Queen's University
speciality: Anthropology

I recently graduated from Queen’s University with a major in Gender Studies, and I am sharing my experience reflecting on my full-time as a student.
Academically, I had several strong and meaningful learning experiences. Even though my primary focus was Gender Studies, I particularly enjoyed my Philosophy of Religion course with Jon Miller, which encouraged critical thinking and thoughtful discussion. I also had very positive experiences in my Religion courses with Kacy Dool, which were engaging, well-structured, and intellectually rewarding.
Within my program, I found GNDS 330: Gender and the Global South and GNDS 262: Reproductive Justice to be relevant and challenging, and I appreciated instructors like Lesley Ann Foster, who brought depth and care to the material. These courses helped shape how I think about global issues, ethics, and social justice in a meaningful way.
That said, my overall experience was mixed. Throughout my studies, I faced several health-related challenges, including ongoing COVID disruptions over two academic years, which affected my ability to attend classes consistently and fully engage with campus life. During this time, I also found that some classes became spaces where instructors spent significant time discussing their personal opinions about how Queen’s handles internal situations, rather than focusing on structured academic support for students navigating difficulties. As a student dealing with disruptions, this sometimes felt frustrating and unproductive.
While Queen’s offers strong academic programs and passionate professors, I found institutional support to be inconsistent, particularly for students facing health or accessibility challenges. Because of this, I would rate Queen’s University a 3 out of 5. I would recommend it to students who are academically driven and able to fully engage on campus, but I believe there is room for improvement in how the university supports students during prolonged or unexpected challenges.