Student review [#24541] for Arts and Sciences
at Queen's University

My time at Queen’s University studying in their Arts and Science and Concurrent Education program has been life-changing, and this experience comes with its ups and downs. I find Queen’s to be an excellent institution overall, and what I love most about it are the school’s student life and challenging academics. The Orientation Week program is outstanding, with many fun bonding activities and dedicated student leaders to transition new students to the Queen’s body. It has indeed been a thrilling and n eye-opening experience meeting, so many people from different walks of life compared to if I just stayed home in Vancouver at UBC. The variety of clubs and student organizations is abundant, making it easy for students to find their niche and explore their passions. The courses overall went as expected and challenged me in meaningful ways. My favourite course I took was DEVS 100 Global Development because of the deep and engaging class discussions we had in tutorials. I would recommend this course to a friend because of the intriguing content that sparks meaningful conversations about the relationships between first-world and third-world countries.
Furthermore, as a local citizen from Vancouver, BC, the main disadvantage I found coming to Queen’s was the lack of diversity in a small city like Kingston as a person of colour. There was not much internationality within the student body, sometimes making it challenging to find a like-minded community. However, this lack of person of colour visibility made me grow up, seeing more of the world that is different from my upbringing and how to navigate those new spaces. So, this drawback also benefits from expanding our perspectives in new places. That being said, the school’s diversity and a history of racism problems that got pushed aside, unchecked, and never worked through, is something Queen’s can improve on. Overall, I feel that my career prospects at this school are limitless and that I have made incredible friendships, making Queen’s a place I am forever grateful to be.