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.
I have always followed my gut and trusted my instincts. I truly believe I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I have had if I didn’t trust that what was meant to happen, would happen at the right time for me. From the short internship that has become a career, to waiting for this program to exist to pursue my masters – timing is everything.
There are so many ways to pursue your passions and interests. I'd recommend that prospective grad students be certain that they are ready for the rigour and commitment required by graduate studies. Be open to new ideas, critiques, and other ways of seeing the world. Learn from your peers, students, university staff, and the wider community, in addition to your professors. Be generous with others and build community. Don't forget where you come from.
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!
Grad school opens doors! SO many doors were opened up for me just in the last two years of my degree.
Make sure you choose an adviser who is well-known in the industry because they will help you grow quickly in the field. I saw my adviser as a professional mentor and I'm able to go to her with questions about the industry. She has given me so much insight into the future of our professional field which has helped shape my future career goals. Take advantage of all the mentorship opportunities that you can. Grad school is the BEST place for that! Finding mentors when you're not a student is hard. Being a student is a great excuse to find mentors who will be so strategically useful to you, if you take advantage of your time here!
Absolutely take the time to reach out to current students, alumni, and faculty members affiliated with the grad programs of consideration. Your grad school experience will very much be influenced by the people you are surrounded by during your education and the culture of the program. Hearing from other's experiences and talking to current students is one of the best ways to find the right fit for you.
A graduate student at the University of Guelph is a lot of work, but it is very rewarding. My schedule was even more flexible now than when I was an undergraduate student, which is very important because you have to make time for everything. There are classes and seminars, research, meetings, Teaching Assistantship(s), mentoring, and readings happening constantly. If you plan things well, you can get involved on campus or have a social life, too!
