University!

[martin's a madman]

Hello escapist!

Well, I'm going to university next year (Sept 2011), I have one letter of acceptance from a university which is one of my top 2. The feeling was great at the time, I was in Calculus class and being the product of a generation, I got the e-mail in class, it was exciting.

The novelty has worn off of course. I'm still happy, but it's not as mind blowing as it was built up to be.

feel free to replace any time the word 'University' appears with 'College' and answer the questions as they apply to you

My country makes the distinction between College and University very obvious, I think that's a bit pretentious.


I don't want to read that garbage, tell me what I'm supposed to do
Well, rambling aside, my questions for discussion were:

1) What university are you going to?
2) What program do you plan to study?
3) Why did you pick that university and or program?


For me:

1) Either McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, or The University of Waterloo in well... Waterloo Ontario.

2) I'm going to be studying physical sciences. (That's Physics and Chemistry as it applies to inanimate matter, if you're unfamiliar)

3) I guess I still haven't really decided, but I'm leaning towards McMaster because I've heard Waterloo is quite crowded, and there are a ridiculous amount of men in comparison to women. (not my only reasons)

I think the popularity of the physical sciences is made pretty clear, I mean, the Enrollment number is 75 people (and the requirements aren't ridiculously high).

Also, I'm interested in knowing if any of you escapists are going to McMaster or Waterloo.

Well, let me know.

Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo.

I go to Waterloo for Nanotechnology Engineering, the school is great. (I may be a little biased)
plus the Men to Women ratio is really only a math / computer science phenomenon. The ratio is closer to 50:50 in most of the science / arts courses.

That is not to say Mac is not a nice school, many of my cousins (and mother) have gone there and loved it.

If you have any questions about Waterloo PM me.

I went to one of the open houses and it was pretty cool. I was excited to see the Observatory (from the outside, just the dome, but they said anyone in the sciences has access to it pretty much whenever). I didn't get to see the physics building unfortunately, but I imagine it was impressive.


Do you know how residence is? I'd likely be staying on residence, but I didn't visit any because the person who went with me was a bit rushed.

I collected as many of the 'ideas start here' buttons as I could, which was fun for the spectacle. I'll probably make another trip to the university and try to see more of it.

I was actually amazed that it was essentially a little city in of itself.

snips

Hey OP. I'm just about to finish my first year of engineering at McMaster, and I'm continuing with Civil Engineering next year. I took almost all maths and sciences this year, so our programs seem pretty similar. I won't know everything, but I can answer any questions you may have.

Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo.

I go to Waterloo for Nanotechnology Engineering, the school is great. (I may be a little biased)
plus the Men to Women ratio is really only a math / computer science phenomenon. The ratio is closer to 50:50 in most of the science / arts courses.

That is not to say Mac is not a nice school, many of my cousins (and mother) have gone there and loved it.

If you have any questions about Waterloo PM me.

Don't listen to this guy.

Come to Mac.

Haha, wicked. What initially sold me on applying to McMaster was the description of the Program on E-info. All the subjects in the physical sciences seemed incredibly interesting.

Regrettably, I haven't actually visited McMaster yet, but I do plan to.

I've heard they have a Planetarium, do you know if students have access to it?

Also, how are the residences at McMaster? I'd imagine pretty good, it has a fine reputation.

 

[Hashime]

snips

Hey OP. I'm just about to finish my first year of engineering at McMaster, and I'm continuing with Civil Engineering next year. I took almost all maths and sciences this year, so our programs seem pretty similar. I won't know everything, but I can answer any questions you may have.

Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo. Come to Waterloo.

I go to Waterloo for Nanotechnology Engineering, the school is great. (I may be a little biased)
plus the Men to Women ratio is really only a math / computer science phenomenon. The ratio is closer to 50:50 in most of the science / arts courses.

That is not to say Mac is not a nice school, many of my cousins (and mother) have gone there and loved it.

If you have any questions about Waterloo PM me.

Don't listen to this guy.

Come to Mac.

Ah, this mac student is delirious from all the steel fumes, come to Waterloo.

 

[Hader]

1. University of Wyoming, going back to Colorado for either CU Boulder or Denver after this month though.
2. Emergency Medical Services
3. Wyoming was cheap when I applied and I got an easy scholarship. But they don't have all I need for EMS so I cannot stay.

 

[SilentCom]

1) University of Washington (Tacoma branch)
2) Majoring in Global Studies (BA almost complete)
3) Relatively close to where I live, I was accepted, and my brothers are also attending here.

 

[Hashime]

Never been in the observatory, but I have had classes in the physics building. There are many cool labs.
There are many different options for residence at Waterloo. I am staying at UWP, which is a "Suite" style residence. That means I have a kitchen which I share with 1 (or 2) other people. The other options are V1 / Rev. Which are "Traditional" style which means you have a room and must get a meal plan through res. I have friends in traditional style and they love it. Off campus is also an option, but I don't suggest it for 1st year.
Which style residence you choose will depend on your income and your ability / inclination to cook. Residence meal plans (at all schools) are quite a lot of money. I got a place with a kitchen so that I could cook and do it cheap. However the food very good at the "Traditional" places.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Right now I go to Rowan University but next semester I'm transferring to Rutgers

I'm a history major.

I like history.

 

[Dags90]

1.) William Paterson (NJ State University).
2.) BS in Biotechnology.
3.) The biotech program lets you take three grad level courses in your BS, which is nice to have. I've always loved science and biology, but I prefer the micro end of biology. Looking into perhaps grad schools.

 

[SpAc3man]

1) University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
2) BE(Honours) in Computer Systems Engineering.
3) Because it is the top University in New Zealand (especially for Engineering), ranked 68th overall in the QS World University Rankings, 55th place for Engineering and IT in the QS World University Rankings and I wanted the challenge of being in a top course. Not to mention I absolutely love computers and have had a passion for them for the majority of my short life. I wanted to make a career out of my passion.

 

[Greg151]

1) University of Waterloo
2) Mechanical Engineering (Just finishing exams for my first year)
3) I came here because I heard a lot of good things about waterloo, for the co-op program and beacuse it was fairly close to where I live.

The gender proportions are definetly true for my class

I went to one of the open houses and it was pretty cool. I was excited to see the Observatory (from the outside, just the dome, but they said anyone in the sciences has access to it pretty much whenever). I didn't get to see the physics building unfortunately, but I imagine it was impressive.

Do you know how residence is? I'd likely be staying on residence, but I didn't visit any because the person who went with me was a bit rushed.

I collected as many of the 'ideas start here' buttons as I could, which was fun for the spectacle. I'll probably make another trip to the university and try to see more of it.

I was actually amazed that it was essentially a little city in of itself.

I live at UW Place which is suite style, and I have no problems with it, and it is fairly close to my classes.

The other ones; Mackenzie King, V1, and Ron Edyt are dorm style, I have only been in any of these to eat once at V1, one of my classmates said that the walls were kinda thin though.

Those are on the other side of campus and are closer to the gym and student life center (the science buildings are kinda in the middle of campus anyways).

And Columbia Lake are like town houses, and are even father from campus, don't know anything about them.


Well good luck with your decision, it doesn't matter too much about which you choose as they are both good schools.

 

[WolfThomas]

Monash Unversity in Melbourne Victoria. I'm studying the fourth year of my MBBS or Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery. I choose that university because it was in my state, did medicine and actually gave me an offer. So yeah, it's been pretty good.

 

[martin's a madman]

1) University of Waterloo
2) Mechanical Engineering (Just finishing exams for my first year)
3) I came here because I heard a lot of good things about waterloo, for the co-op program and beacuse it was fairly close to where I live.

The gender proportions are definetly true for my class

I went to one of the open houses and it was pretty cool. I was excited to see the Observatory (from the outside, just the dome, but they said anyone in the sciences has access to it pretty much whenever). I didn't get to see the physics building unfortunately, but I imagine it was impressive.

Do you know how residence is? I'd likely be staying on residence, but I didn't visit any because the person who went with me was a bit rushed.

I collected as many of the 'ideas start here' buttons as I could, which was fun for the spectacle. I'll probably make another trip to the university and try to see more of it.

I was actually amazed that it was essentially a little city in of itself.

I live at UW Place which is suite style, and I have no problems with it, and it is fairly close to my classes.

The other ones; Mackenzie King, V1, and Ron Edyt are dorm style, I have only been in any of these to eat once at V1, one of my classmates said that the walls were kinda thin though.

Those are on the other side of campus and are closer to the gym and student life center (the science buildings are kinda in the middle of campus anyways).

And Columbia Lake are like town houses, and are even father from campus, don't know anything about them.


Well good luck with your decision, it doesn't matter too much about which you choose as they are both good schools.

Thanks, since you're at Waterloo, do you know if Science students have access to the observatory whenever? Or is there some sort of scheduling thing that happens?

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

I go to Salford University, in Manchester. It's not a great University, I think it's ranked at like high 90's/low 100's, and there's only like 105 on the list or something. I also got accepted even though I got a B, C and a D, they were asking for a B and 2 C's. I'm doing a course in Film Studies, you'd think I'd be in a building with state of the art media facilities. Nope, wooden rooms, no desks and speakers that don't work. It's a good thing half the stuff we watch is shit quality and has no sound. Plus, the same building is used by the music department and performing arts. So if it's not people below us reciting Othello, it's people below them blasting music. I don't mind though, it reminds me of when my Primary School was being built, and we were all moved into cabins down the road. Everything was really cheap and you could probably punch through the walls. It's kinda nostalgic being in that department.

I took Film because I've been doing English for the past forever, I took Film Studies in college and loved the literary approach to something I enjoy more than books. I've only ever read Watchmen on my own accord, and that's half pictures. I watch films all the time and it's interesting to study a new art form. The only problem I have encountered is telling people I study Film, they all grin and assume I watch films all day. Yes, we do watch contemporary films in class, but not that often, God forbid I study something that isn't strictly English, Science or Maths.

hey, i'm at salford too =D
You right its not the best university as a whole, but my course is pretty awesome. Got some great lecturers like Professor Eric Grove, who has appeared in quite a few documentaries and is quite a well known expert in the history of Naval Warfare.
I'm doing the military history degree. The lecture rooms are adequate and the library is very nicely stocked with books related to my course.

 

[Jasper Jeffs]

hey, i'm at salford too =D
You right its not the best university as a whole, but my course is pretty awesome. Got some great lecturers like Professor Eric Grove, who has appeared in quite a few documentaries and is quite a well known expert in the history of Naval Warfare.
I'm doing the military history degree. The lecture rooms are adequate and the library is very nicely stocked with books related to my course.

Haha, cool. Are you on the main campus? My comments were related to the white Adelphi building, which isn't even on the campus. It has a really rundown feel to it, I kinda like it though as I mentioned. I think next year I'm being moved to media city or whatever it's called though. It's really disorganised where I am, I'm using last years timetable because no one has bothered to update it on the website. They didn't even tell us if we had exams, they just let us assume that if we didn't get an e-mail, we didn't have them. They're all quite laidback it would seem, hah.

Your course sounds cool, I wish I never dropped history.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

[

Haha, cool. Are you on the main campus? My comments were related to the white Adelphi building, which isn't even on the campus. It has a really rundown feel to it, I kinda like it though as I mentioned. I think next year I'm being moved to media city or whatever it's called though. It's really disorganised where I am, I'm using last years timetable because no one has bothered to update it on the website. They didn't even tell us if we had exams, they just let us assume that if we didn't get an e-mail, we didn't have them. They're all quite laidback it would seem, hah.

Your course sounds cool, I wish I never dropped history.

yeah, i'm on main campus. its not all that bad, and if you're pulling an all nighter at the library you can order pizza to it xD
some of the rooms in the peel building aren't that bad, and the lecture hall in there is quite snazzy.
apparently the media city is very nice and futuristic, with much better facilities than adelphi.
My module conveners are pretty on the ball with things like exam timetables and stuff. we even got a nice little map to one of the more obscure exam rooms xD
my biggest complaint is that the staff at the bar in university house couldn't pull a good pint if their lives depended on it. it always comes out flat and with a ridiculous head on it. And they don't have real ale which sucks.
oh and last week, my course went to the royal armouries and we go to touch a load of the guns. it was very awesome.