Starting university can be a scary time. There are a lot of unknowns and with those comes a lot of questions. In an effort to ease these inquiring minds, a Q&A was conducted between high school students and current Guelph-Humber students. The conversation at hand takes place between three high school students and three university students consisting of different majors: Journalism, Visual Communication and Public Relations.This conversation takes place between high school students Emily Edwards, Cameron McKibbin and Sara Palk as well as university students David Leo (Journalism), Nicole Dacunha (Visual Communications) and Ava Mangoni (Public Relations).
This conversation takes place between high school students Emily Edwards, Cameron McKibbin and Sara Palk as well as university students David Leo (Journalism), Nicole Dacunha (Visual Communications) and Ava Mangoni (Public Relations).



Image Credit: Maria Janella R Salvador
Q: Emily Edwards:What is the community/culture/environment like at Guelph-Humber? (ex: school spirit…)
David Leo: Guelph-Humber may be a relatively small school, and we share a campus with a renowned college, but we are a very close knit community. I always see people repping Guelph-Humber merch walking around the school and in classes, I even have a sweater of my own. I found that everyone is very nice and approachable, and through this I have met plenty of friends that I hope to see achieve great things in the future.
Emily Edwards: What are some recommendations for feeling overwhelmed in a new changed environment?
Ava Mangoni: Make connections with your classmates! My friends have truly been my rocks throughout my past four years. It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed when being immersed in a new environment so having a core group of people who can support you is really lovely. Another thing I recommend when feeling overwhelmed is to reach out to your professors. I know it can seem scary at first but they’re truly here to help you and listen! Also, just know that you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. Everyone is feeling the same way and it will get easier.
Cameron McKibbin: How do you find navigating around the campus?
David Leo: The Guelph-Humber campus is very easy to navigate, considering all your classes are in one building, travel time in between classes is very short. Once you’ve been on all four floors for the first time you’ll be good to go. Humber College however is a different story, I still don’t think I’ve been around that campus in full but it’s still a fun adventure to kill some time if you’re interested.

Emily Edwards: What is Emerge and how did it start?
Ava Mangoni: Emerge is a capsule project that is orchestrated by fourth year Media and Communications Studies students at Guelph-Humber. It is a year-long journey and really allows you to tap into your major. It originally started out as just a magazine but has now transitioned into an entire capstone! Each stream has their own purpose in this conference, magazine and visual showcase. All are such an important player in making it all come to life. Emerge has a different theme each year and is unique to the experience of the students creating it. To sum it up, Emerge is anything and everything media! It is definitely a major selling point for why Guelph-Humber is the perfect school to start your media and communications endeavours in.
Emily Edwards: What are some recommendations you have for school supplies or technology for the Media and Communications program?
Nicole Dacunha: If you will be taking design or photography courses I recommend investing in an Adobe Software subscription for six months. Although it can be pricey, there are student discounts that will save you lots of money. The school computers have all Adobe Software already installed; however, having your own subscription ensures you won’t have to be at school to use Adobe. As workload increases over the years a lot of assignments will have to be done at home so this prevents relying on the school to get your work completed. Also, it’s great to practise at home with your own projects to improve your skill. Definitely worth the investment!

Sara Palk: Do you find your specific interest in Media and Communications being specialised at all?
Ava Mangoni: Yes! Guelph-Humber does a really great job at making sure all of your media interests are catered to. My personal interest is Public Relations and I find that this school has really given me the opportunity to test-drive a career in this field, especially with fourth-year internships.
Cameron McKibbin: What improvements have you seen since the start of Emerge?
David Leo: After every Emerge, student’s drive and skill excels to create a better Emerge than the last, and because past Emerge continues to improve, so have the students to ensure this goal is met.
Nicole Dacunha: Particularly, I am working within the Visual Showcase team this year which will be the first team to successfully implement this since covid-19 has interrupted it from being executed in the past. We are all very excited to showcase the students at Guelph-Humbers work through an immersive gallery and a virtual reality we are currently working on! Particularly, I am working within the Visual Showcase team this year which will be the first team to successfully implement this since covid-19 has interrupted it from being executed in the past. We are all very excited to showcase the students at Guelph-Humber’s work through an immersive gallery and a virtual reality we are currently working on!
Sara Palk: How are the Guelph Humber internships for Media and Communications?
Ava Mangoni: The internships truly vary depending on the major you’re in and what exactly you’re looking for from the experience! Guelph-Humber is really wonderful with internships with the fact that you are not requiredto do an internship revolving around your respective major. As long as you do something relevant to your program, you’re good to go! The internship I’m currently a part of has been a real learning experience for me and I’m so glad Guelph-Humber has given me the opportunity to test out a media industry job while still being in school.