Caleb McCarroll-ButlerMajors: Environmental Science and Conservation & Biodiversity |
What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)?
I have always had a sort of subconscious quest in life to learn as much I can about the astonishing natural world upon which we all rely. When I was 7 to 10 or so, I would read atlases early on Saturday mornings instead of watching cartoons like the other kids. I have always had the urge to understand what makes the world tick and how its living and nonliving aspects interact. I tend to describe my programs as two sides of the same coin for this reason: Conservation and Biodiversity tends to operate at the levels of ecological communities and is enormously effected by environmental happenings (be they climactic, geological, hydrological, etc.) both ecologically and evolutionarily, and environmental science informs how this happenings occur. It's really, really cool. Can you describe your program(s)? What is it actually like? Since my two majors are in two different departments, there are very few classes that overlap between them after first year. Only one mandatory one (second year ecology), and two elective (third year environmental microbiology and fourth year site remediation). For this reason, there are a whole lot of courses to take and not a huge amount of space for other, non-biology or environmental science courses. Despite this, there is a lot of flexibility within the programs themselves ("pick at least two of the following twelve courses" for example) so the learning within the fields can be very self-directed and therefore fairly personalised and interesting. The classes range hugely in workload, but nothing is even close to unmanageable if your time management skills are reasonably alright. As the years go on, the courses get more and more specialised and thus more and more interesting for the students. You'll find yourself wishing it were realistic to take more than five or six courses in a semester. What tips/advice can you provide to students just starting or considering this program(s)? What will you do with your degree after graduation? Most people in my majors are interested in conservation work with the government, environmental consulting, environmental law, or research (either for the government or privately). While these are all excellent and necessary fields for people with my skill set and academic history, I intend to go to teacher's college after getting a master's degree in atmospheric science, environmental science, or ecology and evolutionary biology. I would then apply to be a high school biology and/or general science teacher, if all goes according to plan. I love learning and I love sharing knowledge so this future path is perfect for my approach to the ever important knowledge and ideas presented in this degree. What has your academic journey during your time been like as you progress toward graduation? FIRST YEAR: Originally, I was accepted into the specialist in environmental geoscience program. While this is still incredibly interesting to me and I still take as many geoscience courses as possible, I discovered during first year that the broader my education is within the realm of science, the happier and more invested I will be. It was a general science first year, with two sections each of calculus, bio, chem, and environmental science with physics in first semester. I found most of first year to be ensuring everybody is on an even playing field for future years. As such, most of it was review for me. On top of these science courses, I also joined the UTSC choir and have been leader of the tenor section since second semester of first year. Don't forget to make room for what you love in your degree. |
Gabriel ShifferawMajors: Environmental Studies & Environmental Science |
What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)? Environmental Studies is a program that attempts to tackle detrimental environmental issues in order to force society towards a more equitable and sustainable future. Environmental studies is holistic program because it integrates many different disciplines including the hardcore sciences (chemistry, biology, physics) and social sciences (including politics, law and human psychology.) Being part of the environmental studies program is an amazing experience in many different ways. For one, UTSC provides direct knowledge about the environment along with access to our own professors who are expert scientists. This allows students to actively participate in environmental assessments and to engage in professional trainings and discussions with the leading experts in our field. Additionally, as a student of Environment Studies you also undergo environmental application where we put all the course work into use in a final project with organizations that are making a difference in the environment. I had an amazing experience working with the Government of New Brunswick and WWF Canada in my senior year. |
![]() Arika Hisatsune
Majors: Environmental Science and Biochemistry
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What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)? Can you describe your program(s)? What is it actually like? Being a part of this program has taught me how to overcome my weaknesses and apply critical-thinking skills to actual workplace challenges or to real life situations. The highlights of these programs are that you will get to pick classes that you are most interested in as there will be a lot of options offered for you to pick from, to complete the degree. Also, as the level of the course proceeds, you get to learn, for example water, in more depth taught by professors that specialize in that field so you get to learn things others won't know. What tips/advice can you provide to students just starting or considering this program(s)? - Visit the office hours of your professors or anyone who you know works in your program area. They will tell you of their experiences and their research in depth. Sometimes they allow you to assist in some of their research projects as well. Making connection with professors could allow you to have more potential to work in a department or company and gain valuable work experience. Those experiences could make you outstanding amongst others applying to the same graduate study programs and also, you will have a clearer vision on what you will be working on if you are really going to pursue that field. The degree I earn will allow me to get involved in many fields in environmental science and also biochemistry, but my goal is to be a researcher in either of these fields. The degree will allow me to enrol into a grad school that offers a high education, which will allow me to be a better researcher or technician. Being a great researcher or technician will allow you to make a positive change to yourself but also to the greater society. What has your academic journey during your time been like as you progress toward graduation? |
Justin Chander
Major: Environmental Science Co-op and Physical & Human Geography
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What factors contributed to you choosing your program(s)? For the first academic year, I focused on a broad range of the sciences: biology, chemistry, physics, and introduction to human geography. A strong high school background in any or all of these subjects will assist you with making these courses as easy as possible and, in turn, you should have a smoother transition from high school to university. In second year, your courses will start involving a lot of newer information for you. This will be more interesting. You will get into specifics of biology and environmental science such as ecology or physiology, and in human geography, you will get into more specifics like sociology and urban development. Third year is where the courses get much more interesting. You start getting involved with topics that are most relevant to what you’re studying. You explore pertinent issues like climate challenge and infrastructure problems in building cities around the world and begin to start exploring solutions to these problems. Fourth year has you critically analyzing the issues in the topics you looked at in third year, but to an even greater degree. It also has you exploring potential viable solutions for these. It also is a great segway to how graduate studies will be if that route is right for you in the future. In addition, you will have co-op work terms in-between several years; they could be at almost any point in your undergraduate years; so those give you some real-life hands-on experience working in a job that you might-well-be be working in in the near future after you are finished with this journey. |