STORY BY CATARINA MUIA
Figuring out what to do after graduating from Sheridan is a common concern in students.
This is why the college has hosted the University Fair for the past nine years.
This year the fair will be held at Trafalgar Campus on Jan. 27 and at Davis Campus on Jan. 31, both from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m..
“We have about 30 schools coming in, mostly universities, but not all,” said Neil Baldwin, a career counsellor at Trafalgar.
Baldwin has been working alongside Judith MacKinnon, a career counsellor at Davis, to organize this annual event.
The fair usually brings in hundreds of students, all looking to get answers about future opportunities.
“If I were to go to this fair, I’d want them to be able to talk to me about a detailed bridging program for degrees,” said Amelia Skerret, a 20-year-old first-year student studying Early Childhood Education at Trafalgar.
Skerret is looking to get a degree at Ryerson for early childhood education once she’s completed college.
“What we want, is for students to be able to get answers to questions about degree completion at universities,” said Baldwin.
“Sometimes talking with a live human, like a rep, is a lot more effective than just phoning a general information number.”
Baldwin said that even students who might not have thought about continuing their education after Sheridan could go to the fair, and find something there for them.
James Martin is a 27-year-old who graduated from Sheridan in 2010 after studying in the Computer Systems Technology – Systems Analyst program at Davis, and attended the University Fair before he left the college.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but I ended up going and getting first-hand experience on what the school would actually be like, without actually having to go to the school,” said Martin in a phone interview.
“There were students presenting, so they talked about the pros and cons of the schools.”
Martin said that although he decided to head right to the work force after completing his program at Sheridan, “it really helped me decide whether or not I thought continuing my education would be the right path for me.”
For information about what schools will be at the University Fair, or for more general information about the event, visit: careercentre.sheridancollege.ca.