My main goal for coming to university, other than graduating with a degree, was to find my passion or purpose in life. (I know, very simple, right?) I’m not going to keep you waiting until the end of this post for you to find out whether or not I accomplished my goal. The simple answer is, I didn’t. The long answer is… it’s complicated.

If you don’t already know, I’ve switched programs many times during my undergrad (you can read all about it part one and part two of my switching programs LinkedIn posts). I started my undergrad in Life Sci and I’m now graduating from Communication Studies. Five years ago, I would have never expected I would be graduating from a program in the Humanities, especially one that I didn’t even know about. Thinking back, I’ve realized that my entire undergrad journey has been all about happenstance, i.e. the unexpected opportunities and events in life.

The biggest lesson that I’ve learned from this unexpected journey is to be open-minded and flexible because life isn’t always a linear path. Although it was important for me to have goals and a plan, it was equally as important to learn how to adapt to my changing interests and circumstances by taking courses from outside of my faculty and trying out different volunteer opportunities that were out of my comfort zone. Having an open mindset allowed me to explore different fields of study and develop new skills, which are all a part of my undergrad journey even if they aren’t written on my degree.

I also realized that it’s important to take risks in order to get out of a place where you feel stuck and find something that you enjoy. I ended up switching programs a total of four times before I finally found the one that I was really interested in. This goes to show that it’s never too late to find what you’re interested in, whether that’s in university or in life in general.

To make it through this journey, I had to remain persistent and optimistic, especially while dealing with the doubt of what I could with a degree in the arts after graduation. As someone who grew up in an immigrant family that valued the “traditional” or “successful” career paths such as doctor, engineer, and lawyer which are tied to having a high social status, I had to overcome the pressures of meeting the expectations of “success” that not only I set for myself at a young age, but also the rest of my family. Convincing my parents (and sometimes myself) that a degree in the arts would be useful was not an easy process. Despite these challenges, I am truly happy to have taken this non-traditional path of exploring diverse perspectives and disciplines, which has allowed me to gain a different way of understanding the world and ability to make connections and think critically.

Having these attitudes of risk-taking, being open-minded, flexible, persistent, and optimistic has helped me find my place at McMaster, both inside and outside the classroom. To be honest, I thought that finding a program that I was interested would be the end of this journey or my quest of finding my passion or purpose. That it would be all smooth sailing from here. I’ve come to realize now that I’m faced with the dreaded question of “What’s next?” or “What are you doing with your life now?” I still don’t exactly know what my passion or purpose is. I’m still confused (maybe not as much as I was a few years ago); however, after talking to other graduating students, I’ve come to realize that this feeling is completely normal. Because just like in high school when you’re expected to choose a program or path for university and what seems like the rest of your life at the age of 17 or 18, how can you be expected to figure out what your life’s passion or purpose is at the age of 22?

My entire undergrad has been a series of trial and error, hoping in the end that it would all work out. Even though it didn’t pan out in the way that I had expected it to originally, it was full of surprises, both good and bad, and I made some great friends and memories along the way. I may not have figured out my exact passion or purpose, but I think I’m much closer to it than I was when I started university and in a way, I’m really glad that I didn’t accomplish this goal, because I have my whole life ahead of me to do so.

So, to any other graduates out there, whether the path you took to get here was the one you had planned for or it was completely unexpected, congratulations on this momentous achievement! Whatever endeavours you decide to pursue in your futures, remember, as Ken Jeong said during his Life After Mac set in January, “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

As for me, I’ll be spending the next few months volunteering, travelling, spending some quality time with family and friends, and fixing my sleep schedule, and can’t wait to experience the unexpected adventures that life has to offer.

McMaster, the last five years have been a journey that even my wildest dreams couldn’t have dreamed up. Thanks for teaching me that the unexpected is not always bad.

About Manveetha

Manveetha Muddaluru blogged about her student experience for the Student Success Centre from 2018 to 2019.

At the beginning of this school year, I wrote a blog post called Dear First Year Me, in which I wrote about all the tips and advice I would give my first-year self as a final year student. Now, I want to share some things that I was reminded about in my final year.

1. Try something new. Since it was my final year, I really wanted to get out of my comfort zone and for me, this came in the form of volunteering. During the second semester, I volunteered as an assistant stage manager for a play on-campus. By getting involved in the play, I was able to make some new friends and got a different perspective of the campus and university life that I would have otherwise never gotten!
2. Grades don’t always tell the full story. This year, I was reminded that grades are not always the best or the most accurate indicators of happiness or success. Although my grades this year were the best compared to previous years, I was also the unhappiest that I had ever been due to other things happening in my personal life. And this brings me to my next point…
3. Take advantage of the services available to you on-campus. At the beginning of the school year, I assumed that my stress was only due to being in my final year and having to deal with my course load and other commitments. By November, I realized that there were other issues that were affecting my mental health that I had been neglecting for the past few years. I realized with the help of some kind friends that using the counselling services at the Student Wellness Centre might be helpful. Talking about my issues with someone who was unbiased helped me think about what I was experiencing from a different perspective and also made me realize the importance of looking after my mental health by seeking out help.
4. Your goals might change and that’s okay. My goals at the beginning of the school year for what I wanted to do after graduation were completely different than my goals today. My main goal was to figure out what industry I was interested in working in and have a job lined up by the time I graduated. I wasn’t considering the other options that were available to me and was instead focused on sticking to this arbitrary, one size fits all, timeline of success that’s prevalent in the society of graduating and then doing more school or getting a job right away, etc. From reflecting on my undergrad experience of switching programs multiple times and doing a fifth-year, I was reminded that this timeline doesn’t align with my past experiences, as well as current interests or circumstances. So, as the end of the second semester approached, I decided that I needed to take some time to explore my interests by taking a gap year or at least a gap a few months after graduation. Even though this isn’t the plan that I thought I would have at the beginning of the school year or even at the start of my undergrad, I’m happy that I applied everything that I learned from my undergrad experiences and make my decision based on adapting to my changing interests.
5. There is life outside of university. Towards the end of my second semester, I was really upset that I didn’t get to enjoy my final year in the way that I had hoped to with everything else that was going on in my life, especially my mental health. A popular narrative that I was exposed to before starting my undergrad was that these years would be the best years of my life, and although there were many happy memories, there were equally tough times of being frustrated and fed up with being at university. Even though these past few years have been a great journey of exploration, learning, transformation, and growth, I also hope the best years of my life are ahead of me.

About Manveetha

Manveetha Muddaluru blogged about her student experience for the Student Success Centre from 2018 to 2019.

As I was planning for my fifth year, I had trouble finding the right courses to fulfill a full workload. I was panicking and couldn’t find anything I liked or found to be meaningful towards my degree. By this time, I had already reached out to a professor who was doing research I was interested in. Luckily, she replied right in August, asking to meet and discuss the opportunity for my involvement in her work as well as an opportunity for a thesis project.

I was definitely not expecting it nor did I anticipate having to prepare a thesis project for the coming year. In September, I took on the challenge and really enjoyed it. My thesis was based on a topic that I was passionate about and so having to work under pressure was worth it all in the end.

2. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt there was a barrier in your way? How did you manage it?

In second-year, I was working part-time while also planning to pursue pharmacy. This process involved taking a full course load, completing the pre-requisites and juggling everything else in between. I made the mistake of taking a full course load and specifically the heavy sciences all at once while working a job.

For someone like me, financial situations were not always easy, and I couldn’t find individuals that could relate to the challenges I was facing initially. It was very hard to cope. I saw the disadvantage I was at, while some of my peers experienced privileges that I did not have. I overcame this by realizing everyone works at their own pace. It was okay if I could not take full course loads and was busier with other things in contrast to others. It was hard at first because in high school I was the overachiever that was doing many things all at once. Instead of doing it all in the fall/winter terms, I decided to take summer classes and found balance. I accepted that if I had to take a fifth year then so be it.

Ultimately, I just want to give my 100% and do the best I can. And even now, this has changed me and allowed me to reflect on whether I am going at my own pace and doing things according to the time that’s best for me.

3. What are you curious about?

I am curious about what would happen if I completed a different degree. In Life Sci, I always found myself steering away from the heavy sciences and found more interest in Social Sciences. I sometimes wonder what would happen if I just took a different path and how that would change me.

Another thing I wonder about is how to give back to my home community in Toronto.

4. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

Switching my career path was a risk I am glad I took. For the first four years of undergrad, I wanted to do pharmacy – even in my courses and extra-curriculars, everything had to do with pharmacy.

At the end of my fourth year, I realized I did not want to do this anymore. My original goal was to be stable financially, which is why I worked in pharmacy; however, when I took the experience, I realized this was a field that I would not be happy in. I realized that if I am going to do something, I might as well do something I love and will be happy doing for the rest of my life. Although I do not have it all figured out right now, I am willing to take all the opportunities I can get to grow, learn and explore my options.

5. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

I am excited about the thought that my life career could steer into any direction at this point and even though I do not have a solid idea right now, the unknown excites me. For once in my life, I do not have a detailed plan. I have time to think, reflect and decide on what I want to indulge in for the future while spontaneously living life one day at a time.

6. We all have uncertainties about our future. What is your tip or trick for handling the unknown?

You have to be really honest with yourself! A lot of people do not like to think about “what if?” Be honest about your interests and capabilities. It does not have to be one path. Take advantage of all you have and really open up the conversation about not having it all figured out.

Many people do not want to think about the possibility of not getting the acceptance they want or having their goals achieved, but it’s better to come to terms with it now than later. I can’t stress enough how it’s okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life. Exploring your options is very important.

About Barkhaa

Barkhaa is a fourth-year Faculty of Science student in Life Sciences.

Learn more about the Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Fatima Kijera.

Coming from the Middle East, there was a huge cultural difference when I came to Canada. I went from not ever walking alone on the streets to living in residence alone.

I never thought about studying Science; in fact, I’ve wanted to become an astronaut ever since I was a child. I even applied and got accepted to the astrophysics program at the University of Waterloo, but I also applied to Life Sciences here at Mac because the program was diverse in its approach and it was something my parents wanted for me.

Getting accepted to Life Sci was a huge surprise for me, but even more so falling in love with the program. It is more than I had imagined. What makes it even more special is that I have never seen my mother as happy as she was when she found out I got accepted.

2. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt there was a barrier in your way? How did you manage it?

I came to Mac during the Winter semester and therefore missed Welcome Week. I felt like it was hard to get to know people on my own and because I did not have a balance between my academics and social life, my grades started getting really bad.

The language was never a barrier, but transitioning was difficult. The unfamiliar weather also played a role in making me uncomfortable. It became really hard to even communicate with my parents. In the end, I realized that cultural differences exist, but what we have to do is explore, meet people and find things that match our expectations. All I had to do was find people who were similar to me in a different environment. I was scared to interact with new people but came to find out the people around me were actually not as different as I thought. We were similar in many aspects, and things were not always as I perceived them to be.

3. What are you curious about?

I am curious about how I will survive when my loved ones are not around in this world. I’m also curious about what will happen when humans do not exist. I wonder what will be on the planet when we no longer are here.

4. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

In my second year, I took an English course. Once the class started, I realized the course was different from what I had previously learned in my classes in Saudi.

The class had cultural studies mixed with poetry. I wanted to challenge myself and see how I could grow from the experience. At first, it was hard to study for the course, but then when I started going to go to the professor’s office hours, I developed a new love for the course content. I learned about terms and critical thinking in the field. Honestly, it came to a point where I started learning and loving it even more than some of my Science courses.

5. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

The idea of having a big family one day makes me very excited. I can’t wait to be at a place in my life when I am successful in achieving my dreams and have all my loved ones around me.

Other than that, I don’t think a lot about what I will become in the future because the thought can be scary and intimidating. As of right now, I do not have a specific dream job, but I am excited about where my studies will take me.

I also still want to go to space at some point in my life, whether that’s in the far or near future.

6. We all have uncertainties about our future. What is your tip or trick for handling the unknown?

I try to focus on the present. Uncertainty scares me just like anyone else, but I try to do my best in living in the moment and doing things that matter the most, such as helping people, being kind and leaving a positive impact on other peoples’ lives.

I think if you want to accomplish something, keeping positive energy inside you is important. When you help people, it comes back to you, so being mindful of other people along the journey of life makes me comfortable and gives me hope about a good future. When things are hard, I believe karma will come around just when it’s needed, and in the end, it will work out. For this reason, I’m prepared for the future and whatever happens in between.

About Fabiha

Fabiha is a second year Faculty of Science student, studying Life Sciences.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Fatima Kijera.

As a member of the first graduating class in the Human Behaviour program, I was disappointed to find out that my program does not offer independent research or thesis courses. As a newer program, things were not fully solidified in the program at the time that I enrolled; I was extremely disappointed to find out this was the case.

At first, I was a bit angry, but I realized one mishap should not define the experience I get for my undergraduate career. I realized that I can take the initiative to guide my education. So I sought research positions outside of McMaster and gained the knowledge and skills I think will be of great value to me in my future career.

2. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt there was a barrier in your way? How did you manage it?

When I first came to McMaster, my GPA took a blow and I was shut down. It was discouraging to see the decline in grades in contrast to the high 80s and 90s I was getting in high school.

After reflecting on my study methods and how I was grasping the information presented to me throughout my courses, I realized that the university curriculum is very different from that of high school and to succeed I must change a few of the habits I had coming in. I came back in second semester being my own competition and motivated more than ever to get myself back up from the slump I was in.

I felt like the testing methods were a barrier and that multiple-choice was not for me. I had to find new ways to understand information. I also noticed that typing was not the best way for me to grasp the information so I found a better way. I started taking handwritten notes, which worked in my advantage.

3. What are you curious about?

I’m curious about the significance of dreams. I find it interesting that we can be completely unconscious during dreams, but our brain is active. Also, I think sleep paralysis is pretty cool and I would love to explore and investigate the mechanisms behind it.

4. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

I auditioned for an acting role. I’m glad I took this risk because it reaffirmed what I was looking for to be right for me – acting sure wasn’t it! I did this because as an extroverted individual, I thought I should put my energy into something that was different from what I was used to.

5. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

I think my future is bright. I’m optimistic about the change and impact I could have. Ultimately, I would like to work for WHO one day; but truthfully, any chance I get to help people, I would be honoured to take. I just want a better future for not only myself but for the world.

6. We all have uncertainties about our future. What is your tip or trick for handling the unknown?

The fact that I can think about something and come to the conclusion myself means that I am capable of doing it. In a sense, I believe that anything you are brave enough to consider doing, you are in fact able to do. This is what keeps me going and motivated even in times when staying focused is hard.

About Olamide:

Olamide is a third-year Faculty of Social Sciences student, studying Psychology.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Fatima Kijera.

I am managing a barrier right now because I am currently applying to grad schools for clinical psychology. A lot of schools want that honours psychology background, but I have a biochemistry background, so when I’m applying to grad schools, they are a little hesitant about taking a chance. It’s not something that I can address or fix because I can’t change my degree.

To work around this barrier, I am doing a second degree so that by the end of April I will have a BSc in Biochemistry and a BA in Psychology. It won’t be an honours degree, but it’s the most I can do for now. If I don’t get into a grad school and I’m still really interested in pursuing clinical psychology, then I’ll do more psychology courses.

2. What are you curious about?

I am curious about what is going to happen once I leave McMaster. Where will I end up? What will I study? Am I going to end up on the path that I want to? How many times is it still going to change? In my first year, I was interested in pursuing medical school, which is different than what I want to do now.

I also want to know how I can make an impact on the community and in the lives of kids. For example, through my volunteering position at the Children’s Aid Society, I have realized that I enjoy working with children. I am curious about how they process things and how they develop.

3. What was the process of switching from the medical school path to the one you’re on right now?

In my first year, I wanted to go to med school because my parents are doctors, so that was the profession that I knew. Growing up, I used to sit in my dad’s clinic while he checked patients and I was curious about what he was doing.

Later, I had to ask myself, “Do I want to be a doctor because I want to fit in or do I want to be a doctor because I want to treat people? To what capacity do I want to be involved in the diagnosis and the treatment?” When I was thinking about it, I wasn’t sure.

First and second year, I wrote the MCAT, but I didn’t really study for it. In third year, my parents told me to apply to med schools. I didn’t want to, so I chose to wait for another year. In fourth year, I got very indecisive about what I wanted to do. So I told my parents I wasn’t going to apply to med school and I ended up applying to nursing and public health instead. I felt that these programs would give me time to think about what I wanted to do.

I didn’t get in and I got waitlisted at a couple of schools.

I’ve always been the friend who listens when others need me. I find people can confide in me and I feel proud that I can be that person for others. I also enjoy it. So when I got the opportunity to talk to a psychotherapist, I was really interested in the work she was doing and I asked her about her career path. Then I did some research on my own and talked to more people.

After that experience, I told my parents that I was really interested in this profession. They’ve been very supportive.

4. Reflecting back on your career journey, are there any patterns in your interests that have led you to where you are right now?

I think I’ve always been interested in psychology, but I never took a chance on it because in first year, I had only taken one psychology course. At the time I had to decide my program, I talked to my parents and told them that I want to apply to PNB as my first choice. They asked, “Why? How many psychology courses have you taken?” After talking, my parents suggested that since I had only taken one course, it wouldn’t give me a full sense of the field of practice to decide whether I wanted to go into it.

I decided to place biochemistry as my first choice, PNB as my second, and molecular biology as my third. I got into the biochem program, so I never found out if I could have ever gotten into PNB. After that, I never really took any psych courses until my third year. After I graduated from my biochem degree and went through the process of researching a career path in clinical psychology, I took a few psych courses and realized how much I still enjoyed it. All the courses I’m taking this year are psych courses. I love it. Even though there are deadlines to worry about, I enjoy what I am studying.

5. Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your first year self?

Go with your gut. In first year, my gut told me to do psychology, but at the time I questioned myself. I learned that it’s important to make your own decisions, because at the end of the day, if it is a decision you made, you can blame yourself if it doesn’t work out. If someone else influenced your decision, you’ll always wonder, “What if they never said anything? Would I have made a different decision then?”

Also, if you don’t like something, change it. You don’t have to stick to what you started with. There are a lot of options. Now that I am applying to grad schools, I am not only emphasizing that I’m doing a degree in psychology, I am also trying to incorporate what I learned in biochemistry and do some research that involves both the topics, so I can use all the skills I have.

6. What are some of the changes/risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

Changing programs and career paths was a risk. I think another risk I’ve taken is talking to profs. I’ve honestly emailed over a hundred profs from different schools and received tons of rejections saying that they don’t have enough space, I’m not qualified, or that they’re not interested in working with me. One time a prof actually told me I didn’t have the background or qualifications. That was the bluntest email I’ve received and I remember crying after reading it. But that’s the thing: if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

At the end of the day, you have to try. I know it’s so much easier to say than do because you get into that thought process… What if I don’t get in? What if I fail? What if no one accepts me? What if I never find anything? It’s just a loop. The thing is, these are all just “what ifs.” There’s a whole other side to them. What if you do get in? What if you get into the program you wanted to? You have to consider the other side, too.

The time I got that negative email from a prof, two hours after, I got an email from another prof about setting up a meeting to chat. What going through that experience has reminded me is that in that one moment, you might feel like it’s the end of the world, but if you wait, there might be someone else who wants to collaborate with you.

7. What do you find most exciting when you think about your future?

I am excited to really establish myself. I didn’t really enjoy high school. I felt isolated because I had just moved to Canada. When I got to university, I told myself that I would be the confident person I was back in India and I went out of my comfort zone. Over the years, I found my friends who have become family. Then things happened and the confidence I had in my opinions and decisions shrank; I became less confident in what I did.

I want this grad school experience to be my fresh start to establish myself as that confident person that I know I am. I don’t know where to find her right now, but I think in the short term, a change of space and environment is what I’m looking forward to the most.

In the long term, I am excited to work with kids, teens and adults. I’ve met people who have been through a lot. I’ve realized that all they want is somebody to talk to – I want to be that person. I know I can’t be that person for every single person on this planet, but if I can be that support for at least some, I would be happy.

About Ananya:

Ananya graduated from McMaster with a Bachelor of Science degree in Honours Biochemistry in June 2018. She is currently doing a second degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and is expected to graduate in June 2019.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Manveetha Muddaluru.

When I was in my first year, I took a mandatory cell biology class. Although I had been a good science student during high school and truly enjoyed the subject, the class presented me with a new challenge. While the majority of my classmates seemed to have prior knowledge and a good understanding of the concepts covered in class from high school, I was encountering the new terminology and ideas for the first time. Because the course was fast-paced and application-based, my lack of prior knowledge was a barrier to my understanding and ultimately my success in the course. I learned to manage this by staying motivated. I knew I wanted to be successful in my course and I believed in my ability to improve. I used my motivation to work hard and do extra readings and research outside of class to cover the gap of knowledge that I felt and build a foundation for me to expand my learning and performance. I also shared my learning experience with my classmates and friends who also contributed to improving my understanding and helping me overcome the learning barrier to do my best in the course.

2. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

This year I experienced a big change when deciding to move off-campus into a student home. As an individual who had never really spent a long time away from home, this was a difficult decision to make. I can confidently say that I am glad I took it. Although I missed my family and home in the city I came from, I was able to meet wonderful new people who would be my housemates for the rest of the school year. I also was able to contribute more time to my social well-being and take part in extracurricular activities, like volunteering around campus. Meeting new people and trying new experiences really helped me grow as a person and learn more about myself. In the short time that I have been living on my own, I have learned more about my needs and habits, and identified areas where I still need improvement, including self-regulation. (Also, cooking classes wouldn’t hurt either!)

3. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

Although being a doctor has always been a dream of mine, my aspiration is to help people in the most meaningful way I can. The lack of good health is a reality that affects many people in the world, prevents them from reaching their full potential and consequently from contributing to society. I have always loved interacting with people, learning their stories, and doing something to make them happy. I am excited to reach a position where I have the right education and skills to do something more for others and make a positive impact in their daily lives.

About Asma

Asma is a third-year student, currently studying Health Sciences.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Fatima Kijera.

There are two things in my life that are really unplanned. One is when I was an undergrad student in my home country, the other is when I was doing my Master’s degree at McMaster University.

There is a policy in my home university where they hire the top one student in the department as a lecturer after they graduate. I was the top one student in both third and fourth year and was expected to be a lecturer; however, when I graduated, it was the first time in the history of my home university that they decided not to hire the new staff because of decreasing funds. Everyone was shocked because it was like a 100% sure thing and who even thinks of a second plan for a sure thing? It was definitely life-changing. I ended up being a lecturer in another university, but my wedding ceremony got delayed for eight months. I needed time to adjust to the new university and environment.

The lesson I learned was making sure you always have a second plan. This helped me a lot when I met the second unexpected thing in my life: doing my Master’s with my supervisor. The supervisor wanted me to work on a machine with little information and no one even knew how to start it. After a few months, I realized this main project was not going to work for the Master’s. I talked with the supervisor about changing the topic, but he refused. So I started to work on a side project along with the main one. It showed great results and I showed it to my supervisor. He allowed me to change the topic without any hesitation and even provided the opportunity to do Ph.D. with him to continue doing the same thesis. One thing I learned from this experience is keeping your eyes open to explore opportunities. When you are met with something unexpected, be patient and learn something different.

2. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt there was a barrier in your way? How did you manage it?

The biggest barrier for me was the difference between my home university and McMaster University in an academic way. When I started to study here, I realized how different it was. The ways to conduct research, the structure of teaching and learning and culture differences were big concerns. Also, it was a new country, new language and new people. So what I did was interact with different people to manage these barriers. Whenever I saw people working on a machine that I don’t know in the same lab, I went to them and asked them if they needed a hand. That’s the moment I started to talk with people, shadowing them and learning from what they were doing. People were happy to take me because they had one more person to help and discuss. After a while, I not only broke the language barrier but also learned how to use each machine in my lab. I can proudly say that I am the only person who knows all the machines other than staff.  Plus, the people I spoke with became my friends.

3. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

The biggest risk was coming here – Canada. This was a huge risk for me because I gave up a stable life and left my family in my home country. I got hired by my home university one year later after I graduated. My home university is one of the top universities in the Middle East, so the job was well-paid and secure. I came to McMaster alone and left my wife and newborn son. I only got to see my son when I was done my Master’s degree, which was two years later. The reason I wanted to come here to study is that I am passionate about mechanical engineering. Manufacturing and funding opportunities are very limited in Bangladesh. I may need to change fields to do something else in my home country.

4. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

I am very excited about the opportunities and choices that are there for me. After doing my Ph.D., I can go into the Canadian industry for two to three years or go back to my home country as a faculty member.

Always learn from mistakes. When time goes by, you can see more choices in your life. If you only focus on what you already know, you will never learn new things.

About Sharif

Sharif did his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster as an international student and is currently completing a Ph.D.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Jiayi Hu.

Apart from wanting to escape the winter weather, I’ve actually been looking forward to this upcoming summer for over a year now. The one thing that has constantly been on my mind since third year has been graduating. At the time, I was in the process of switching programs and felt unmotivated and fed up with being at university. When I finally found a program I was interested in, I was stressed out about all the requirements I had to meet in order to graduate. To cope with this, I decided to create a graduation countdown in fourth year and ever since I’ve waited for the day that I would see a double-digit number of days I had left in my undergrad. As of today, I have less than 75 days left, but the expectations I had of what I would be feeling are completely different than the reality.

The fact that I don’t have anything planned for the summer and the future should be exciting because, for the first time since graduating high school, I have all the time in the world to do whatever I want. This was all that I had been looking forward to for the past few years, but now that the end is so close, I can’t seem to shake off this sinking feeling in my stomach. I’ve realized that the root of my worries is due to my lack of sense of purpose. I know thinking about your purpose in life isn’t necessarily the most fun topic to ponder about, but from working on the Planned Happenstance Project, attending the President’s New Year’s Levee for graduating students in the first week of classes, and taking HTH SCI 3T03 Inquiry into Work, Self, and Purpose (highly recommend the course!), this idea of “purpose” has consumed my thoughts for the past few weeks.

I have also realized that this transition is scary not only because I don’t know what’s to come, but also because come May, I will no longer be a student. It’s daunting to realize that this comfort zone that I have created for myself at Mac is coming to an end. It feels like I’m losing a part of my identity. Although (as cliche as it sounds) we are all students of life, being a student in an institutional setting has been my primary occupation for the past 19 years. My main goal was to pass my classes so I can graduate and move onto the next level of education. I’ve only thought about what’s to come in the next semester and now to be thinking about what’s to come for the rest of my life and having no plan is daunting. It feels like a blank canvas. For now, all I have planned is my convocation in June and a concert in September. But I’ve come to the sudden realization that I’m losing a part of my identity as a student. This weekend, as I walked through campus I realized I will never experience how beautiful campus is in the summer or all the leaves changing colours during the fall this upcoming year.

But I’ve also realized that although it is a big transition, there have been many other transitions that I’ve survived in the past five years and unexpected things I’ve adjusted to, and I’ve come out more confident. Even if I thought I had a sense of where my life was going, it completely changed and I am happier now because of it. Taking a leap into the unknown and having the courage is scary, but so were many other things. Even if I didn’t end up where I planned, there was a lesson I learned and it has led me to where I am today.

About Manveetha

Manveetha Muddaluru blogged about her student experience for the Student Success Centre from 2018 to 2019.

My second midterm of university was right after chem, so I focused on chem and then it was like “math time!” When I got my grades back, I got a 59. I was shook. I called my mom and she reminded me that it was okay to get a tutor. I decided that I was not going to get a 59 again, so I had to change my study habits.

I tried studying earlier, but there was always math right after another midterm. So, I tried to study more effectively on the tests and I did better.

2. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt there was a barrier in your way? How did you manage it?

My barrier at times has been myself and not believing in myself – I think it’s the biggest barrier you can have. So many other people can believe in you or can tell you that you can do something, but if you don’t believe it yourself then that will hinder you the most. I am a very realistic person and I look at statistics. I always think, “I can’t do that.” If you’re trying to reach a goal, then you can’t tell yourself that you can’t reach a goal without even trying. It’s good to have a back-up plan, but it’s not good to be so fearful that you just accept that your back up plan is going to happen.

Comparing myself to people and their accomplishments is something that I have been trying not to do because everyone can take a different path to get to the same goal or place. Something my mom always says is use your talents to win the race. I used to always be like, “Stop! What are you saying?” But, what it basically means is that everyone has different strengths that they are good at and things that make them unique, so use those skills and talents as an advantage to get to the place you want to be. Those skills might not be the same as everyone else.

How I’m overcoming it is by trying to be more positive and having a goal of the week and a quote of the week to encourage myself to have a positive mindset and believe in myself more.

3. What are you curious about?

I’m curious about where I will be 10 years from now. I’m curious if I’ll accomplish the goals I have. Will I be happy and will I be fulfilled? What will my life look like?

At the same time I don’t want to think about that because it’s scary. Where will I be in my career, but also in life? And, who will I be? What experiences will I have that shape me into who I am? How different will I be from now? Even looking back at my high school self, I have changed a bit.

4. What are some of the changes or risks you have taken that you are glad you took? Why?

Coming to Mac was a risk because I had never left home before. It was a new experience. I could have stayed home and commuted, but at the last second, I changed my mind and it brought a lot of fun experiences and memories. It helped me learn to be more independent and not rely on my parents as much.

5. What do you find most exciting when you think of your future?

My career goal is to be in a health care career where I am helping people. Having a job that doesn’t feel like a job, but just going to work and enjoying it and not complaining about it. And, like everyone says, travelling and having new experiences.

6. We all have uncertainties about our future. What is your tip or trick for handling the unknown?

I’m the type of person that worries about the future. I have a constant urge to accomplish my goals and sometimes I’m overwhelmed with fear that I won’t accomplish them. Sometimes this fear is of what other people with think of me when I don’t accomplish my goals. I think it’s important to realize that everything happens for a reason and you can’t control everything. Sometimes I think, “Why did that happen?” and then the reason becomes clear after awhile.

If I don’t accomplish my goals, then it’s not meant to be. Sometimes what you want isn’t always what you need – you think you’ll be the best at doing something, but you might excel more and impact more people doing something else. You never really know.

About Morgan

Morgan is a second year student in the Faculty of Science, currently studying Life Sciences.

Learn more about The Planned Happenstance Project.

Photo Credit: Grant Holt. Interviewed by: Richa Alvares.