gsa-comms

(Content warning: sexual violence, gender-based violence, explicit language) For our April book club, we read Halfbreed by Maria Campbell. This memoir details Maria’s life growing up Métis in Saskatchewan, and discusses themes of identity, belonging, addiction, recovery, discrimination, racism, poverty, and violence - including gender-based and sexual violence. It was a really impactful book, and I’d recommend reading it (if anyone is interested, feel free to email gsa-equt@uwaterloo.ca for...

When you start grad school as an international student, you arrive with two suitcases and a lot of excitement. Everything is new—new people, new campus, new routines. You’re eager to dive into research and make the most of this opportunity. But soon, small challenges start adding up. Things take longer—understanding expectations, adjusting to new ways of communicating, figuring out how things work in a different academic system. You watch others move through tasks effortlessly while you...

By: Bhagya Chandani When I first arrived in Canada as an international graduate student, everything felt unfamiliar—the weather, the people, even the way small talk worked. I was excited, but I also felt a little lost. Back home, I had my routines, my favorite cafés, and my go-to friends for a late-night chat. Here, I had to start from scratch. I still remember my first few days at the University of Waterloo—walking around campus, trying to memorize building names, and awkwardly waiting in...