Univ of Western Ontario

This weekend we went to London. No, we did not cross the Atlantic --- all we did was drive 2.5hrs to London, ON, where the Univ of Western Ontario is located. The weather was really crappy as it rained all day and though the roads were empty the drive was a bit slow due to the slippery roads. (Aayush's pic on top had to be taken in the rain and I had to persuade him to stand in the rain before i could take the snap-- hence the grumpy face.) At Western we visited the Richard Ivey School of Business where they run the much reputed HBA ( Hons Business Admin)program. A Harvard educated dean gave us an introductory lecture and succeeded in impressing us. We did get a feel of the richness and the highly interactive nature of the program. Another wonderful option we found was the ability of engg students to graduate after 5 years with a degree in Engg and an HBA. As parents who want the best for their kids we obviously wanted to grab the opportunity but I feel we need to exercise caution at these seemingly "fabulous" opportunities.We fail to take into account the load on the kids as they attempt to grapple with two majors.

We also had the good fortune to meet up with Gureet and Buneet while we were there. Gureet gave us some sagely advise on the way we should prioritize the universities for Engg & business. Given the way the Univs market their own it was nice to get a first hand info from Gureet who was uniquely positioned being an alumni of Queens and a current student at Westen.

The engg program at Western also offered a common first year for all disciplines where students could confirm what they actually wanted to persue as against the "gut" feel option that they are forced to adopt in most other places of learning.
After a quick tour of the Spencer Engg building, we were very thankful to Gureet, who dropped us off to the parking lot and saved us a walk in the torrential rain.

I am not sure which univ Aayush will eventually make it to, but as a parent who has been involved with the process I feel most Canadian Univs are "almost" the same. It does not really matter -- what matters is that the course & location he selects "fits" in well with his aptitude and aspirations. Time alone will tell what is in store for our son Aayush.