“Since I immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh in 2001 I have been living in Guelph. I cannot think of a city better than Guelph. People here are very friendly and dedicated to making their city a better place Guelph has a nice blend of rural and urban atmosphere; it's not too big or too small.”
In addition to providing a stable funding guarantee, the department and college offered a number of additional travel and research funding opportunities that contributed substantially to the quality of my work.
As a graduate student it is important to be flexible and adaptable to change as you work through your degree. Becoming a graduate student allows you to develop your professional brand, while contributing to academic literature.
I chose to study at the University of Guelph because I liked the friendly, community-based attitude here. After completing my undergraduate degree at Guelph I knew this is where I wanted to complete my master's.
From my experience as an international student, I would request every prospective grad student to understand the core details offered by every course in the food safety and quality assurance program. I know every course is research-intensive and requires dedication and time management, but trust me, if you are passionate to establish yourself in the industry and want to ensure consistent delivery of safe food to the customers, you will develop a strong interest in the course. The application-level offered in the assignments is a reflection of how it is applied in an industrial setting and helps you crack the real-life hurdles faced in the rapidly growing industry and globalization. I would also suggest the prospective graduate students engage themselves in thoughtful conversations with their peers and develop a strong sense of food safety leadership to facilitate those conversations. It is also highly recommended to attend the food safety seminars provided by the department.
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.
The Biodiversity Institute/Centre for Biodiversity Genomics is the IB departments best-kept secret, in my opinion! There are endless opportunities available if you take initiative.
My advisor was more like my mentor. He is very open, honest and helpful, which made me very comfortable to express my ideas and also to discuss different issues concerning my academic life.
Make sure you need grad school for your future career before you do it. Reach out to other grad students while you're in undergrad; most people will be more than happy to share their experiences.
