Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
Ryan Fang
MSc student, Electrical Engineering
“Being a grad student is very much a "you pick your story" experience. There are so many components such as research work, free courses and auditing, TA experience, and more.”
Ryan Fang, MSc student, Electrical Engineering
Cindy Wei
MSc student, Kinesiology
"I love the freedom and power I have in managing my own time. As someone who is dedicated to making schedules far in advance and creating detailed action plans, the flexibility I have as a grad student is wonderful."
Cindy Wei, MSc student, Kinesiology
Liza Boyar
PhD student, Public Health and Health Systems
"At the end of the day, there are many fantastic opportunities available to you as a grad student but you also have to make sure that you are making space for your well-being."
Liza Boyar, PhD student, Public Health and Health Systems
Carrie Shorey
PhD student, Public Health and Health Systems (Aging, Health and Well-Being)
"The Writing and Communication Centre has been an amazing resource to me as a graduate student. Through their one-on-one meetings, I have become a better writer. I have also enjoyed participating in their workshops. During Reading Week, I had the opportunity to participate in their Dissertation Workshop. This workshop provided us with skills to overcome procrastination and plateauing in our writing and ways to connect to other graduate students who were going through the same thing."
Carrie Shorey, PhD student, Public Health and Health Systems (Aging, Health and Well-Being)
Aaron Yip
PhD student, Chemical Engineering
"Do your graduate degree if you are passionate for what you are doing; succeeding in something that you care about is much easier. And be patient, mistakes are inevitable in research. You will experience failures, no matter how clever you are."
Aaron Yip, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Prince Khan
MEDI student, Economic Development and Innovation
"Challenges are a part of life. Doing a Master's is no different. It's an obstacle that you have to overcome if you want to elevate your ability to read, write, and build your critical thinking. Go into your Master's with an open mind on learning, only then will you see it as an opportunity and not just a challenge."
Prince Khan, MEDI student, Economic Development and Innovation
Ileana Diaz
PhD student, Geography and Environmental Management
"There are many events that will happen in your life that you will have no control over, so try to understand the lessons from those moments and use those as a source of growth. Try not to attach your self-esteem to how much you are producing. We are all capable beings and production is ephemeral, but kindness to yourself and other beings is everlasting."
Ileana Diaz, PhD student, Geography and Environmental Management
Janet Jones
PhD student, Applied Philosophy
"Look around and see what's available to you, then try something! I felt really overwhelmed when I first started grad school. It seemed like there was always something I didn't know. So, I started to look for things I wanted and then I talked to people about it. Opportunities came up and I applied. Even when things looked like a long shot. I think that curiosity and willingness really pay off."
Janet Jones, PhD student, Applied Philosophy
Nicholas Richardson
MMath student, Applied Mathematics
"It can feel more isolating in graduate school than when studying for an undergraduate degree. Especially since my graduate degree was during the pandemic, I did not have in-person classes every day and didn’t get the chance to interact with other people in my program as easily. What helped me feel connected to the campus was attending events put on by the Graduate Student Association (GSA), joining clubs on campus, and meeting weekly with other students in my research group."
Nicholas Richardson, MMath student, Applied Mathematics
Thomas Milovac
PhD student, Applied Philosophy
"Be open to learning new material and to take each and every opportunity to share your work with others; there is no better place than a conference to receive constructive criticism for your work."
Thomas Milovac, PhD student, Applied Philosophy
Karmvir Padda
PhD student, Sociology
“If there was one piece of advice I could give new students, it would be not to get sucked into how much work or how little work others around you are doing. The comparison will drain you. Focus on your work. The most important thing you can get out of grad school is the connections you make throughout your journey—grades matter but not more than those relationships with professors and other students.”
Karmvir Padda, PhD student, Sociology
Aiman Fatima
MSc student, Kinesiology
“My best advice is to get involved as much as possible. When you see opportunities, whether it’s to present somewhere, join a club or lend your expertise somewhere, I recommend taking every chance that comes your way. This campus is very large and full of incredible opportunities that are waiting for you to seize them. Ask questions when you're curious and work on finding solutions and answers. Apply even when you think you don't have a shot. You don't know where your next great adventure will start.”
Aiman Fatima, MSc student, Kinesiology
M. Shehryar Khan
PhD Candidate, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
"I had a fantastic (although, very difficult) undergraduate experience and the co-op program helped me recognize that I had a natural knack for research. Once I knew I wanted to pursue research, making the choice to stay at Waterloo was a relatively easy one."
M. Shehryar Khan, PhD student, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering