral student's integration to become a scholar within this changing time. Self-reflection on the hurdles experienced and the coping strategies during the evolution inform the analysis. Finally, the study concludes by highlighting the role of adequate institutional and government support services by offering valuable recommendations for international students’ integration.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a multifaceted ability that helps us to sense, understand, value, and effectively apply the power of emotions as a source of information, trust, creativity, and influence (Goleman, 2006; Salovey, Caruso, & Cherkasskiy, 2011). The five components (self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skill) embedded within EQ may work solely or collectively and may individuals cope with everyday life events. Such an emotional tool kit may help multicultural international students to help cope with several adverse situations. The focus of this study was to provide an auto-ethnographic account of a female university student’s experiences as she transitions to become a full-time international graduate student in an Ontario university. The author reflects on the hurdles and socio-emotional challenges experienced during the transition to becoming a graduate student in Ontario. Overall, based on the student’s experiences, findings suggest the need for Canadian universities to incorporate multiple components of EQ into their international university services, including mindfulness, self-regulation, and stress management.

To smoothly transition to the educational platforms and integrate into the new country, especially after the heinous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, international students need adequate support from the leaders of educational institutions. Leaders not only refer to the administrative leaders but also include the teachers who lead these students in their regular classes. Leaders may also refer to their peers and even the students themselves, who make decisions about their own lives and lead themselves. The toolkit of emotional intelligence (EQ) is valuable for all leaders because it is a multifaceted ability that helps individuals apply the power of emotions as a source of trust, communication, and influence. This chapter focuses on an account of the learning experience of one international doctoral student's transition within a new cultural context. Self-reflection on the hurdles experienced and the importance of respectful communication during the evolution to becoming an international doctoral student in Ontario informs the analysis.