“Focus on choosing courses of genuine interest and maintaining a high GPA as a result of choosing those courses of interest, not just because they are requirements of your program. If you are taking courses that you dislike because they are program requirements, then you are probably in the wrong program. It’s never too late to switch.

Also, pay attention to your interests outside of the classroom, and what drives you and gives you energy on a daily basis. These are your strengths and is the type of work that you should gravitate towards. Just because you are in life sciences does NOT mean you need to go to medical school!

Towards the end of my undergraduate degree, I ruled out ever doing a Masters degree because I was so sick of school! In retrospect, I would tell myself not to rule anything out for the future. I’m glad I didn’t jump in immediately into a Masters degree after either of my Bachelor degrees, because my multiple years of work in education really helped me see that I enjoyed teaching Special Education – and this is the specialization in Educational Psychology research that I sought out when I started my Master degree at Western (one year full time, then 2.5 years part-time research thesis). The Master degree has helped me obtained the Curriculum Leadership position, in teaching setting that I currently work in and love. Bottom line: would have NEVER considered a MA in Ed. Psych/ Special Education in 2005 when I graduated from my HBSc! Sometimes your interests unfold over years – don’t expect to have it all figured out at the end of your undergraduate degree … but at the same time keep being introspective and open-minded about the future.”