Volunteering and trying out different career experiences is essential to knowing what you like/what you are good at. I often volunteer my time to entomological societies or writing blog posts for the public so I can gain more skills in scientific communication. Practicing your skills is what helps build them up.
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.
I would tell them that graduate studies is like riding your bike up a hill… You know it's going to be a challenge, but you do it anyways. And as you're trudging up that hill, not only do you have people riding right along beside or in front of you, but you know that you've got a plethora of cheerleaders waiting for you at the top. In essence, graduate studies at the University of Guelph will be scary, hard, and stressful… but so much fun and totally worth it.
Being a Guelph graduate student was really enjoyable. Students, faculty, and staff, are friendly and supportive. The campus is very pretty, and services are wonderful.
I chose to complete my grad studies at Guelph because of the faculty in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development and the connections that the University has to several provincial ministries and government organizations.
Have really good time management! Being ahead on a project will do you wonders when deadlines start to creep up. And don't be afraid to make mistakes and not be entirely sure what you want to accomplish from the start. Faculty are there to help and guide you on your journey but you must also be willing to be challenged and accept productive criticism.
For Food Science in Canada, Guelph was the only choice! Having completed my undergrad here as well, I was happy to build upon my existing relationships within Food Science. Moreover, I was also very excited to not just witness, but be a part of Guelph’s large agri-food revolution.