As most this blog's previous posts have featured couples and friends, Human Crossing wanted to find out what it is like having your sibling at Queen's with you... Fortunately, sisters Emma (19) and Maura (21) agreed to help out. These two babes are from Calgary, Alberta and love studying in the lib together.
How has attending the same university changed your relationship?
Emma: [Maura] has made my time at Queen’s so much more enjoyable than it would have been if I came here by myself. The first few months of first year were really tough for me because I did not realize engineering was as much work as it turns out to be and how hard it was going to be to get the grades I wanted. With all of this going on and this big change happening in my life, Maura was there with me throughout it all. She constantly made me feel better and would remind me to not be so hard on myself. Her and I were not that close before coming here, but after all she helped me with and what we went through together really made us become so much closer. We do almost everything together, which is a big change from how it used to be. It was also great for me having Maura here to introduce me to new people and have more friends here. It made it much more comforting walking around campus and seeing familiar faces in the first few months, instead of feeling like a stranger to everybody around me. Maura also keeps me sane because she reminds me I need to take breaks sometimes and to not stress about school so much, so I am very thankful for that.
Maura: Before attending university, I did not consider my sister and I to be close. I thought that we did not have much in common and that we were at very different points in our lives. However, after we both decided to attend Queen’s University, our relationship drastically changed. I would now consider my sister to be one of my best friends. Emma attending Queen’s has made a huge contribution to my university experience. I honestly can’t imagine my time here at Queen’s without her. She is my number one study partner, the person I always go to for advice and someone I would sacrifice anything for.
Clearly, you are both in competitive programs and must have busy schedules. How do you make sure to spend time together? What do you like to do together for fun?
Emma: We mainly spend our time together studying at the library, grocery shopping or eating dinner together. Both of us study way too much and stress over school more than the average student, so we decided to do that together. We are also both obsessed with food, so when we have had a tough week and want to do something other than work, we like to reward ourselves and go out for dinner.
Maura: Yes, I would definitely consider Emma and I to be in competitive programs with hectic schedules. Emma is in second year chemical engineering and I am in fourth year life sciences. As both of our programs include a demanding workload, we spend most of our time together in the library. I honestly don’t know anyone who spends as much time in the library as my sister. She is the most hard-working, dedicated and independent person I know and she is such an inspiration to me. I owe it to my sister for having the work ethic and grades that I do. She makes the endless hours in the library somehow enjoyable and I cannot express how thankful I am to have her here.
[Emma]: Did the fact that Maura already attended Queen’s influence your decision to apply here?
Emma: She was actually the main reason I came to Queen’s. When I was younger I thought I wanted to go to the University of Toronto, UBC or McGill. It was not until she came back from first year when she was telling me how much she loved it that I started to consider it as an option. When it actually came down to applying and making my decision, she influenced my choice greatly due to the fact that I would have someone I could always count on at school with me. I did not know many people going to Queen’s from Calgary, so it was comforting knowing she would be there for me.
[Maura]: Did you know Emma was considering Queen’s or did she surprise you?
Maura: Yes, I knew Emma was considering Queen’s as an option when applying for universities. At this point in our lives, we didn’t have the strong relationship we have today, so her considering Queen’s did surprise me. I originally thought that I did not play a major factor in her final decision to come to Queen’s. I thought she was more interested in attending larger universities such as UBC or U of T. Her deciding to come to Queen’s meant so much to me and was one of the best surprises I could ask for!
What are your thoughts on Maura graduating from Queen’s at the end of this year and you two no longer going to school at the same university?
Emma: Due to Maura’s last semester at Queen’s approaching, it has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I keep hoping she will decide to take extra courses and somehow stay at Queen’s for two more years, but I think my hopes are set too high! It is definitely going to be a lot harder without her here. She is the person who I spend most of my time with, so it is going to be hard to adapt to life here without her. She is always there for me, no matter how busy she is with school, or however many other things she has going on. She also always keeps me company at the library and makes studying almost fun (which says a lot because I absolutely hate studying).
What is your favourite memory together at Queen’s?
Emma: Just recently Maura and I went to a drag show at the Underground. I did not really know what I signed up for, but ended up having a lot of fun! Was for sure not what I expected but I love how Maura always tries to have fun with whatever she is doing and ends up making everyone around her have a good time.
Maura: Starting last year, Emma and I decided we should treat ourselves every once in a while and try a new restaurant in Kingston! One night we decided to go to Casa and we ate the best meal we’ve had in awhile. Even though we were so full after Casa, we both agreed that we deserved Menchies too. It was a Friday night and we both had plans to meet up with our friends afterwards, so we told ourselves that Menchies would be quick. We ended up staying in Menchies until it closed and went back to my house to watch movies and eat even more ice cream. I couldn’t have asked for a better night and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my Friday night with anyone else.
What is your favourite thing or quality about each other?
Emma: I admire how Maura always puts everyone's needs before her own. She is always willing to help no matter what and cares so much for others. She is probably also the best friend anyone could ask for. She is extremely loyal and will drop everything if someone needs help. She is there for me through thick and thin and always offers the best advice. Another admirable quality she has is that she listens to your problems, which I think is hard to find. She genuinely cares about what you are saying and wants to help in any way possible.
Maura: As I mentioned before, Emma is definitely the most driven, hard-working and modest people I know. Emma always puts her best-effort forward and never boasts about her successes. She does not let anything get in the way of her goals and I strongly admire her determination.
What is a challenge that you’ve overcome together?
Emma: As mentioned before, she really helped me with the transition into university life. I was quite unhappy my first few months here with missing my life at home and struggling with my workload, but just being with her and being able to talk about it made a huge difference. I learned to stress less about my marks, to take breaks once in a while and enjoy my time here more. Without Maura here to guide me through my first few months, I feel like I would have burnt out and lost my motivation. School would be a lot less enjoyable if it was not for her and through these challenges, I learned she is my role model and someone I will always look up to.
Maura: In third year, I had several issues regarding my social life. I was constantly going to Emma for support and strongly respected her opinions. She never judged me for any of my actions and I always felt safe telling her what was really on my mind. She helped me get through a really tough time in my life that I honestly don’t know I would have managed to get through it if she wasn’t here.
Do you have any advice for our blog readers regarding siblings attending the same university?
Emma: My advice is to always be there for one another. There is nobody out there that will support you and be there for you when you need help like a sibling can. Never be afraid to ask for help from them because nobody understands you better. My sister is someone who I shared the best memories with at university so far, so appreciate one another and make sure to make time for each other. I did not realize that the life long friends I would make in university would include my sister who I have known my whole life, but I learned she is the one I cannot live without and will always be my best friend for life.
Maura: There is no one who looks out for your best interest more than your sibling. Emma knows me better than I know myself and she is always the person I go to for advice. There should be no sense of judgement or jealousy between you and your sibling. My best advice for siblings attending the same university is to BE THERE FOR THEM because no one can provide the honesty, support and comfort like a sibling can.
- Love, Human Crossing