Still Deciding?

Posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2020

Image of student sitting on floor with legs crossed and math equations in background

Our students have some advice if you’re still deciding what school to attend.

The deadline to accept your offer of admission to the University of Guelph for this fall is June 1. Choosing a university may seem overwhelming, especially considering the current global pandemic, but know that if you choose the University of Guelph, you will have an incredible support system within your school community.

You may find yourself spending this weekend weighing what each school offers: location, academic reputation, flexibility, small class sizes, student experience opportunities, extracurriculars, programs. Over the past month, we chatted with some of our students in a video series about why they chose Guelph and their favourite thing about U of G, which may help you answer some of those questions. See the full YouTube series.

They also had some advice for students who are still deciding on what school will be right for them.

“Attend the online workshops and virtual tours that the universities have invested their resources in,” says Arnab Sagar, Computer Science student.

Tour the residences online if you can, and look at what your next four years will look like, so whatever program you're interested in – go online see what kind of courses you'll be taking and just see where you think you're going to fit in,” adds Melanie Hudakoc, Physics student.

Each of the students we talked to stressed the importance of feeling supported by and connected to your school community, including fellow students, faculty, and staff.

“I can honestly say that one of the biggest factors for success in my university career was the fact that I had faculty and friends and family all supporting encouraging and giving me opportunities,” says Jenny Lawson, Math student. “I can say honestly that I would not be here with it wasn't for them.”

“You’re going to be there for a good amount of time and you're going to want to have that support system if you end up making changes,” says Nicole Washuck, a student who switched majors. “If you end up deciding you want to study something else, make sure that it's an institution that allows you that flexibility and that support the way Guelph's allowed that for me.”

Talha Tariq, Environmental Engineering student, emphasized the importance of finding a place that feels like home. “Remember you're also picking a home for the next 4-5 years. Think about whether you can see yourself living here, see yourself having a social life here.”

Ultimately, though, what you make of your experience at a school will be as important as factors such as program fit, supports, residence, and experiential learning.

“Know that no matter where you, go you won't be making the wrong decision,” says Sooraj Modi, Computer Science student. 

“Stay true to yourself and decide what you want to get out of your university experience and what school can offer you that,” adds Zante Botha, Mechanical Engineering student. "If you choose the University of Guelph, I would say you’ve made a great choice! But definitely stay true to who you are and make that decision for yourself."

You can stay updated on the University of Guelph’s response to the novel coronavirus and how that may affect your student experience here.

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