Langara College — Attraction in Vancouver

Langara’s PDD Business Administration program is like a joke to me now. I have a master's degree with award-winning thesis work and over ten years of professional experience, often working overtime without compensation. That’s why I came to Canada, to experience a different education system and enjoy a better work-life balance. However, the workload over two consecutive semesters, totaling eight months, will at least shorten 8 years of my life span.

There was no opportunity to change instructors after initial classes, nor is there any mechanism for end-of-semester evaluations or feedback. We have repeatedly encountered instructors who lack empathy, and group projects are everywhere. Have you ever conducted research? More than half of the registered students are not here to study! It’s always just minor responsible individuals who bear the brunt of the work, and even among them, many are poorly prepared by varied educational and professional backgrounds from around the world. Their misplaced enthusiasm often hinders group progress more than it helps. The health-threatening workload also exacerbates mistakes and delays, leading to a point where I have been tamed or mentally manipulated to prefer doing all the work for the whole group.

The disparity between instructors is enormous, and some course syllabus are obviously problematic. It’s either forcing us to shoulder dozens of tasks from every morning when we wake up to the time we fall asleep (cuz they are too much to be finished within only one day), or hearing about other classes where the same subjects are far less demanding. I calculated that during term 2, we had an average of 25+ hours of work outside the classroom per week, on top of 20 hours of classes and commuting, which already exceeded 40 hours; Peak weeks even went up to 80 hours. And most of us fell ill by the end of the semester. We thought we had survived the toughest part, only to find this semester 3 even worse: 44 hours outside-class work + 16h for classes per week! Studying for them 60+h is definitely harder than working 80+ cuz everything is totally new and no chance to get experienced. And we have no voice, only to comply.

Vanessa Barren expects us to every week do group work with reading long cases, writing analyses using new theories, presenting in class, and revising before submitting. EVERY WEEK! One semester, 8-10 group submissions, plus additional 7-10 tasks and in-class assignments, let alone exams.

Luciano Greggio’s Negotiation long cases were sent just days before the due date. We’re expected to write paperwork, negotiate, answer written questions, and then reflection report within a week. We were graded on weird criteria and the whole atmosphere was depressing. In one case, the traveling destination has only one washroom without any other specific quantified information, but if in our reports, no matter how well we managed other negotiation items, we only get 50-60% as long as we didn’t build more bathroom.

In Social Media, participation is graded every class and all the “teaching” content was students to raise hand and get speaking chance. Discussions are only cases of major brands like Oreo and Sephora. There’s no teaching on how emerging businesses should do social media marketing. We also graded on quizzes (18 question 20 min!) and time-consuing AI-generated posts on a suck simulation platform. Paul Leigh had completely different attitudes in two courses. Despite being overwhelmed with 5+tasks each week and other courses, he rejected our request to extend a term group project by one week, even though we asked with rationale a month ago. What I perceived was only BRUTAL

I came all the way to learn about negotiation and social media, but what I got? To endure physical strain, disrupted routines, chaotic sleep, constant pressure from so-called superiors, psychological harm from peers’ ghosting, inability and laziness, and dealing with endless assignments with little practical value! My part-time job and volunteer work environments are entirely different...

A review of the Langara Certificate of Journalism.

It’s hard to overstate just how transformative this certificate has been for my journalism career — not only in the practical skills I gained, but in the guidance, encouragement, and inspiration I received from the tutors who shaped my journey.

For international students hoping to break into the Canadian news industry, I honestly don’t believe there’s another course that compares. It is hands-on, immersive, and led by tutors who are not only deeply knowledgeable but also generous with their time and support. To be taught by the legendary Kim Bolan herself is an experience that alone would be worth enrolling for.

From day one, you’re not just sitting through lectures or reading about theory — you are pitching stories, writing under deadline, interviewing, taking photos, and producing work that reflects the demands of a real newsroom. The standards are high, but so is the support. The tutors push you to deliver your best, and they back that up with feedback that is thoughtful, practical, and rooted in years of frontline journalism experience.

Yes, it requires graft, resilience, and a genuine passion for the craft. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. Personally, I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Reed-Mercer Fellowship, something I doubt I would even have applied for without the encouragement and confidence instilled in me by my tutors.

The one-year structure might sound short, but in reality, it is exactly the right length — intense, focused, and comprehensive enough to arm you with both the skills and the mindset needed to succeed. Perhaps most importantly, it constantly brings you back to the central question of why we do journalism in the first place: to tell stories that matter, hold power to account, and give a voice to those who might otherwise go unheard.

For me, this certificate was more than a qualification — it was the launchpad for a career, and a reminder of why I fell in love with journalism in the...

So far langara only set me for failure as when they didn’t have a course to offer me after failing half of the class for lack of preparation during the pandemic with online classes, this forced me to change my course, and again the international coordinators having my documents for months and exchanges of emails didn’t follow up with my registration from March until the latest moment in September, and with that fitted me again in another course that was not my intended, since they didn’t have spots for me anymore. Starting later in this semester, fighting a tumor for more than a year coming out from a surgery today, langara with a terrible coordination, organization, are setting me for failure again. Pushing me into paper work, bureaucracy, when I’m simply asking to be heard and for my rights. but only push me to email, another paper, another person. No one offer real help. And then what? will give me the contact of accessibility? As an empty offer of help. One appointment every 15 days and more paper work or bureaucracy to make you overwhelmed and crazy. I would like to sue langara for harassment! I would like to have a chance or an audition to plead my case as for multiple mistakes from langara I’ve been harmed, making me overspend with my studies. Until getting sick my grade were only A! But since I got will I had nothing but empty words of help and after that ignored. I’m on the second day post surgery, and if someone could possibly willing to help me I will be much grateful. I’m in no conditions for this greedy school that only offers me poorly trained instructors, unprepared, with youtube videos and charges me $1900 for it. That is the reason why I chose to drop a class in the second lecture. The students had to create a WhatsApp group since they didn’t received any clear orientation from the instructor. Not a single zoom call. Disrespectful. Lord have mercy. To whom I need to email more to...