The University of Guelph is a small family in itself with a lot of support to facilitate different types of lifestyles. My ability to feel safe and learn without worry is something I have admired.
Drawing on my experience in academia and research, I would advise prospective graduate students to embrace challenges. When confronted with a difficult situation, tackle it directly rather than trying to avoid it. You'll often find that the solution emerges as you delve into understanding and addressing the challenge at hand.
Graduate studies are a great experience. In my experience, it was much more practical learning to equip you with skills to use in work settings. You also get to meet so many people who are in the same field and diversify your network.
Get involved in the community. Grad school is more than your research project; expand your contributions beyond your field of research and into the community where you are working.
I've been very privileged and lucky since coming to Guelph for my undergraduate degree back in 2010 as all of the opportunities I have been given have been gained through building strong relationships with faculty and staff on campus and finding mentors that have helped guide me along my career path. I've always found that the people on campus are incredibly giving and willing to devote their time to help out students. I've also found that simply starting with expressing an interest to be more involved and showing initiative can go a very long way to opening doors to new opportunities.
The graduate life experience is great! There are a ton of activities and ways to get involved on campus. The administration, faculty and fellow student truly provide a supportive environment to learn, grow and be challenged.
