First Year Experience Series Part Five: Nicole

BY NICOLE FERREIRA, MACINSIDERS

Entering a new environment can be really exciting! It can also be super nerve-wrecking…

Upon entering McMaster I thought I was fully prepared to handle any challenges I would have encountered. I wasn’t. Welcome Week is a super fun jam-packed week with a TON of activities and icebreakers and people! If you’re REALLY shy it might not be so great.

I saw so many people doing goofy things and having a blast yet I couldn’t conjure up enough confidence to do the same. I was at a new school without my best friend, without my family and without a sense of familiarity. Most people are going through the exact same thing you are.

This year I was a Welcome Week Rep for the Maroons. I constantly asked first years before they entered their new home for the first time, how do you feel? Every single one said nervous and excited. It’s a HUGE change for people! Some people adapt within an hour—others, like me, take a while longer. For the first couple of months at McMaster I wanted to drop out. I hated it. My grades dropped drastically. I hated all of my courses. I didn’t have any close friends. I wanted out. I would go home EVERY weekend (which I now know is probably what I shouldn’t have done). When my mom told me to toughen it out and I couldn’t leave, I realized I had to force myself to like this place.

It wasn’t until about March or April of my first year when I started wanting to get involved in extra-curricular activities. I met a guy named Fergie (for those of you who haven’t been to Mac yet, odds are you’ll meet him when you get here). He is SUPER friendly, SUPER fun, and SUPER in every other aspect as well! After meeting him I decided I wanted to get involved in the Maroons so I sent out an application and became a Welcome Week Rep. I wanted to connect to the first years who weren’t so loud and felt really awkward. After Welcome Week, I STILL wanted to get involved. I ended up joining SWHAT (Student Walk Home Attendant Team), PAC (Promotions and Advertising Committee), CLAY (Creating Leadership Among Youth) and The Improv Club. Yeah, it was pretty hectic! There were other things too but I can’t remember them!

Since I had joined SO many services and clubs I learned how to manage my time effectively. As a result, my grades improved compared to my first year. I started talking to my professors and TAs to ensure that I was on the same page as they were. I started working on assignments the day after they had been assigned. I was on the ball because I had to be. Being so busy all the time made me unable to go home on weekends (making it a lot better for me). I made a ton of friends doing extra curriculars and I started doing better in school.

I’d like to point out that this lifestyle is what helped me. I assure you that not everyone will have the same experience I did. I just needed a stronger push in the right direction. If you’re shyer, don’t expect to have the same first year I did. Work towards switching it up a bit. I know that I may have made the first year experience I had sound a little negative. However, there were definitely high points. For instance, I learned how to be far more independent. I was on my own for the first time and had to learn to get around which also indicates that I learned how to adapt to new environments. I made some friends that I still talk to. I made mistakes that I learned from. It was an experience. Although I struggled a bit at first, I eventually pushed through and wanted to stay. I lived in an amazing residence—WHIDDEN HALL! I loved my residence so much that I’m now going to be working in it for the 2008-2009 year.

As for specifics…

• Food- You’ll get bored of it after a while. You’ll be eating there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also, McMaster doesn’t really have a lot of beef and I found that the lack of iron in my diet really affected me. I wish I knew how close the grocery store was to campus.

• Roommates- No matter how amazing your roommate it, it simply gets frustrating to see the same person in your room everyday. It’s kind of like how you get into arguments with family members because you see them everyday. Now imagine living with the person and your privacy is now gone. It’s only 8 months and it’s usually not bad until later on in the year with stress levels and all.

• Services- McMaster has several services to help everyone out. If you have a disability, fear of walking home alone, low on food supply and so on. McMaster has something for you. Students love to help! They’re more than willing to give you a hand when you’re in need.

• Classes- You’ll have some good classes and you’ll have some bad ones. Some professors are better than others. Some courses are just boring or difficult while others are life altering.

• Campus Setting- Mac is gorgeous! Honestly, you can study outside, go for a walk in Cootes or simply look at the architecture of the buildings. I’ve even had a lecture outside before! The campus is nice to look at—with the exception of Arts Quad (which is being fixed!). I find that Mac is rather inclusive just by its layout. There are a ton of couches and tables rather than strictly cubicles to study in. It’s an accommodating school on several levels.

• Study Areas- you have 5 libraries,lecture halls, the Student Center, residence study rooms, and so on. There are so many places that I could study that I could never use the excuse, "...but I have nowhere to study" like some of the folks at other universities.

• Shopping- I'm a city girl and after living at Mac I find that I shop way less. I'm used to Square One and Jackson Square/Limeridge just don't cut it for me. Nevertheless, the bus pass is paid for and I do occasionally go there.

For those of you entering Mac for the first time just remember that there are a TON of ways to get involved, there are a TON of people who want to help you succeed academically/socially and there are a TON of people who want to make sure that you don’t have the same negative experience I had if you live in residence. For students living in residence you have your Res-Life Staff who is more than willing to help you overcome your homesickness and to help you familiarize yourself with the area.

You also have your Inter-Residence Council Programming Representatives who will plan events that cater to YOU and Hall Representatives that will make sure we switch up the food every so often and advocate on behalf of YOU. I just wish I knew all of that back then. There is ALWAYS someone at Mac who is standing behind you supporting and defending you when necessary.

For those students who aren’t living in residence, keep in mind that there are A LOT of clubs on campus (over 200) that you can involve yourself in to make friends. There are also a lot of services to help you academically as well. We have it all. There are a ton of resources and Chad and Danielle are fortunately around to assist in welcoming and helping you all transition through MacInsiders. If I knew everything that Mac offered when I was in first year I would NEVER have wanted to drop out. I was the person who wanted to drop out and now I’m the person who never wants to leave.

I love reading these! Thanks for sharing

omg I know you!

Now who's the creeper?

Thanks for sharing your story.

is shopping there really that bad..? :(

thanks for sharing your experience!

ok YEAH. Jackson Square is so sketchy, but it's close. I only go there for the awesome Dollarama .

But I would say Limeridge is pretty normal for a mall. Smaller than Square One, but it has a pretty wide variety of stuff. The main setback is that it's about a 30-40 minute bus ride from school, since it's located in the southeast corner of Hamilton.

Originally Posted by nh999

ok YEAH. Jackson Square is so sketchy, but it's close. I only go there for the awesome Dollarama .

But I would say Limeridge is pretty normal for a mall. Smaller than Square One, but it has a pretty wide variety of stuff. The main setback is that it's about a 30-40 minute bus ride from school, since it's located in the southeast corner of Hamilton.

I have to agree. The next best mall is Mapleview but thats in burlington by the IKEA.

i had fun reading that!
thanks