Friday, September 26, 2014

The Route to Success: From Undergraduate to Further Studies


Interested in taking the route to professional studies? Do you have a specific career that you might want to specialize in? Do you want to continue your higher education but still not sure about which professional line to adopt? If you answered yes to any one of these questions then you’re at the right place. The Academic Advising and Career Centre (AA&CC) at UTSC is hosting a Professional and Graduate School Fair on Wednesday, October 1st, 2014. The event is scheduled to take place in the Old Gymnasium from 11:00AM-3:00PM. This fair is a great opportunity for you to research career avenues and socialize with different Professional and Graduate schools in North America who can guide you through the various programs that they offer. Those of you who are absolutely sure as to which field of study you want to pursue can also benefit from this event as you  can research in depth about the various requirements (i.e. admission tests, admission documents, courses) you need to meet in order to get an acceptance from your preferred universities or schools.

Recommended Preparation before Attending


But then, you may ask how one should prepare for such an event and what kind of research should one do in order to get the best out of an opportunity like this. Every student will prepare differently so you need to be absolutely sure as to what information you would like to get from the institutions present at the event. If you have a specific graduate program in mind, I would suggest that you do intense research about that program specifically so you can directly ask about any queries you may have, at the fair. It would also be wise to check the AA&CC website at www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc to get a complete list of institutions that will be attending the fair. This way you know beforehand what to expect and can decide whether this event is important for your future academic prospects. I would also like to add that preferences can change during personal research and so it is always important to attend events like these and explore the various programs out there. You may end up learning about an institution or program that you never knew existed in the first place. As undergraduate students, we are always learning and we should embrace such opportunities and go in with an open mind. Also, it is very important to mention that this fair is not limited to graduate studies only as professional schools and colleges will also be present. This event is meant to cater to all students on campus wishing to pursue further studies in various fields and disciplines.

Examples of Potential Questions


  1. What are the benefits of attending your institution?
  2. How long is the program and can I finish it earlier if I choose to?
  3. What are the specific admission requirements for the program?
  4. If I took some time off between my undergraduate degree and this program, would this affect my admissibility?

Personal Experience and Thoughts


Having attended this event last year, I can say from experience that it has helped me map out exactly how to go about applying to the specific professional schools that I have in mind. I am currently a third year student working towards an Honours Bachelor of Arts wishing to apply to Law School. In my second year, I got a lot of information regarding various Law Schools both in and outside of Canada. I got to directly speak with representatives from various universities and know exactly what they are looking for in terms of admission requirements. Getting this information early on in my undergraduate degree made things easier as I now know exactly what direction to go in and what steps I need to take before I graduate from university. I would highly recommend this event to students in any year or program of study because it definitely helps you decide how you want to make use of your undergraduate degree towards future studies and map out career and academic prospects.
Look forward to seeing you there,
-Ayesha