Do you have to pay tuition for the year if you are taking part in the internship program? If so, how much?

No, you do a course which costs $100, which includes and etiquette dinner and what not, and then you apply to the posted jobs. You take a year off out ad away from the school then come back to finish your 4th year.

Thanks dude.. I see that you're in the program. Can I ask how you find it? Difficult or no? Also are you in the internship program? If yes, how is it? Sorry for all the questions

Hey, the program is good. There are good and bad courses however when I look at the resources I have access to, the people I have met it is definitely cool. I just took a course (which I am kinda resentful of because I missed some stuff during the year and screwed myself for my final report) where we used the trading floor to simulate real life trading which was really cool. The thing is that the program is getting better so to come into it now is certainly positive.

It is fairly difficult, especially compared to many other programs, especially second year. You are gonna have to get used to 20-50 pages reports because there are a lot of them. Lots of group work and very very few essays (if any). The great thing about business is that there really are not that many hours of classes (15-20 hours a week depending on electives) so you have plenty of time. I would say though, particularly in second year, it is one of the more challenging programs.

I am not in the internship program but I have been told good things. With the whole recession thing there have been fewer internships however I had a friend work at GM, I have had a couple friends who worked at KPMG etc. They have all said great things about the programs and said the experience they got from the year working was well worth it. On a side not as you get through the program I find there are so many other ways to find experience. For example the major accounting firms (KPMG, Deloitte etc) come in September to the school and hold small events and I know some people who have gotten jobs out of them. Mars apprentice is another way to earn an internship. Like I said before, the people you meet and the resources you have access to cannot be explained without experiencing it. I am also the incoming VP Finance of the MSU so I couldn't do the internship anyways.

Don't worry about the questions, in fact ask more if you want, I wish I knew more before I came into it.

Again thanks a lot.. all this info is really helping me on my decision. Soo you asked for it so you're going to get it.. more questions haha! Does the internship program in third year require an application? Due to the financial situation right now is it more difficult to land a job for an internship? Is it a must to be super active in school for you to land a good/decent job after graduation? How did you land the position of VP Finance for the MSU? Will you be able to keep up with the work if you like to party every so often?

Hey no problem, distracts me from my exam on Saturday morning.

There is a contract you need to fill out but the basic process is you pay $125 for the course that teaches you about how to get a job, former interns tell you about their experience etc. The Centre for Business and Career Develop rips apart you resume and makes it better. Then you can apply to job postings. It has a lot to do with the business school facilitating and helping you apply for jobs that come to the school. Like I said there have been fewer postings this year with the recession but some really cool companies like BMW were posting internships when I first started here.

Also, to elaborate on your tuition question, you do need to pay $900 in admin costs for the internship (if you get one) but most internships will pay you over $30,000 a year so the admin costs wont be too impactful.

The financial situation now has made it harder but by the time you are in your third year I expect that the markets and global economy would be back on track and I expect that companies will be hiring.

It is not a must to be super involved but then again I cannot emphasize how important it is for you. The more involved you get the more people you meet, contacts you develop etc etc will undoubtedly give you more oppotunity. The amount of people I have met, the experiences I have had here are in my opinion more substantial that what I have learned in lectures. You need to remember that University is as important outside of the class as it is inside. But don't worry, the oppotunities to get involved are endless here.

VP Finance is a result of my background in business, my passion for student politics and the MSU and years of continually getting more involved. Whether it be through the MSU, IRC, SOCS, clubs, or even intramurals there are so many ways to meet people and I do not doubt it will results in some of the most rewarding experiences of your life, because it has with me. If you want to know the actual process of how I became VP then I can exolain as well.

And it is university. In commerce you have 15-20 hours of class a week so it isn't bad. Fact is you will probably procrastinate, cram last minute (like I am now) and you will always have time to party. I know people who have partied their way out of school however I go to parties often and I have been able to get into honours, so of course there is plenty of time for and success in class as long as you learn to balance it.

keep em coming

Again I have to give so much thanks . McMaster really seems like a university that I would love to go to. As of now it is where I'm planning to go. And as you have probably guessed.. more questions . Do you think commuting to school everyday is a bad idea (i live in Mississauga)? Which residences would you recommend? Which would you suggest i stay away from? What are some ways a first year student could get involved?

hey i also had a question. My ultimate goal is to become a chartered accountant. after graduating from mcmaster will i have to take some more subjects or coul i directly start internship. and secondly if i do co-op program of one year at mac will it also be counted in the 24 months of internship we have to do in CA.

About the CA. There are 3 couse you have to take and those are done in the summer after you graduate. Also, depending on the internship, it can count towards your CA hours.

Ya Mac is a great university, I am sure you will love it here.

Commuting to school is not a bad idea however I thought res was one of the best experiences of my life. I lived in McKay in my first year and loved it so much i joined the Inter-Residence Council and lived there again in my second year. The thing about living close to campus/on-campus is that if you forget something at your house or on res, you can always go grab it in-between classes, when you sleep in and are late for a midterm you are only a 5 minute walk, when your friends say lets go down the road and play pool/go to the bar for a drink/grab a meal etc being here and walking distance from everyone and eveything around the school amazing. To put it in perspective how much I love living on campus/around campus, I live in Burlington, a 15 minute car ride and I still pay rent in Hamilton.

About Res though, most of my best friends I have met here at Mac were the ones I met in residence. You will meet other in the faculty but it was watchin tv in the common rooms, partying, studying together; you would always have someone to meet or talk to in res, no matter what hour of the night. Need help with school work? There are 100 other people studying the same course that you are. I cannot even convey the experience that I had in residence which I would have to say, was one of the best experiences of my life.

Res's to choose. I have not spent a lot of time in Les Prince however it is nice because it is new. Keyes is nice, Bates is kind of trashy IMO but the apartment style is cool. I would avoid Keyes and Bates because of the apartment style, sitting watching sports and primetime tv in the common rooms of the traditional style residences are where I met most the people I know. Like I said I lived in Mckay, it is older but there are individual washrooms, usually shared by 2 rooms (which is better than communal), it is small and easy to get around in. Hedden IMO is probably one of the best, it is newer, right by Commons like Mckay is. If I went back it would be between McKay and Hedden for me. Ones I didn't like, Matthews and Woodstock, confusing; is a little sketchy IMO lol.

But the truth is it is how involved in res you get (become a flirc for example).But it is also the people, I have been hard pressed to find anyone who did not love res, and I knew people from every building.

Ways for first years to get involved. There are tons, In residence with the IRC or off campus with socs. A good start is welcome week, meet people, participate in everything you can, I mean everything. You can also run for the MSU FYC (First Year Council). We also have a great clubs program where you can join anything from religious and social groups, to academic clubs to breakdancing and law clubs. Check out clubsfest during welcome week or on the MSU website check clubs listings, email the clubs and find out before you even get here. One thing to, head up to the MSU office (second floor MUSC) and just ask to talk to someone about getting involved, there are tons of people hanging around who want to help.

Originally Posted by AndrewC

The amount of people I have met, the experiences I have had here are in my opinion more substantial that what I have learned in lectures.

Although if you stop and get involved with various things you learn a lot about yourself and life in general outside the class room, in 4th year Commerce it all comes together. 4th year Commerce classes are done once a week in 3 hour sessions with a class of 20-30 people. The group discussions are much more interactive. Commerce 4PA3 (the "Cap-stone Course") ties all the seemingly meaningless stuff you learn together and teaches you how to apply everything you learnt over the past 3 years to real business situations.

By the end of 3rd year, you're a student with a great deal of business skills and knowledge. By the end of 4th year, you truly are a Business Professional. Good luck to you.

- Alex McColl
Hons B.Comm 08

PS: I don't mean to contradict Andrew, it's just that 4th year really does tie everything together. In 4th year, a great deal of the learning happens in the lecture hall, so don't skip!

Originally Posted by 12345

What are some ways a first year student could get involved?

In my opinion, one of the best ways for you to get involved right off the bat is to attend the Horizons Leadership Conference happening this Augest at Mac. It will prepare you for your first year so well. It's a weekend long event run by upper-year students specifically for incoming first-year students. The conference is a mi of leardship skill-building acvities, university life preparation, and hanging out with a bunch of awesome people around mac campus. With two weeks before you officially come to back, you'll know the campus inside and out, know all the services offered to you as a mac student, meet a ton of cool upper-year students who want to help you out, and best of all, you'll make a bunch of friends before welcome week even begins! Keep your eyes open and check your email for an invitation in June/July, or check out Horizons Leadership Conference for more details.

Originally Posted by AndrewC

Res's to choose.

You forgot Edwards! I move out of Edwards in one week, and looking back at my time there, it's been amazing. Considering only about 100 people live there, it isn't your typical res experience, but it's just as good as any one else's. Edwards is by far the nicest looking res with vines covering most of the brick walls, and it's location is prime campus real estate. There's also strong sense of community and you get to build close relationships with a lot of people, which is pretty cool. Plus, I have to add the fact that we involve in binge drinking as much as any other res.

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To expand on Andrew's point on experience in extra-curriculars vs. lecture learning, it's outside of the classroom where you'll meet people in a variety faculties, ages, and ambitions, all with different view points. You'll meet people who are involved in different projects than yourself. People who are heading off in different directions after university. People with different life goals that may make you doublethink what you planned out for yourself. These experiences will challenge your personal perspective and shape you into a more critical, yet open-minded thinker.