Kangyu’s final homework assignment

Kangyu So is among the more than 1,500 students graduating from the Faculty of Science on June 15th. We asked Kangyu, and nine other remarkable students, to look back at their time at McMaster and share what they learned, what they’ll miss and who helped them along the way. Here’s Kangyu’s final homework assignment:

The best advice you got as a student?

Don’t be afraid to try new experiences, whether that is a hobby you’ve recently discovered or research in a field outside of your major.

The best advice you’d give to a first-year student?

Plan ahead for your future and research different career paths so you are doing everything with a purpose.

The professor who pushed you the hardest and challenged you to aim higher?

Dr. Alemu Gonsamo

The unsung heroes who went above and beyond for you at McMaster?

Dr. Cheryl Rogers

The one thing you never got around to doing?

Visiting the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.

The one thing you’ll miss the most about McMaster?

The tight-knit community of fellow peers within my program who welcomed me in and provided a great deal of support and meaningful memories.

The most important thing you learned in the classroom?

Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are more essential to academic success than memorization.

The most important thing you learned outside the classroom?

The value of resilience and adaptability in transitioning from a teenager to an adult.

Your best day as a Mac student?

Light Up the Night.

The one thing you know now that you didn’t know on your first day at McMaster?

There is a tile on Mosaic that lets you copy your timetable to Google Calendar.

A moment that mattered at Mac?

Finishing the last exam of my senior year and feeling proud of what I have accomplished during my undergrad.

What was it like being a student at Mac during the pandemic? 

Mentally and physically challenging, but also taught me to become more academically and personally independent.

What’s next?

PhD student in Earth and Environmental Sciences at McMaster.

Kangyu’s McMaster highlights reel:

• NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship
• NSERC USRA 
• University Senate Scholarship
• LIFESCI-IRS Outstanding Thesis Presentation 
• Research assistant with Dr. Alemu Gonsamo