As the number of international students continues to rise at Canadian universities, both university instructors and international students have to learn to adapt and change if they are both to be successful. The changes are greatest in terms of expectations and day-to-day reality. Instructors expect certain things from their students such as students will understand the language of instruction, students will have the necessary prior knowledge to benefit from instruction, and that students will be motivated to learn. Students have expectations as well, they expect that their lack of language skills will not be a barrier to learning, and they expect that they can continue to do the same things they did in their home countries regarding assignments. The mismatch between what instructors expect and what students expect is often overwhelming in classrooms leading to frustration on the part of both participants.