Hey everyone

I will be attending McMaster for Engineering I this coming September, and I have a few questions regarding the courses.

1) I'm an IB (International Baccalaureate) student and I want to find out from fellow IB alumni how good of a preparation the program was for university. In your opinion, did the IB prepare you well for your courses? I took HL Math, HL Chem, HL English, SL Physics, SL French, and SL Psych. I specifically want to know how well HL Chem and Math prepared you for first year university level chem and math. Please give me as much details and information as you can regarding this

2) Do professors allow students to use formula booklets (i.e. booklets with pages and pages of constants and formulas) during quizzes/tests/exams? For example, in the IB, students are allowed to have "data booklets" during their tests and exams so that they don't have to memorize a huge list of formulas, equations, constants, etc. Do professors allow this as well?

Thanks

- Nash

Regarding formula sheets, it depends on your prof. Some classes do have formula sheets, some don't. I did take the engineering maths, and you do not get formula sheets but they should be memorized if you've done enough homework. In my experience, if there is no formula sheet then constants are usually written as part of the question.

1) No IB doesnt help in Uni lol. Uni is way different in my opinion, and although you will be familiar with some of the material, a large portion of it will over whelm u, with so many other things going on at the same time. The most it can do is maybe help you in first year but other than that, good luck.

The only course in first year engineering that allowed us to use a formula sheet in the midterms/exam was "matls 1m03". Nothing was open book.

I don't know how well IB prepares you for university, but when you come to engineering everyone has to study to do well. Whether you had a 90 or 85, all that matters is how much you study.

A friend who took IB Chem (the highest level --- advanced?) found IB Chem to be even more comprehensive than first year Chem for engineers. That person subsequently destroyed that course with their eyes closed.

I don't know anyone who took any more corresponding IB courses.