“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.”
I loved being a PhD student here. My advisors and labmates were all very supportive of my research endeavors. I enjoyed being in charge of my own research project.
My advice for prospective grad students is to reach out to people. When I was looking at the CDE program, I reached out to a couple of graduated students in different fields to talk about their experience in the program. This information was very valuable and helped me to make a confident choice. If you have any questions about the program or my experience please feel welcome to reach out.
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.
I feel lucky to have been able to be involved in many different projects at the University of Guelph. My advice to future grad students is to get involved in as many different things as you can and to not be afraid to reach out to people. A lot of the fun in a graduate degree is being able to collaborate and work with lots of different people.
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.
If you’re considering pursuing post-secondary education but maybe aren’t sure you can do it, especially if you are a first-generation university student, don’t count yourself out. It’s easy to talk yourself out of it because you may not think your voice matters or that you have anything important to contribute—but nothing could be further from the truth. Your own unique life experience and perspective will be your biggest source of strength and learning. No one in the world thinks or creates things like you do!
Undergraduate research opportunities come highly recommended as they offer individuals a direct glimpse into the world of research and academia, allowing them to evaluate their own inclinations towards this field. Pursuing a PhD is not a path suited for everyone. A fourth-year project can serve as a litmus test to determine if this path aligns with one's aspirations. If it doesn't, one can easily leave without further commitment. However, if it resonates, exploring the possibility of joining a research group that fosters a strong connection becomes crucial. While enjoying the research itself is important, equally important is finding enjoyment in the people one works with, particularly their principal investigator.
