Michelle

Mississauga, Canada

Applied Health Sciences
1B (Co-Op)
Honours Health Studies

Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?

I chose to come to the University of Waterloo because I really liked the idea of the co-op program. I was also really impressed with the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. Finally, I really liked the campus.

What faculty/program are you in? Describe your experience, or your favourite classes.

I am in Honours Health Studies Co-op in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. My favourite classes were definitely my English class, as well as my Health classes.

If you are an English Tutor or Shadow Volunteer, describe your experience.

I loved being an English Tutor. It was a lot of fun to organize tutoring sessions and help my student learn to improve her conversational English.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies include reading, writing, biking, watching television and editing papers.

What campus activities are you involved in?

This term, I was involved in Imprint, which is Waterloo’s newspaper, as well as the Polish Students’ Association, as a Executive Member. I tutored English for Waterloo International, and I was part of a faith study group.

What are two interesting facts about you?

I love to write fictional stories, and I’ve written non-fiction too.
I’ve walked 160 kilometers in one week, three years ago.

What do you plan on doing after graduation (work, grad school, dream job)?

After graduation, I plan to hopefully work as a journalist for a newspaper, or as a copy editor. I love editing, which as weird as it sounds, means that I have some great opportunities in the future!

Do you have any tips for new students? Do you have any suggestions for International Students when they first arrive, or for incoming or outgoing exchange students?

My tips for new students, especially International students, are:
1. Make lots of new friends, and don’t limit yourself to those people who speak the same language as you. If you can make friends with someone who only speaks English, it will help you improve your skills.
2. Try speaking English as much as possible! Watch English TV shows (without subtitles) online, and stop and repeat what they say. It’ll help with pronunciation and sentence structure!
3. Don’t worry about sounding stupid when you talk in English. People are very understanding, and most are willing to listen carefully and help you out!