To future graduate students, it is important to keep a clean, legible, and logical lab notebook! Also remember that your brain is your best weapon to succeed in graduate school and it functions best when it is well-rested; only pull all-nighters if necessary. Learn to manage your time and try not to do multiple things at once; multi-tasking in the lab can lead to errors in experiments. Finally, enjoy your time and get all the food and freebies from conferences and other events!
Pursue research that you truly believe has the potential to improve life. Knowing you are working toward something more than just a degree can help you find the drive to make it through the difficult or dry aspects of your time in graduate studies.
Your time in graduate studies will provide many opportunities, but don't lose touch with yourself. Take the time to do what you need to in order to maintain your sense of purpose and direction, then live out of that. Don't be afraid to try new things, but remember that no one can do everything. Be selective.
I think a Graduate program is filled with opportunities for self-growth and self-improvement in a facet of skills, including research, academics, management, teaching, mentorship, public speaking, and networking. On top of that, it exposes you to a variety of workplaces including academia, research and development, industry, and government.
Most importantly, I believe it's not easy to do a graduate program and many others will agree. There will be many challenges and struggles throughout it but this is a normal part of your program and part of the beauty of science and research! I suggest to keep your mind open and find the opportunity in every situation, because your graduate program will only help you improve yourself both personally and professionally!
“As a U of G student I have taken part in many intramural sports including soccer, softball, football, hockey and volleyball. I have had great experiences, both as an intramural player and captain. The availability of such a wide variety of athletic opportunities for students is a great addition to the university.”
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.
I would tell any prospective grad students to visit the campuses they are applying to, and talk to students in their program(s) of interest! A major factor in my staying at Guelph was the campus community, and knowing that I would be supported throughout my studies in not only my academics, but also through the social atmosphere on campus.
Remember that research never goes as planned and to not let failed experiments or unwanted results keep you from working hard on your degree. No one gets through graduate school without failed experiments and huge changes in their project plans.
Make sure your decisions are based on a meaningful purpose. The phrase “What you put in is what you get out” is what I return to repeatedly. It applies to you as a person, the work you do, and the food you make. You need purpose to make anything of consequence happen. It’s been over a decade since I made my first decisions to enter the field of food safety, and I’m even more committed to it today than I was then.
