I highly recommend University of Guelph graduate studies for the prospective grad student who is looking to build their skills and improve their knowledge. This great learning experience will make students more employable in the labor market. The best thing in grad studies is the working opportunities offered to students while studying which improves their networking and can prepare them for the labor market.
My best advice for prospective grad students would be to not be afraid to put yourself out there to the individuals you want to work with or those you believe to be the best sources of information. You are your best advocate! I would suggest doing as much research as possible on different graduate programs at various institutions, as well as the research being conducted to find the best fit for yourself. In my experience, asking current grad students how their experience was and how they achieved their goals was extremely helpful as they provided their authentic opinion.
Being a graduate student at U of G is a wonderful opportunity. There is a fantastic support system here to help you progress and succeed in research, made up of faculty, support staff and other graduate students.
Words of advice for someone considering graduate school.
Do not hesitate to ask questions in all aspects of overseas study. Your peers, professors, graduate coordinators, and everyone you meet here would love to help.
A right step taken at a right time completely changes your identity. I won't say that your academic journey will be easy, but I am sure it will be worthy.
If you are considering graduate studies, I suggest that you take your research interests and see who on campus is pursuing something that aligns with them. Given the wide range of topics and fields of study here, I would not be surprised to see at least one other individual or faculty member engaged in some research that closely mirrors the interests of the student.
I lived in Ridgetown as this is where my research was conducted. Although Ridgetown does not have much infrastructure in comparison to the City of Guelph, it has large acres of land for research in agriculture. I sometimes enjoyed a tour on the vast land with various research work going on. Personally, I think Ridgetown may be the town with the kindest people I have met, and I know the same is true for the City of Guelph.
I advise prospective grad students to network with as many interesting people as possible. Networking is key to finding research opportunities and gaining experiences. Even simple conversations can stimulate new ideas or help solidify original ones.
