Workshops offered through the library and OpenEd are so beneficial to help with your research goals and teaching tips/tricks. Definitely be sure to check these out!
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.
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.
Drawing on my experience in academia and research, I would advise prospective graduate students to embrace challenges. When confronted with a difficult situation, tackle it directly rather than trying to avoid it. You'll often find that the solution emerges as you delve into understanding and addressing the challenge at hand.
Coming from New York City, Guelph was definitely different but I would say it was a relief. It truly grounded me to not be amongst the hustle and bustle every day and it's a small town full of nice people.
I lived in Ridgetown as this is where my research was conducted. Although Ridgetown does not have much infrastructure in comparison to the City of Guelph, it has large acres of land for research in agriculture. I sometimes enjoyed a tour on the vast land with various research work going on. Personally, I think Ridgetown may be the town with the kindest people I have met, and I know the same is true for the City of Guelph.
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.
People are very friendly and kind, and respect each other's culture. I felt like I was at a home away from home. There is not the rush and noise that you find in most cities. Life is…perfect here.
