Human Kinetics at University of Guelph
Updated: Oct 24, 2020
Melanie (Year 3)
@melanieelao
What made you choose this institution over all others? Did the university exceed your expectations?
I chose the University of Guelph for its unique human kinetics program which allows students to have general knowledge in all sciences and then specialize in kinesiology specific courses in the last two years of undergrad. So far, my expectations have been exceeded. There are tremendous resources outside of the classroom to help students do their absolute best.
Do you have any lingering thoughts or regrets in your year as a whole (ex; application process, mistakes going into first year). If so, describe them.
In my first year of undergrad, I regret not going to my professor’s office hours and student run study sessions. They were very helpful in my second year.
Briefly describe the academic rigour of your program (in terms of competitiveness, courses, professors, etc.)
First year courses for bachelor of science majors are all general science courses that can be difficult if you did not understand chemistry, physics and calculus during high school. Second year courses start to get specific to your major so courses are more interesting. Professors at the University of Guelph are generally really good and course grading is fair especially since all prof’s provide past midterms and exams to prepare students for finals.
Describe the social life at your campus based on your own experiences (making friends, clubs + extracurriculars, party culture etc.)
The University of Guelph has a great social life. There are a ton of clubs and intramural sports to make new friends. Every week there is a themed pub night and Guelph has a lot of bars/restaurants/house parties so your weekends are never dull.
What are some of the best and worst parts of your university experience so far?
The best experience so far has been joining the Ultimate frisbee team. I met a bunch of my current friends in my first year there and we also get to travel all over Ontario for tournaments. The worst experience was in my first year. There’s a strict no guest policy during any special weekend events such as Hoco and halloween, so having your friends over during those times requires some planning and sneaking in.
List three effective study techniques and/or habits:
Prof’s office hours/email Q&A
Library has group study floors and quiet floors to help me focus
Help centres run by TA’s for general science courses
List three pieces of advice for first-year students:
Join a club team or intramural
Form study groups
Ask questions to your professors - they are there to help you as much as possible