Hi, I'm considering accepting my offer to Mac's kinesiology program, and I was just wondering if anyone in or who knows anything about the program would be willing to share their opinion about it.

Thanks in advance!

1) Kin is just awesome. Period

2) If you're not good at math take the 1LS3 calc not the 1A03 calc

3) Anatomy is the greatest subject on earth

4) Physical Activity Epidemiology can get boring but you learn a lot of important stuff.

5) The Kin profs are great

6) We're tonnes of fun

7) You should accept.

accept it. you wont be disappointed.

Agreed.

Take a look at the first year courses - they're all really interesting. That's what helped me decide.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Yeah, I really like that there's actually a kinesiology-based curriculum in first year at Mac rather than the 1 or 2 anatomy/physiology courses and general science classes at other schools.

I'm also a prospective student!
Anyone know if there are any research opportunities? (I'm interested in neuroscience as well).

there are 3rd and 4th year research options

There's also that summer research project you can apply to do. I think you're eligible to do that after first year in any faculty.

I got an email about it but never looked into the details.

Anyone know what it's called?

And how would you say Kinesiology compares to Health Sciences?
Easier/same? More fun?
Any key differences?

One of my best friends is in health science and in my opinion, we learn similar material, but in very different ways.

They learn it through group assignments and research, and then have to apply those concepts to a real life problem given to them on a test. Which in theory, sounds simple but it's not always easy.

In kin, we learn the traditional university way, you go to lecture and get the information, you study it and are tested on it.

It just depends on how you learn best.

Originally Posted by mac-gal

There's also that summer research project you can apply to do. I think you're eligible to do that after first year in any faculty.

I got an email about it but never looked into the details.

Anyone know what it's called?

Undergraduate Student Research Awards. USRA for short. They are extremely competitive, and you need excellent grades to get awarded one.

Here's more info:http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Student...A-BRPC_eng.asp

If you are really interested in research, you don't necesssarily need to be in a "summer program" even. You can easily approach/email profs and express your interest in maybe helping them out with their research or possibly even conducting your own under their supervision. However, you won't necessarily be paid or get any sort of compensation. Regardless, there are always opportunities to get experience/exposure to research.

Originally Posted by marsmars

I'm also a prospective student!
Anyone know if there are any research opportunities? (I'm interested in neuroscience as well).

Kin at mac is very research oriented. http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/kinesiology/research-clusters.html
The above is a listing of the research fields and some of the research going on in them. The profs we've had for first year have all be friendly and approachable and I'm sure if you showed an interest in their research and proved to be a bright student you would get an opportunity to help on a research project. One of the bio profs (bio is a popular elective for the kin kids) is very enthusiastic about helping students to learn how to get research positions in undergrad and while provide you with opportunities to earn letters of reference.

There's also the opportunity to participate in research as a research subject in any one or more of a number of studies.

Kin also requires you take a course on Research Methods and Data Analysis in your first year and you'll learn a lot of about research designs, statistics, how to read a study between that class and Physical Activity Epidemiology. I've found my kin courses have a fair amount of focus on being scientifically literate, much more than any of my other classes.

Psych, Neuroscience and Behaviour courses can definitely be taken as electives and it could complement your kin studies well, including our first year course in Psychomotor Behaviour, second year course in Health Psychology, the 50% of first semester Anatomy and Physiology that focused on the nervous system and several upper year courses such as Neural Control of Human Movement, Sport Psychology, Exercise Psychology, and The Brain and Human Movement.

Thanks for all the helpful replies!
Just one more question:
Would I be able to take enough electives to permit me to be in Kinesiology and learn about neuroscience and chemistry (not biochemistry, just general chemistry) as well? Or would I not have enough room for chemistry?

Originally Posted by marsmars

Thanks for all the helpful replies!
Just another question: How many electives are allowed in first year? More specifically, would I be able to take Kinesiology and at the same time learn about neuroscience and chemistry (not biochemistry, just the general chemistry)?

These are the courses you have to take:

http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/kin...ts.html#lev 1

So in first year, I think you have room for two electives (so you can take chem) But I am not in Kin so I am not too sure.