This week’s campus profile is on 4B Science and Business student Nadia Gilani!
President of the Science and Business Student Association (SBSA), Feds Orientation Committee (FOC) member for 2014 Orientation, Faculty of Science Ambassador, and an Ambassador for the Visitor’s Centre at South Campus Hall are a few of the very many things that Nadia has been involved with throughout her time at Waterloo. Her Campus caught up with the soon-to-be alumni for advice on how to make the most out of your university career and still come out successful.
How does it feel to be in the last term of your undergrad?
It’s bittersweet, but I also feel like I’m ready to move on and start the next chapter of my life. It’s weird when you think about it because I’ve spent about 20% of my life here at Waterloo, so I feel like it’s become such a big part of me and who I am as a person. I feel really old, which is funny because I’m still pretty young, and still have a lot to learn.
You spent the summer on co-op in California, what was it like to do a work term abroad?
It was such a phenomenal opportunity for me to go somewhere where I couldn’t go back home on the weekend. I’m from Guelph so it’s pretty easy for me, especially as a first year, to have that quick escape to go home. Going to California was really about me being able to push myself outside of my comfort zone, relying on myself, and going out and meeting new people. I really enjoyed it overall too, I think the combination of being in California, which is such an awesome state, and also having a really cool job where I was given a lot of responsibility made for such a great growth opportunity. If you have the opportunity to go away and really give yourself that autonomy and independence, do it even if you’re nervous. It will be so worth it.
What has been your favourite memory of university so far?
There have been a lot of great memories, so it’s hard to just pick one.
In general, I think my favourite memory would be bonding with the people in my program. I say this time and time again but the Science and Business program is full of gems, and the friends I’ve made in the program are some of the best people I’ve ever met.
Also, I think being able to see my personal growth, in terms of taking new challenges on where my first instinct is, “I can’t do this,” and then seeing it play out successfully has always been fulfilling. Working with SBSA has been a great example of this because we are really striving to challenge the status quo, but when a new idea works out it’s such a great feeling
I also joke about this other memory, but I work at the Visitor’s Centre and I often get asked, “what’s been the best part of your undergrad?” and I always answer that it was when the university’s official Twitter account tweeted at me on a Random Act of Kindness Day. They said something like, “your tweets make us laugh”, and I just thought it was just the nicest thing.
How do you define success and what would you say is the key to being successful?
I think success is a relative term and is very different for everyone. Every person is faced with their own set of challenges and obstacles, and is working towards different goals; so I think it all really depends on what you’re going through and what you’re trying to achieve. From talking to many friends at Waterloo, it seems like people can get discouraged by the “successful” people around them, like those founding start-ups. But, I don’t think different people’s achievements can be compared because we are all so different. I don’t have a start-up, but I like to think I still have a shot at success.
I think my personal definition is ever evolving. Right now it’s being able to constantly challenge and improve myself. It’s the cycle of setting a goal, working towards it, achieving it, and then feeling empowered by the, “I can do this” feeling. And then I work towards the next goal. That keeps me going.
Was there ever a time that you felt overwhelmed or stressed, and how did you find the motivation to overcome that?
I’ve gotten a lot better over the past couple terms at managing stress, but at the beginning, it was a constant battle of balancing a full term of classes and then also trying to make the most of my university experience.
If you want to get involved in a club or take on a leadership role, it can be very time-consuming, and you can easily find yourself overwhelmed. I’ve been in that position many times, so I think for me it’s about understanding that we’re all human and we’re all bound to feel overwhelmed or even fail at sometimes. Once have that realization, you understand that it’s okay, and you learn from your mistakes. Also, I am very lucky to have some great friends who are the best support system.
I also I think it’s important to be cognizant of what you have going on in your life, so time management is critical, and having an outlet is necessary too. You can’t be “on” all the time; you need to take time for yourself. If I’m studying for a midterm and I feel like I need to take time out for myself I’ll go to the gym. I don’t mind if I end up a little behind I come back feeling much better and recharged.
You’ve been involved in many different groups and teams on campus and have held many executive positions. What motivated you to want to get involved and how did it play a role in your university experience?
I’ve always looked up to people that are passionate and take action in the world around them. In my first few years when I saw just how involved upper years could be I thought, “wow I can’t believe you’ve done this much at 21.” I kept witnessing how much passion and enthusiasm these people brought to their non-academic projects and I was inspired to do the same.
My best friend, for example, Leona De Souza, is really involved in acapella, and it’s so exciting when I hear her talk about it because you can see her glow and her excitement for it is contagious. When I first entered university, I didn’t know what that was for me, so I think that was part of why I got involved because I wanted to find my “thing”
What’s kept me motivated is the outcome of everything I’ve been involved with. For instance, as a Science Ambassador I get to talk to prospective students about Waterloo, and sometimes I have them come back and say, “You are part of the reason why I chose to come here”. That’s just the best feeling, and totally worth all of the time. After getting involved, I’ve found that I’m passionate about developing community. I have a passion for people, and I love to bring people together.
Was there a position that you found to be more challenging than the rest?
In terms of the university experience, being a FOC was probably the biggest endeavor that I took on. When you think of our schedule as students, we’re constantly on rotation every four months. We’re either on co-op or in school or switching between the two. Being on the orientation committee is something that you are on for 10 months, regardless of your physical location. It was crazy to see the process through from the brainstorming to hiring and engaging all of our volunteers, and working to deliver the final week of events. I had never before worked on the same thing for 10 months straight, so being a part of a long-term project like that was definitely a new experience. Another challenging aspect was managing people my own age, many of which were close friends. I remember feeling like I didn’t want to be the type of leader that people did not enjoy working with. I always try to keep things fun and light, so my leadership style was definitely challenged during high-stress times.
What would a busy day be like for you and how do you balance that kind of a schedule?
My busiest days are when I’m campus for a full 12 hours. I think in terms of time management, being able to mix up your day really helps. Sometimes when I’m on campus for that long I won’t even notice it because I’m either in class, in the library, or I’ll head over to Starbucks to hang out. There are days where I’ve studied in the Davis Centre library from 6AM to midnight, and those are the worst, so mixing it up helps me stay sane. I’ve also downloaded this app called “Wunderlist”, which is a to-do list that you can separate into all the different things you have to get done, so that really helps with keeping track of what’s going on.
Is there anyone that inspires you? (Celebrity or somebody you know)
Well obviously first and foremost Beyoncé (the queen). Also, I would say my best friends are some of my biggest role models. It’s super exciting when you realize how passionate the people around you are about different causes. Having the opportunity to learn from them, and be inspired by them is truly a privilege. When I first met Carly McCready, I was so kind of star struck because I thought she was so cool and was such a go-getter, and her tweets were really witty. It’s funny now because we’re such good friends, but the people around me are truly the ones who inspire me the most.
Getting to know these people has also created a lot of great mentorship opportunities. I’ve had a lot of first years ask me “how do you find a mentor?” and while there’s no “one way” to go about it, you really want to find those people who you genuinely connect with and are influenced by.
Is there anything you would want to tell your first-year self (given what you now know about what it’s like in university)?
In first-year, I was really challenged with the idea emerging myself into the full university experience, and at the beginning, I didn’t feel like Waterloo was my home. I remember when I moved in and I talked to upper years who’d say, “everyone on your floor is going to be your best friend! You’re going to have a great time in no time”, but I found that wasn’t me, and I found myself struggling to have a good time. Part of that was because I was so focused on doing well academically, which is important, but I would find myself in my room very often, not really talking to that many other people.
If you find that you’re even a little bit interested in an event, or club or volunteer opportunity, go. Never turn down an opportunity. I used to be really nervous about attending things on my own or striking up a conversation with someone I don’t know, but I’ve totally gotten over that. Do what makes you happy and try to find your passion. With that being said, it’s okay to say no to things as well, but don’t so “no” before you’ve tried it. When you look back and you don’t seize an opportunity, that’s a regret, but if you’ve tried something and realized you hated it, that’s an experience.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I am taking my summer off, which I’m excited about, and then in September, I’m starting as a Business Technology Analyst with Deloitte. It was a really big decision for me because I wasn’t quite sure with what I wanted to do (and I’m still not too sure, but I hope Deloitte will be a great start!) I’ve had some amazing co-op terms, and the idea of applying to grad schools has crossed my mind, but I’m still trying to explore as many things as possible, and consulting is such a great opportunity to do that. I’m fascinated by the application of technology, so I’m very excited to start with Deloitte. I also plan to travel and hang out with my family, because I haven’t been able to do that in a while, and then I guess we’ll see what the future holds. I’m definitely nervous, but very excited… but I will miss the ability to wear sweatpants every day.