Q&A with Seamus Glazier

Seamus is a student ambassador here to answer your questions. Click here to contact Seamus.

Do you remember when you decided you wanted to pursue engineering? What sparked your interest?
I met a man at the research park at Western who spoke about chemistry and materials. He mentioned working on nuclear energy and power and that peaked my interest.

Why did you choose Chemical Engineering?
I chose Chemical Engineering because I am really interested in nuclear power. Chemical also has a lot of different job opportunities that all interest me ie. Brewery, water treatment, energy of all kinds, candy companies like mars.

Can you talk about your extracurricular activities at Western? 
I played recreational soccer and volleyball, I also volunteered at OUF. This helps provide a break from all the work given and allows for students to play sports that they love with people they meet from residence or from their faculty. It helps engineers meet new people and grow closer to others instead of being cooped up doing work all the time. It helps to round people out by teaching them teamwork and time management. This also is a great way to destress while having fun.

Can you talk about your residence experience?
I lived in Essex hall. I lived on a non-engineering floor. I think it was an incredible experience to live in residence because you get to meet people from engineering that don’t have the same timetable as you. You also get to meet people from nursing, FIMS, social science, kin, etc. The people I met on my floor have become some of my very close friends and I still see them today. I thoroughly enjoyed having non-engineers on my floor because it also helps you meet several types of people which have different mindsets and different ways in handling things. All my roommates were engineers and were very smart who helped me in my classes when I struggled. I never had problems with my roommates and they were always willing to help me with homework and assignments. I think having a non-engineering floor with engineering roommates was the perfect mix. My residence experience was great, and I recommend living in residence first year.

Study tips for future students?
Complete the work as soon as it is given to you. Complete all the assignments because then you can fall behind easily. It is hard to complete all homework given but it is manageable because I completed all the work with time to spare. The best way to study also is use music while studying but music without lyrics preferably. When you use music with lyrics it keeps you off task at times. The music I study to is Lofi hip hop because it does not have any lyrics, and another thing is use soundtracks from movies or tv shows that you watched when you were younger. The soundtracks for movies that were a large part of your childhood can really help. While listening to a soundtrack will give a nostalgic feeling which can turn into a feeling of euphoria thus putting you in a better mood while studying.

Who do you look up/admire to and why?
My father because he is always determined and perseveres for his work and to help provide for my family.

What is success to you?
Success is relative and I think that it means achieving a goal. One of my main goals is to understand the content in the courses I take and not just memorizing the method. In first year I would do well on tests and do poorly on some. If I did poorly on a test because of a silly mistake I would not get worked up if I knew what was going on and how to answer the questions given. I would feel successful when I did homework or an assignment and I knew how to do it without help.

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