Starting your college journey is a huge stepping stone in life, and while it’s a moment filled with excitement, the gap between the stepping stones can seem a whole lot bigger when you don’t know what to expect. To help new students get the most out of Open House and prepare for their college journey, Mohawk College students Blen and Nish shared their expectations for college before starting, as well their experiences as students now that they’re well into their programs.
When Nish first started his college search, Nish’s cousin recommended Mohawk College after attending himself. “One of the reasons I chose Mohawk is because of the experiences my cousin had as a student,” he said. Nish’s cousin assured him it would be a good experience, but Nish had worries that are shared by many students who are in the midst of selecting their college.
“I was expecting for it to be stressful. I expected that I won't be able to make long lasting friendships. I was expecting that it would be difficult to make friends,” said Nish. “I was expecting that, I'll have to manage a lot of things and maybe I won't be able to get the support that I'm looking for. Worried that if I'm going to be working somewhere, maybe I won't be able to manage my studies, maybe I won't be able to manage my job.”
He continued, “But, that’s changed. My perspective has changed, especially because when I came here, the first thing I experienced was a warm welcome. I met a few people that I think I'm going to be friends with for the rest of my life.”
Nish shared what helped him to change his mind. “My experience in my program has been extremely good. To be honest, when I first started, the classes were online due to the pandemic. But when I came back in third semester, I got to learn things in person and it was a great experience,” said Nish. “You get to see how things really work in software development, and especially because of the experimental learning opportunities Mohawk has presented me with.”
“I don't think I would have gotten that anywhere else. I became part of clubs, I even started my own club at college,” he continued. “I could summarize my five semesters right now with lots of board games, lots of snacks, lots of laughter. Mohawk College, Student Life, MSA, and different departments were all here for me, they created a perfect sense of community and made me feel at home.”
Nish isn’t alone in his appreciation for the MSA. The events and efforts that MSA creates to improve student life has been an unexpected joy for Mohawk College student Blen. “I'm currently working at the MSA where it’s basically ‘for the students, by the students.’ We try to advocate on behalf of the students, and the fact that there are not-for-profit organizations on campus advocating for students and improving the students experience… I was pleasantly surprised and I actually appreciate it,” she said.
The events organized and run by the college also took Blen off guard. “What really surprised me is that the college does a lot of events to make sure that students are included,” she said. “For example, job fairs, bringing employees and employers into one space for students to network. They do actively try to make sure that they're setting up the students for success, which I absolutely appreciate.”
Despite the time that Blen has spent involved with the college, there are still new and unexpected discoveries waiting for her around every corner. “It's a huge college. Like, the Library, the Collaboration, the different spaces. Pictures don't do it justice. The other day, I realized there was a section for music. Another day, I discovered that there’s a radio station. It feels like there’s always something new popping up that I haven’t discovered. Don't underestimate it, it’s huge.”
Nish believes that there is a lot to the Mohawk College experience that many students wouldn’t expect. “I think some that students wouldn’t expect when considering attending Mohawk the vast amount of resources that Mohawk has. For example, at Mohawk, if you want to learn something, you've got a free subscription to LinkedIn learning,” he said. “If you want to learn about study permits, you've got sessions happening on study permits. If you're feeling sad and want to make friends, there's always student life. There's the MSA, if you want to do something related to clubs and communities or get involved in any sense.”
He continued, “What they don't know is there's so many opportunities at the college to work on campus job opportunities, which I think most colleges do not have. What they do not know is how good food is at Urban Fork. They may not know a lot of things about the resources and that college has to offer apart from academics, and these resources are worth discovering.”
