Computing definitely was not in the plan when I came to Queen's in 2008. I moved to Kingston from Calgary, Alberta with the intention of studying Biochemistry, sticking with what I knew. But lucky me, I did what everyone tells you to do when you go to university and took a course that was completely different from anything else I was taking: Computer Animation in Flash. It turned out that I did better in Computing than I did in any Biology or Chemistry course. So I switched. I didn't even have to abandon Biochemistry completely. In my second year I tutored for the course in Computer Animation and by third year I was one of the teaching assistants.
The School of Computing at Queen's is really like a giant group of friends. You see a lot of familiar faces and everyone is always trying to help you out. Computing is opening a whole new world of possibilities and Queen's is great place to start!
-- Emese Somogyvari
It is a wonderful school. Great faculty and fantastic staff! It is like a family. Great research facilities! There are a lot of experts in different research areas. Great relationship with big companies, such as IBM and RIM. Great study environment. Great library and sport facilities. Big international student community. A lot of helpful support from the International Student Centre for international students. Queen's is located in downtown Kingston and by Lake Ontario. The scenery is beautiful, Shopping is convenient. People are friendly.
-- Hung Tam
My experience so far in the School of Computing has been wonderful. I enjoy being a part of such a close-knit community where there is always someone you can turn to for help, whether you are in need of advice or academic help. The professors are very helpful and encourage you to see them during office hours to ask as many questions as you want. They want their students to do well in their courses, and will always help you if you are struggling. I am so happy with my decision to join and stick with Computing mainly because I believe we are a family that helps one-another succeed.
-- Isabelle Harris
I like Queen's University Computing. I feel that I fit in the School of Computing, because we are a small group so we can be friends easily and enjoy our frosh week very well. For example, I can meet computing students in most of my classes and we usually sit together and help each other. On the other hand, I love the Queen's University help centre and tutor system; it helps me a lot to develop my study skills. For example, I usually get peer assistance in the writing centre. There are upper year students at the centre who help me improve my essays. They gave me some tips and fix my mistakes. Finally, I live in residence. I am a lucky girl as I live in Watt's Hall. I love my residence, because our floor don is a very good person whose name is James. He helps me a lot. He tries to help me to fit in with other people on our floor.
-- Jung H. Oh
As a returning mature student, I am thrilled to be at the School of Computing at Queen's University. I am in the unique position of already having worked in the field as an IT Manager and Systems Consultant in Eastern Ontario, Canada. I decided to return to University to pursue a degree in the Computer Sciences to give me a business edge and to open other opportunities should I choose different sectors of employment such as education. A degree from Queen's will add an important, distinguishing layer to my portfolio. Regardless of which sector in Computing you choose to work in - upgrades are a constant. Field certifications require continuous updating and are expensive. Therefore organizations are looking for individuals who can meet these rigorous demands. The School of Computing will prepare you for this. Completing a degree program is a designation that will always hold its value and accreditation - It's an important investment. In my own situation, it will allow me to reach the next platform and pay grid in my field and thus aid in securing a senior IT management position in any employment sector. In other words, the School of Computing is a invaluable launching pad for future work especially in this competitive, economic climate. I highly advise anyone considering working in the IT field to come to Queen's not only for the recognition of having attended a top University but also because of the advantages of belonging to the School of Computing and the ease with which you can network and meet with not only other peers in your field but also established individuals/speakers and let's not forget the recruiters. They do a fantastic job and are top notch in setting up the right opportunities for Queen's students. It's all here! The rest is up to you!
-- Paige Talledo
I am a female Lebanese PhD student in the School of Computing at Queen's University.
My first experience with the School of Computing was when I applied to pursue the Masters program here. After I got the acceptance from my the school and specifically from my current supervisor, I was really amazed by the welcoming emails I received from the graduate program assistant and by the program of international buddy the assistant introduced to me.
I was assigned a graduate student buddy to help me plan my move to Kingston and to start my studies in the school of Computing. My buddy student was extremely helpful. He answered all sorts of questions I had in my mind whether about the school or the university or even the city, its climate and its touristic attractions. When I arrived to Kingston my buddy was the person who welcomed me at the bus station and drove me to my temporary residence he managed to book for me in one of Queen's residences.
The very second day of my arrival, I visited the school to see that there was a gathering for a morning coffee of graduate students and professors. It was a great opportunity for me to meet a significant number of the school members and to feel the familial ambiance the school of Computing has. Everybody in school tried to make the move from Beirut to Kingston as easy as they can. Some of the professors introduced me to some of their lab members who speak the same language to help me overcome the transitional phase I was facing.
As days past during my stay in the School of Computing, every time I seek help whether in my day to day life problems or in my courses, I got loads of people willing to explain, help and solve the problems I had.
Due to this lovely family like environment, I grew a big circle of friends with whom I share my life in Kingston and who support me during decision making and tough periods of time.
I have learned a lot in this School. Academically, the professors who taught me during the past two years have provided me with great knowledge in their corresponding topics of research. Professors offer help to students and act like mentors more than usual supervisors. After coming to the school with no experience in research, professional writing and presentation skills, now I have published two papers in the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference and I had the chance to leverage my presentation skills by presenting my work to a wide range of audience in this conference held in Buenos Aires in Argentina. Outside the academia, the school of computing offered so many opportunities for the graduate students to get involved in extracurricular activities as well as different outreach societies. I became the vice-president (finances) of the Graduate Computing Society (GCS) during my second year in the school. In addition, I became an active member in the Women in the School Computing (WISC) association and participated as member of the venue committee of the ONCWIC conference organized by WISC.
If I'm to talk about one of the most exciting experiences I had in the School of Computing, it would be organizing for the first Annual Queens's Graduate Computing Society Conference (QGCSC). As a Co-chair and hand by hand with other members of the organizing committee, we planned the conference from A to Z, from posters, brochures and presentations to venue, catering and awards. The conference ended up to be a successful one and we are proud to work this year on the second version of it.
Closer to my Masters graduation date, I decided to apply for my PhD degree. The School of Computing was the first on the list of application to fill out and at the end it was the one I accepted their offer. The reason behind my choice is simply that I couldn't find any warmer family like environment similar to our School of Computing environment.
Now as a PhD in this great School, I say that if I would ever go back in time to that period when I was choosing universities to apply for my Masters I would choose the School of Computing in Queen's as my only application to fill out.
-- Layan Nahlawi
Queen's Computing is a place where you can truly feel at home. The people that will surround you in your time here are some of the most genuine people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. They are there for you in the good times and bad, and are always willing to help you when a challenge seems just a little too hard to conquer on your own!
-- Mattea L. Welch
For me, the most impressive part about studying computing at Queen's is the excellence of teaching. This is something that is missing in many institutions. There are great professors here at Queens that love to teach and do a very good job at it. Being a graduate student, the research environment here at Queen's is highly collaborative and people are extremely helpful and approachable.
-- Mustafa Mohamad
I wish I could live in Kingston forever! I came from Bangladesh in 2008 and completed my Master of Science in Computing in 2010. I was fortunate enough to get a handsome job even before I went for my thesis defense! That's the summary of my story of my experience at Queen's. Queen's will give you all you need (as they did for me), will help you to achieve your dreams and in the end will give you a degree. A degree that other can think about and feel a bit envious (their eyes say so!). Welcome to Queen's and take your life a step forward toward your destination.
-- Rezoanoor Rahman Ruben
My undergraduate and graduate experience at Queen's University has given me the fundamental skills I need to succeed as a software developer. After studying in the School of Computing, I moved to Silicon Valley to spend four years working at Electronic Arts and at Google, and felt fully prepared for the challenges faced in that demanding environment.
-- Scott Grant
I am currently enrolled in BioMedical Computing for my second year. I would just like to take a moment to express my enjoyment with the program thus far! I came into Computing very reluctantly; it was only after meeting with you in person that I decided that BioMed was for me. In hindsight now I'm pleased to say it was a life changing choice and it changed me for the better in advancing my professional career. I've met fantastic professors in each class who deeply enjoy imparting their passion for each topic they teach and the courses are generally well put together and applicable to real world applications. In particular I would like to mention one of the courses that I have taken this semester, being CISC 271 taught by Randy Ellis. I would just like to note that his course was extremely well done and he is not only a fantastic teacher but a very compassionate man too. His course taught me many of the essentials that I will need if I choose to work to be involved in lab work this year. From chopping error to QR decomposition he presented material clearly and logically. I also enjoyed his assignments that taught me the essentials in using the popular matrix software MatLab. Thanks to his course I know that if I chose employment in a lab setting I will be able provide and apply my knowledge confidently thanks to Professor Ellis. There are also plenty of other courses that I thoroughly enjoyed too. Math 111 with Peter Taylor was a favorite from last year along with CISC 101 with Professor McLeod. I think the reason why these particular courses stuck out was because these teachers did not stick to the textbook readings, but instead tried to show how the material that we're learning was directly applicable to real world applications. I have nothing against [other departments mentioned here; redacted], however the lectures are large and the teachers generally have no compassion for their students. To clarify compassion for their students, in [course in another department mentioned here; redacted] this semester I was denied my accommodations for the midterm. It took several attempts to reason with the professor and having a counsellor from Disability Services to change this professor's mind. The way the situation was handled was completely inappropriate and I know would never happen in the School of Computing. In conclusion this department is providing me with a bright future and a great education that I would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. I'm extremely pleased with my program thus far and I only expect to continue out my remaining two years with the same feeling. Thank you once again for such a great stepping stone to my future.
-- Greg Allan
I came to Queen's as a graduate student and completed Master's and PhD in Computer Science. I found Queen's, in particular the School of Computing, an ideal place which provided me with a unique atmosphere of learning and gaining world-class education and knowledge. I was quite impressed with the standard of the School of Computing. The professors in the school are renowned and world-leaders in their respective fields whose top-most priority is providing and ensuring the best education possible to the students. Furthermore, one will be living in a city (Kingston) which is routinely ranked one of the best cities in Canada. The city simply offers the best in terms of living and enjoying life. I highly recommend the Queen's School of Computing to anyone wishing to study computer science abroad.
-- Kamrul Islam
I'm a first year student at the Queen's University School of Computing in the Bachelor of Computing (Honours) program and my experience has been nothing short of fantastic! The School's atmosphere is very welcoming and it is located in the beautiful city of Kingston. The professors are very knowledgeable and are always willing to help. I look forward to seeing you here at Queen's!
-- Ryan Kavanagh
Queen's University's School of Computing ranks among one of the best in Canada. The professors are experienced, engaging, and care about their students as much as they care about their work. But Queen's Computing has been more than an educational experience for me - it has been a home. The people I met here have changed my life forever - people like you and I, brought together by their common love for computing. Studying here is an experience you will never forget. Come see for yourself!
-- Zi Yi
Studying at Queen's within the School of Computing has been the best academic decision I've ever made. After completing the Biomedical Computing program (also at Queen's), it was clear to me that I had to continue my studies to the graduate level because of the incredible environment: fantastic peers, an inspiring faculty, challenging problems, and an overall feeling of community. Truly, it feels like a family; I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel incredibly fortunate and proud to be a part of the School of Computing and would encourage anyone who thinks they would also love such an environment to give it a try - they won't be disappointed.
-- Andrew Dickinson
Creative, Inspiring, Challenging, Forward-thinking: These are just some of the words that describe my experience with the culture at the School of Computing. It was one of my professors in an upper year Biomedical Computing course who inspired me to look into an area of research that had up to then attracted little attention that of Human Factors applied to Healthcare hardware and software systems. The support I received from faculty at the School while I tried to find my own interest in this area was extraordinary, and if it wasn't for the undergraduate summer NSERC award, and the Research Assistant position that I held as a third year undergraduate student, I may not have had the opportunity to pursue some of the later work I did in this area. Both these opportunities were instrumental in leading me to seek a Masters project with a supervisor at Queen's. The level of personal and research support, as well as the opportunities given to me are just some of the reasons why I decided to stay at Queen's as a graduate student. Outside of academics, I have had the pleasure to have been able to work with some very talented and committed students throughout my entire time as a student. This School highly encourages its students to pursue their own entrepreneurial initiatives. Early in my undergraduate years, I became involved with a group of students composed entirely or undergraduate and graduate students that founded and developed the first annual Canadian Student Conference on Biomedical Computing. In this endeavour, the School was both host and mentor to our young initiative, and with their eager support, we were able to deliver a conference in 2006 that exceeded even our highest expectations, and continues to this day to provide a national venue for young student researchers in the rapidly growing area of Biomedical Computing. As a graduate student I met some very passionate international students who were looking to make a positive impact on the life of graduate students at the School. I joined them in their effort to bring to life the Graduate Computing Society, a new campus sanctioned student organization that provides our graduate students with many community events, as well as a voice to the main graduate student body on campus. Our largest initiative to date has been a new internal student conference aimed at bringing together our graduate and undergraduate students in an academic setting where they present new ideas, work in progress, seek collaboration and network with other students in the School. This undoubtedly is just the beginning. New students like yourself can become involved in both furthering your academic background, as well as getting involved with organizations like COMPSA, GCS, the GCS annual conference, and others on campus which will provide you a wealth of opportunities to make your mark. When you come to the School of Computing at Queen's, you will not only be joining a well respected and high-caliber academic community, you will be joining a forward-thinking School that encourages its members to make valuable contributions in as many ways as your imagination and passion can inspire you. Change your world, one opportunity at a time.
-- Dumitru Onceanu