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The First Year Survival Guide

 
The First Year Survival Guide

BY NICOLE FERREIRA, MACINSIDERS


At first I was afraid, I was petrified…thinking how I did wrong and I grew strong and I learned how to get along…Do you think I’d crumble? Do you think I’d lie down and die? Oh no, not I! I will survive! Hey, hey!! Trust Gloria Gaynor, you will survive... first year that is! First year is definitely a roller coaster for a lot of us. You need to make friends, learn time management skills and figure out the secret to those tricky multiple choice tests! You will likely get overwhelmed at some points and maybe even cry. But you will survive! You can ask us upper years how we did it and even read about our first year experiences. In the end though, you have to decide how you play out your first year. Yet trying some of these isn’t a bad idea….

Ask for Help:
Upper years do it too so don’t worry about it! If you never ask you’ll likely never know. We’re a really loving and helpful campus. We have all been in first year at some point. We know what it’s like to get lost or to not understand what is going on in that Calculus class. We also understand that we can’t know everything so when in doubt ask someone else. McMaster has numerous resources. To be honest, I can’t even name half of them because there are too many. If you’re a student with a disability or having financial problems there are people on campus to help you. You name it, we have it. There is no such thing as an unsolvable problem. There are several solutions to every problem. If you’re having difficulties handling the workload and your grades begin to suffer speak to your professors and teaching assistants. If you are ever told that you should drop out of university, ignore the advice and prove them wrong. There is no such thing as a dead end.


Be positive:
You might get your first essay back to discover that you’ve failed. Read the comments and then hide the paper or shred it. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. You’re going to have some downs but there are many more high points. The more miserable you are the less likely you’ll be motivated enough to do well on other assignments later on. You’re human so you’re allowed to make mistakes. Sometimes just thinking you can do something gets you ahead of the game. People will have their hands extended when you need help. You’re never going to be alone (unless you really want to be).


Go to class:
Yes, even those dreadful 8:30 classes. You can either sleep which makes you feel good now or you can go to class and do well in the course and feel good later. Skipping class is not cool. You’ve been working all summer to pay for tuition so why wouldn’t you go to class? You’ll learn something. Even if your professor is super boring and you believe that you don’t learn anything from him/her you actually do. When you go back to read your notes later it will look familiar to you which is better than learning everything the night before a midterm. Plus, sometimes professors give *hints* to exam questions and give assignment pointers. You came to university to go to class and learn something. While I agree that university isn’t solely about school, class should never come second. Trust me on that one!


Use an agenda:
The MSU gives an Almanac every year so use it. Stay organized. Know when assignments are due, when your FLIRC meetings are, and when you’re going to have fun. Having an agenda allows you to stay balanced with everything since you’re organizing your time accordingly. You will not miss out on deadlines or appointments. It also makes life easier since you won’t be trying to find that scrap piece of paper you wrote on nor will you have a thousand things to keep track of in your mind.


Get involved:
There is the Inter-Residence Council, 200 clubs, and several MSU services you can participate in. Since you’ve got an agenda handy you’ll be able to make some time for it. It is impossible not to have enough time so long as you don’t join too many things. Having steady 2-3 extra curricular activities is very manageable. It’s a great way to meet people/networking, boost your resume, gain experience in something new and to have fun! Getting involved keeps you sane. After all, university life isn’t only about learning inside the classroom. Being involved also helps you feel like you’re making a difference and reminds you that you’re playing a vital role in the McMaster community!
J


Find a great study spot:
the four libraries on campus may not necessarily cater to your needs. Maybe you need a really quiet spot like your dorm room or a place with fresh air like Cootes Paradise. There are rooms in MDCL and other empty lecture halls that you can study in and utilize the boards if you’re a person who learns by explaining. It is impossible to not find a great study spot on campus. Yes, during exam season every place seems to be taken but it actually isn’t. Those living in residence have access to study rooms in their buildings, the library is open later during exam times, there are TONS of random lecture halls and sitting areas, the Student Centre (though it is rather noisy at times), University Hall (you can enter through the second floor of the MUSC), and even Williams Coffee Pub.


Make the Appropriate Academic Changes:
I understand that your parent’s might have wanted for you to be a doctor since before you were even born. If your heart isn’t in it though, your grades will suffer. Be open-minded. Sometimes we keep a thought in our heads for so long that we end up believing that it’s the only option we have. You might have known you were going to be a doctor when you were three but seriously if you haven’t changed since you were three something’s up. Explore. There might be things that you’re so passionate about and excel so much in that it’s best to switch programs. Yeah, your parents might be upset. So sit them down and have a long talk to them about it after speaking to some counselors. Don’t close all of the doors behind you because you might get trapped in.


Stay healthy:
Walking from one class to another doesn’t really count as exercise. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies like your parents taught you were you were five. Try to get a balanced diet. Don’t skip breakfast. I know it’s hard enough waking for morning classes but breakfast really is important. You will get sick really fast if you don’t take care of yourself. Try going for a quick run if you’re super swamped with work. Usually exercise helps get your brain going if it begins turning off.


Watch your bank account budget:
You will be offered tons of credit cards. Don’t fall for it. Credit cards are what make most university students broke. We spend more than we make. So what’s the solution? Budget. Budgeting helps organize your finances so that you don’t overspend. It’s definitely good to go out every so often and have fun but make sure you spend only what you can. You also want to have enough money to be able to pay for your books second term so don’t blow every dollar you have first term. Remember: you need to pay for books, laundry (if you’re on campus), events, food (if you’re off campus), cell phone bills, and miscellaneous things.


Prepare for the Worst:
I know, this sounds horrible! You might not do as well as you thought you would. You might not have as much money as you thought you did. You might not have as much time as you hoped. You might get burned out. You might not get along with your roommate. Don’t over-analyze the worst though. Instead of stressing about what if, focus on what you can do to prevent it from happening. Work hard. Budget. Learn time management. Relax. Communicate effectively. Those sound like easy solutions but they really aren’t. You have to work hard to make sure things go well. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things fail miserably. That’s life. Luckily, we’re all here to help you out!


[font=Verdana][color=gray]Have Fun!:
To end on a more positive note, have fun! Seriously, this could be the best four years of your life if you want it to be. University is about learning how to strike the perfect balance between work and play. So whether it’s that IRC event you go to or watching a movie in theatres, make sure you do something fun. You can’t always work hard; you’d burn out too fast. You’re juggling classes, extra curricular activities and a ton of other things so be sure to reward yourself every so often. So let your hair down and let the great times roll!

GET MORE MCMASTER ADVICE AND TIPS TO PREP YOU FOR SEPTEMBER!
http://www.macinsiders.com/forumdisp...s-67.html?f=67

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Old 08-21-2008 at 02:03 PM   #2
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Hey, when you say " There are rooms in MDCL"... .. I assume that MDCL means Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning .. but, does that mean we are allowed to borrow a room for an hour or two to study in?
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Old 08-21-2008 at 03:43 PM   #3
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You can book rooms to study in, yes.
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Old 08-21-2008 at 04:30 PM   #4
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Sometimes the doors are open so you can just walk in and study in them
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Old 08-21-2008 at 04:43 PM   #5
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great article...and omg im so happy dere are rooms to study in cause i CANNOT study in a library or my shared res room. yayyy
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Old 08-21-2008 at 05:30 PM   #6
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I think it's kind of more like you can randomly go into an empty room and hopefully there won't be class in there while you're there. Many classrooms remain empty for at least several time blocks throughout the day, so technically you can just pop in and study in one. Or you could book a room the normal way .

Also, there are group study rooms that you can book in all the libraries so you don't have to study in dead silence in a random carrel if you find that a little creepy.
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Old 08-21-2008 at 11:31 PM   #7
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Yeah definitely! There are sooo many places to study on campus (especially non-creepy ones)! It's virtually impossible to not be able to find a nice place to sit back and read a bit
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Old 08-25-2008 at 05:13 PM   #8
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Where did that picture come from?
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Old 08-25-2008 at 06:37 PM   #9
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Chad..
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Old 07-08-2009 at 08:07 AM   #10
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I should've used this as a reference when I did the FYEO presentations...
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Old 07-08-2009 at 09:27 AM   #11
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Great tips
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