Helen Tintpulver

Mississauga, ON
Cawthra Park Secondary
Bachelor of Arts Classics and Politics with a minor in French
Class of 2019

After high school I deferred a program at another University, and took a gap year to work and travel in New Zealand and Australia. I thought I would take the time to visit the campuses of universities and stay with my high school friends or hear what they had to say before deciding on where to go. My best friend had come to visit Bishop’s and suggested I do the same, so one November morning my parents and I drove to Lennoxville. Arriving at the McGreer building, we were welcomed by a student bursting with enthusiasm to show us around. Relationships are very important to me so I knew I wanted a smaller university, but one that was representative of the world we live in. I heard students speaking French, English and other languages too, and there were a number of students from all over Canada and the world. It was important to me that my classmates would all bring different perspectives and experiences. After accepting my offer it turned out I already knew two people a year ahead of me, and met lots of people in the first week that knew friends of friends of mine back home!

I am very passionate about the liberal-education model that Bishop’s offers. As students, we are encouraged to explore all sides of our passions, and interact with each other in seminar and small class settings to explore a variety of course materials. I love that I can study Classics and Politics and French, and no one bats an eye. Elective classes often turn into hobbies, minors or even majors and people on campus encourage that! Personally, I am passionate about understanding history, spending time in nature, and seeing the world and other cultures for yourself (travelling).

One thing I wish I had known before coming to Bishop’s is that you can have majors and minors in completely different disciplines. For instance, I would have enjoyed completing a minor in music if I had known it was as simple as adding a minor in a social science. Don’t be afraid of pursuing your various interests and make sure that you take advantage of all the academic supports available to help you reach your goals.