To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “I am a proud nerd, both professionally and casually! I'm currently doing my MSc in Chemistry/Biochemistry at UNB as a follow-up to my BSc in Chemistry and Biology that I got at SMU. On the non-professional nerd side, I play a lot of D&D, LARP a fair amount, and pole dance for fun!”
How did you gain experience in the field during undergrad in order to better your chances of being a successful applicant? "I asked one of my professors about research. I talked to my organic chemistry prof about doing research with him since I was really enjoying the course and wanted to know what undergraduate research options there were. From there I was able to start working in some of the research groups to get some hands-on experience.”
What’s your most important piece of advice for students wishing to pursue graduate school? Make sure you enjoy what you do and are comfortable working independently. Graduate school can be difficult and there isn't always going to be a clear protocol to follow, so having a vested interest in what you are studying will make your degree a whole lot easier to get through.
What was your process for finding a supervisor that fit with your interests? I start with looking at their research, either by attending talks or reading their publications. Once you decide you like their work, looking into their supervisory style is also a good idea. In my opinion, it's a good idea to find a supervisor whose work style is compatible with yours, so talking to current students in the group is a good way to gauge if you would be a good fit.
What would be your most impactful experience during undergrad? I can't really think of one thing that stands out as the most impactful, there was more a collection of tiny things that happened that I remember. One of the coolest things I wound up doing was travelling to Australia to do research for a few months, so that's definitely up there on the list of impactful things since it was my first experience with international research (plus Australia is a really neat country).