That's the greatest thing about this school, is that even though we're all competing for good grades, we don't really treat it like a rat race. Everyone here is really friendly.
This is a small example, but I when I went to U of T for a tour, people ignored me. When I came to Mac for a tour, people who looked me in the eye went out of their way to ask me if I needed anything.
Also, as a first year, I feel priveliged to have a class in Hamilton Hall. So beautiful.
This is a small example, but I when I went to U of T for a tour, people ignored me. When I came to Mac for a tour, people who looked me in the eye went out of their way to ask me if I needed anything.
Campus tours really made the difference for me when I was trying to make my final decision between Guelph or Mac. I didn't bother to tour U of T or York b/c I knew I didn't want that experience. So I went to Guelph and I hated the campus, it was like all concrete and just ugh. Then to boot the tour guide was an idiot and made everything confusing. On top of that the people on the tour were obnoxious and rude and nobody at the school was overly nice or helpful. I did this tour first and was scared about University.
Then I came for a March break tour at McMaster and I fell in love. I loved the campus and the tour guide was so friendly, helpful and awesome. She was a 2nd year nursing student if I recall correctly. She knew lots of great tips about campus, shared her experience and gave a great tour.
The tours really set up the environments differently and made it clear where I wanted my undergrad to be. I mean you look into the schools first about academics but on top of that you don't want to spend 4 years hating your life, the area your spend most of your time and all the people around you and being miserable.
While there are rude people everywhere and Mac is no exception most of the people here are generally nice and make it a good place to spend time.
Special shot out to...
The cashiers at all the food places (La Piazza, Commons, Bridges and Bistro) who are all super sweet and helpful. If you're having a shitty day at least if you walk into the student centre to grab a bite before class you know you'll get a friendly greeting, a smile and if they know you they'll ask you how you are etc.
Also to random people in class at the beginning of the year who will make sure to introduce themselves to people, hey now you know one person in the class when you didn't before. As someone who is shy and is used to spending majority of time in small classes with the people in my small program where I know everyone I find it harder when I take an elective in a totally different area and I don't know anyone.
To great TAs who go out of their way to make sure you're getting it and who you genuinely feel like they want you to do well in their course. There are some TAs who will just phone it in, they're clearly just there to get paid and they don't give a damn about you. Fortunately that's not the case for most TAs. Most are students just like you who are in upper years and they know whats it like and because they know what its like they do their best to make that experience better for you.
Mac may be one of the Top 100 universities in the world for all the academic jazz which is great but its also a great place to enjoy your education thanks in part to the people around campus so props to them.
__________________ -Stefanie Walsh-
4th Year Multimedia 2010-2011
I'm thinking of maybe going to UofT for masters in engineering (if I have the grades come 5th year, and the will... because 5 years of schooling plus a few more.... painful haha) :v
Haha, whenever I open the second door, I use the same amount of force I use to open the first door - so, without fail, I end up banging the second door against the glass and wondering how it never breaks...every time
Before I started at Mac, it was all about the rankings, grades, quality of profs, and the campus itself. And to the everyday person, or maybe to anyone who doesn't go to Mac, they may agree - that those four things are all that matter in a university. But it was only after I started at Mac that I realized that it's the people there that made a difference. The people are so friendly and helpful, and it made *such* a huge difference to me.
I'm quite an introvert, and I was so intimidated at having to start university and having to live at home while doing so...I wasn't really hyped up about it. I was really worried about making friends (and I still am somewhat). But just talking to people, both new and non-first-year students, really helped me settle down. Simple things (as mentioned above) like the cashiers so genuinely wishing you a good day really cheers you up. Almost everyone I talked to during first week (while standing in lines, at booth, etc) was so warm and welcoming; and although I really wanted to see a couple of them again, I never did.
My situation hasn't really changed, meaning that I don't really have friends that I can hang out with out of the classroom, only those who I randomly talk to in classes, but the character of the people at Mac (for the most part) has allowed me to open up quite a bit more.
Before I started at Mac, it was all about the rankings, grades, quality of profs, and the campus itself. And to the everyday person, or maybe to anyone who doesn't go to Mac, they may agree - that those four things are all that matter in a university. But it was only after I started at Mac that I realized that it's the people there that made a difference. The people are so friendly and helpful, and it made *such* a huge difference to me.
I'm quite an introvert, and I was so intimidated at having to start university and having to live at home while doing so...I wasn't really hyped up about it. I was really worried about making friends (and I still am somewhat). But just talking to people, both new and non-first-year students, really helped me settle down. Simple things (as mentioned above) like the cashiers so genuinely wishing you a good day really cheers you up. Almost everyone I talked to during first week (while standing in lines, at booth, etc) was so warm and welcoming; and although I really wanted to see a couple of them again, I never did.
My situation hasn't really changed, meaning that I don't really have friends that I can hang out with out of the classroom, only those who I randomly talk to in classes, but the character of the people at Mac (for the most part) has allowed me to open up quite a bit more.
I can never get over how nice the people are here. It actually concerned me for a while. I mean, something has to be up. Is there something in the water? The air?
None of that. I mean, Friday, I broke into Bridges with this guy I had just met 5 seconds earlier. We went in through the back because the doors weren't open at 11, and we found out from the time sheet inside that it was closed that day. After leaving, the guy and I smiled at our pseudo criminal behaviour, shook hands, and said "See you around".
If I tried that at U of T, I would get cut-eye.
__________________
Honours English and History III
Not a hipster
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