This is an optional co-curricular program that is not associated with
any particular course or program in Science. There is no attendance
taken and no grades given. It is a great opportunity to expand your
sense of community (both academically and socially) by hanging out with
professors and other students who share your interest in Science. The
program is optional. However, if you choose not to participate you must
promise to never say that "At Western students are just a number." or
"At Western, professors only care about research." Professors in Science
and undergraduate Peer Leaders will be co-facilitating weekly meetings
of first-year students to discuss interesting issues in Science as well
as important aspects of the academic life as a student of Science.
Benefits for First Year Science Students:
You will have the opportunity to get to know professors outside of
the classroom. Why is this important? Professors can become mentors
for you and you might even be able to use them as academic references
for graduate school or professional programs!
Improve your grades by connecting with professors and students who
can help you with study tips and improving your learning methods
You get to connect with like-minded and non-like minded students and
hear new perspectives, form friendships and talk about important issues
Broaden your perspective and learn how to support your arguments (invaluable for research, assignments and essays!)
Learn about opportunities in the Faculty of Science (speakers coming to campus, summer work in Labs, research grants and more)!
Discovery Café helps to “shrink” the Faculty of Science – many
students find that by being in the program they feel like Science is an
amazing community of scholars and friends and it truly “made their
university experience”
University is not just about what happens inside the classroom,
sometimes it is the opportunities outside the classroom that make the
most impact!
Hear what students have to say about Discovery Café:
"Discovery Cafe... it provided a new, stress free
environment to discuss topics of interest: current events, science news,
exams, courses, new movies. Every once in a while we stumbled onto an
aside that let us indulge our inner pyromaniacs, it could be a
discussion about fire insurance in the US, personal experiences,
effective firefighting with electricity or easy home experiments under
five dollars. (Not that we're trying to encourage people to play with
fire, it's just interesting. That's all)" Debbie H., Discovery Café Member
Contact Us:
Are you interested in participating in Discovery Café? If so, please contact: discoverycafe@uwo.ca
If you are interested in being a Faculty Mentor, please contact Tom Haffie: thaffie@uwo.ca
If you are interested in being a Discovery Café Student Leader, please contact Leslie Gloor Duncan: lgloor@uwo.ca
