As an undergrad, I idolized my professors and believed they were some of the smartest people I would ever meet. They were experts; they had spent years gaining highly specialized knowledge in their fields and had eloquent, complicated answers to any question thrown at them. I was constantly in awe of the academics around me, … [Read more…]
I owe everything that I have done in my academic life to three things: first, my relentless and persistent resoluteness that frequently stems from the spite of the tough times, the nay-sayers, and the heartaches I have ever felt; second, my yearning to broaden my horizon to something bigger than myself; and third, the stunning … [Read more…]
Nothing is impossible for the one who believes so. This summarizes Dan’s transition into Canada. Dan came to Canada as an international student. Back in his home country, he was a thriving professional. Upon arriving here, he was allowed by his employer to work remotely while studying. So, the ambitious professional concluded he wouldn’t take … [Read more…]
My first sight of a university without a gate was in 2022 when I landed in Canada and visited Memorial University for the first time. The aura and symbolic idea of a gate-less university contrasted sharply with my experience of a typical university in the Global South. For security, border demarcation, and ownership, a fence … [Read more…]
Territory Acknowledgement The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is situated in the traditional territory of various Indigenous groups, and I respectfully acknowledge the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit who have called this place home since time immemorial. Introduction Before undergraduate studies, I was unaware of the diverse Indigenous history … [Read more…]
I don’t think I can accurately put into summation what it feels like being a graduate student. I usually resort to a dark humor-esque analogy when my relatives and friends bombard me with the ever-common question: “So how is graduate school going Meghan?” My favorite comeback thus far has to be: “Moments of sheer unhinged … [Read more…]
Growing up as a disabled person in Newfoundland, I never considered what being disabled genuinely meant until I began thinking about what life after high school should look like for me. Looking that far into the future was a scary endeavour, one that I continue to think about as I navigate through the last few … [Read more…]
There are divergent views on success. Some say it’s a product of hard work. Some say it’s sheer luck. More recent schools of thought say it’s a combination of both–hard work and luck. That’s well, true. But I believe every success story has something much more important: self-belief. I recall grappling with my academics in … [Read more…]
Mature students often have the subtle connotation of being luddites. Unable to successfully negotiate the academic world, our pursuits are admirable, but ultimately doomed. At 39, I felt the alienation of a repetitive work environment and the longing for intellectual stimulation and fulfilment. I started by listening to a philosophy podcast (Philosophize This! – It’s … [Read more…]
I never know how to respond when people ask me how grad school is going. So far it has involved a lot of back and forth, a lot of up and down, sometimes in rapid and disorienting succession. Some days I feel genuinely, giddily excited about the things that I’m reading and discussing and writing … [Read more…]