Professors at the University of Guelph are exemplary in their professional acumen. Over and above this, there are plenty of opportunities, like Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and Research Assistantship (RA), for an international graduate student to help fund their studies.
I am a proud second-generation Gryphon and University of Guelph alumna, having received an Honours Bachelor of Arts in International Development from the U of G in 2008, following in my father's footsteps (Agricultural Engineering '71 and MSc '86). Coming back to Guelph to pursue a doctorate has felt like coming home in all the best ways.
To any undergraduate student that wants to pursue graduate school, my best advice would be to study hard, celebrate your academic victories, and don't get caught up on your failures. Everybody has a story of a course they wish they did better in, or a midterm/exam that was an unexpected curveball, but as long as you learn from your past and keep pushing forward, things will work out for the better.
Guelph offers great graduate programs for students that may or may not have research experience. What I have found is that faculty members are very willing to meet with students, and are available to talk about their research and to provide insight about what graduate school encompasses. In addition, getting to meet with current graduate students to talk about what their research is about is definitely an option here at the University of Guelph. I have found that many students are afraid to contact faculty members, but I found it to be very easy and helpful to reach out to the Faculty at Guelph. The University of Guelph definitely has the support system to help students get of glimpse of what graduate school has to offer.
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.
Networking is essential when considering graduate studies. I met my research advisor at an informal chemistry meet-up in Brass Taps two years prior to working for him. You'll never know when opportunities present themselves, so it's important to take chances and meet everyone you can.
Lean in, stay curious, and be open to the opportunities that will come your way. Don't be afraid to reach out to your professors for ideas or support - the faculty affiliated with this program are well connected and eager to continue strengthening their existing networks. Your cohort will also become like family. Don't be afraid to open up and share, ask questions, and provide support for each other. Lastly, embrace all the prompts for reflection. Those are the opportunities to think critically about yourself, your work, and apply meaning to what you've learned. Enjoy the ride!
See graduate school as an opportunity to grow in many different ways. UofG has plenty of wonderful research opportunities, and a big part of being a researcher is the chance to communicate your research to different audiences. Graduate school is an awesome opportunity to become a more well rounded person from developing problem solving skills as a researcher to sharpening communication skills, all of which are crucial for any walk of life you end up travelling down.
Smart or slow, doesn't really matter in the end, the point is everyone has their own time zone, all you have to have is your own balance of work, play, and all other stuff, the others don't really matter.
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.
