Student Testimonials | English Language and Literature

Julie Funk

From rather traditional canons of literary studies to new mediums of digital literature and rhetoric, the scope and span of study here is really amazing and uncontested. What I find really unique about the department is that you have all these choices – literature, rhetoric, digital media, communication studies, professional writing – right in one place.

I honestly think the answer “everything” really does describe what gets me excited about my program.... I imagine it like one of those corridors from a gothic novella that are lined with infinite doors to choose from, but for me the doors don’t all look the same. They’re not mysterious or daunting. They’re open windows, attics, cellars, and stairways all leading to different specializations and areas of study.

Quinn Silbermann

I decided that I wanted to write, and to study English in order to do so. Next, I compared English at institutions across Ontario. The Rhetoric and Professional Writing program at the University of Waterloo stood out. I knew I wanted to write, but I didn’t want to focus on literature. Looking back, I’m pleased with my decision. I’m a stronger writer than I was when I first transferred, and I was able to study a range of texts at the University of Waterloo: classic and contemporary, prose and poetry, fiction and theory. So, to get back to the question, my decision to study at the University of Waterloo came down to the unique English department. I learned everything that I expected to and more, but I’m in a different place than I envisioned I’d be coming out of high school.

Lesa Berec

Just reading English lit taught me about history, religion, culture, and so much more. In my classes I learned to absorb and analyze material, evaluate information from a wide variety of viewpoints, make sense of ideas in different contexts, and communicate in a clear, coherent manner. By the time I graduated, I already had two years of work experience through Co-op.... My degree had set me up with the right combination of research, critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. Co-op had taught me to be flexible and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

Julie Yan

Being somewhat of a pragmatist, UWaterloo was my ideal school as it offered a strong arts programs that provided excellent work experience at the same time. The English Rhetoric Professional Writing degree seemed like a good fit because I was interested in applying my English knowledge/skill set in a real-world situation. The program provided good opportunities in government, private sector business, and work abroad. I also got to meet a lot of interesting classmates and faculty which made for an unforgettable experience. I loved my classes!

Chinye Osamusali

UWaterloo English is unique in that it’s much more than just literature studies, you can also balance that out with rhetoric, writing, business, and co-op as you choose. So I was drawn to this school because of the options.... You really get a sense of who you are as a writer and can explore the kinds of issues you’re passionate about. I believe an English degree should let you feel like you have a voice by the end of it. I’ve become passionate about feminism/sexuality, race/diversity, and poetry.

Andrew Clubine

I stumbled into the English department in the Fall of my first year, when I took ENGL 101B (Intro to Rhetorical Studies) with Michael Macdonald. There I learned how central language and rhetoric are to knowledge integration. In settings where people have different backgrounds, different opinions and different ways of knowing, language is relied upon to reconcile differences and enable progress. Whether managing a team of volunteers, discussing a paper for class or talking sports with friends, communication is key. My interest in why and how people communicate, and its natural connection to Knowelge Integration, led me to declare an English minor.

Alexis Samuels

At UWaterloo I have opportunities to interact with an impressive and versatile faculty, facilitating writing on gender and sexuality, Feminist theory, Caribbean literature, African literature, Diaspora and Postcolonial studies.... Ultimately, the University of Waterloo is a microcosmic reflection of multiculturalist Canada with its welcoming of new students from more than 90 countries. I feel at ease doing research at a university where intercultural diversity is seen as a measure of everyday life.

Saeed Sabzian

I chose Waterloo for its incredible faculty and funding for graduate students. The range of courses from Literature and Medicine, to Cognitive Science, to various courses in rhetoric and Victorian novels of the revolution, to the Discourse of the Road, and many others convinced me that this is the ideal place for me to develop my interests in aesthetics and democracy. I was interested in political aesthetics, specifically the relation between democracy and emotions as represented in literary/artistic works. UWaterloo has an outstanding international reputation for rhetorical studies where I could find professors with relevant expertise to supervise my dissertation.

Lauren Rabindranath

The MA by co-op was a perfect balance for me, and a major deciding factor when I chose the program. The combination of work terms and study terms allowed to me to continue to experiment with ideas and theories I enjoyed as an undergrad while building more practical skills, making new contacts, and exploring different career options. I don’t have aspirations to complete a PhD, so getting work experience and developing relevant skills were my top criteria for a post-graduate program. Also, the work terms are paid, which helps offset the financial concerns of being a student.

Malak Mokaddem

Choosing English was not an easy decision at first. English wasn’t always the place I excelled, but it has become something I am truly passionate about. I enjoy reading plays, studying texts outside of our time, and momentarily engaging different world views. I like how English offers glimpses into so many different realms of study. When you study English you simultaneously take up studies in history, anthropology, psychology, and women. Though I at one point thought my major would be in geography or visual arts, English at the University of Waterloo surpassed my former choices and has become something I truly love.

Shawn DeSouza-Coelho

This is without a doubt the most fun I’ve ever had in school. Nowhere else do I get to think as many justifiably crazy thoughts as I want and be rewarded for it. Much of my Graduate career thus far has been the pursuit of those crazy thoughts because – and it’s only now that I realize this – that’s what school is for: challenging yourself to think better, think wider, think longer, think farther.... I am here to learn and, more than that, to learn how to learn.