In December, Grade 10 students visited University of Manitoba on a program exploration field trip. Students will be visiting the university twice this year in an effort to see, first-hand, what programs and university class environments look like. On our first excursion, we visited the faculties of nursing and engineering.
Upon arriving, we heard a very informative session with recruiter Kyle Lougheed about the basics of life at university. Key pieces of information that the girls brought back with them that they found interesting were the range of class sizes as well as the size of the campus itself. The diverse community that exists allows for international and multicultural experiences and interests to be pursued. We learned to be open-minded at university because there are so many sub-categories within each faculty, allowing each student to find what he or she truly loves.
Our first hands-on experience was an incredibly interesting nursing demonstration in the simulator room. An instructor put us through a lesson to learn how to insert a gastric nasal tube, but, more importantly, explained the purpose of this procedure with many considerations needed to perform it properly.
Balmoral Hall School alumnae Kathryn Marcynuk and Ella Thomson, both studying in the Faculty of Engineering currently, are very accomplished women who have had fascinating research opportunities. Following their presentations, we explored the engineering building on an informational scavenger hunt.
Students reflected on the day’s activities, noting that they will benefit from the following in their own university experiences.
Work hard in high school to created a good academic foundation; Advanced Placement (AP) courses may be challenging, but they are also very beneficial.
Take advantage of extracurricular opportunities that enhance your area of study in high school and beyond.
Find the right course of study by doing what you love in order to love what you do. There are many options, so if plan A doesn’t work out you will undoubtedly find a plan B with advisors to support you.
Persistence and open-mindedness are very valuable traits to develop.