To any undergraduate student that wants to pursue graduate school, my best advice would be to study hard, celebrate your academic victories, and don't get caught up on your failures. Everybody has a story of a course they wish they did better in, or a midterm/exam that was an unexpected curveball, but as long as you learn from your past and keep pushing forward, things will work out for the better.
I encourage prospective graduate students to embrace interdisciplinary learning and seek out mentorship opportunities. Graduate school is about more than just coursework—it is about developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and building professional relationships. Stay open to new perspectives, actively engage in discussions, and take advantage of the research and networking opportunities available at U of G.
Smart or slow, doesn't really matter in the end, the point is everyone has their own time zone, all you have to have is your own balance of work, play, and all other stuff, the others don't really matter.
Be patient with yourself. As a student your job is to learn, and by necessity, fail. Solving the problem and having the right answer isn't always the same thing.
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.
“My advisor has allowed me to grow as an independent researcher, and ensures I stay on track. I have had a wonderful experience growing into the student I am now. ”
I found being in a graduate university environment to be very beneficial for having access to experts on many topics. I would encourage new graduate students to not be afraid to reach out to various professors and other graduate students that can help guide you and offer advice.
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.
Professors at the University of Guelph are exemplary in their professional acumen. Over and above this, there are plenty of opportunities, like Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and Research Assistantship (RA), for an international graduate student to help fund their studies.
