The Underground printing is not free but it is slightly cheaper than printing at the library, especially if you're printing a lot, as in 50 or 100 or more copies. I find their system more convenient because you can pay cash or debit. I like the quality of their colour copies, and they also have a lot of other options for printing.

My list would include:

1. The importance of keeping your notes organized. I found it really frustrating when I couldn't find my notes, or couldn't understand what I wrote, or had half my notes typed and half of them hand written. Find what way of note-taking and organization works best for you, stick to it, and it will make studying easier.

2. Like others have said, find the best options for eating on-campus, or try to avoid it if you can, by either packing a lunch or eating off-campus. A lot of the food is unhealthy and/or overpriced. I started packing food and saved a lot.

3. I wish someone had told me the importance of using university to gain experience. It will definitely benefit you to gain some experience, through internships, co-op, volunteering(especial ly if it involves a leadership role). You will also get a chance to network. Volunteering and meeting people has lead to more opportunities for me so far. Every job I have had I found from connections. And plus, you're spending so much time, energy and money on your degree, so why not try to get the most out of it? There are so many opportunities at Mac in every program, in Science, Engineering, Humanities, etc. You just need to look for them. There's also the work-study program, as well as volunteering and work opportunities in Hamilton. Try to learn as much as you can about these, and if you start now you can better prepare yourself.

4. Tutorials are important for a lot of classes. This varies depending on the class, but most of the tutorials are important. You will miss out on a lot, like assignments, tests, info on exams, etc. In first year I heard a lot of upper years talk about tutorials as if they were always 'optional' which was confusing because I found out that they clearly aren't.

5. This might seem to contradict the others, but to not take everything so seriously. Learn proper time management, it will save you a lot of time and stress. Time management means prioritizing so you aren't worrying about assignments and tests that aren't very important to your overall mark. I used to overwork myself, and now looking back it doesn't seem necessary. Take some time out to relax, for a night, or a day, without studying. And also seek help when you need it, because the faculty are there to help you, and in my experience they are very helpful and supportive.

Never leave anything until last minute, like, ever. I swear because, things will pile up on you and you end up pulling all-nighters all the time!

Review your notes from class often, like once a week.

Keep a calendar and write down important dates, like when assignments are due, or when a test is. That way you'll know how much time you have in advance to start preparing for it.

Never miss class, it's so tempting I know, but you'll kill yourself on your final when you realize a question sounds like gibberish because you were never there to learn it.

Eat healthy! Instead of gaining a freshman fifteen, I've lost like twenty pounds in two years because I'm not eating as much as I would be if I were at home. It IS easy however, to gain weight if you live on residence and you have all this food on disposal thanks to your meal plan. Do yourself a favor, and buy food at the grocery store and cook it yourself. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself energized and hydrated.

Annnd that's all I can think of right now. :]

Originally Posted by Alchemist11

Yeah, just because most people's grades drop shouldn't give you the expectation that yours will too. My grades dropped about 2%-3% from high school, and that's only because I was lazy and annoyed all of second semester. So you might as well try to aim for the same marks you were getting before.

I'm not saying anyone should aim lower. It's just what usually happens. Dr. Bonits does a bunch of lectures for incoming first years each year and he mentions this.

Originally Posted by feonateresa

Never leave anything until last minute, like, ever. I swear because, things will pile up on you and you end up pulling all-nighters all the time!

Review your notes from class often, like once a week.

Keep a calendar and write down important dates, like when assignments are due, or when a test is. That way you'll know how much time you have in advance to start preparing for it.

Never miss class, it's so tempting I know, but you'll kill yourself on your final when you realize a question sounds like gibberish because you were never there to learn it.

Eat healthy! Instead of gaining a freshman fifteen, I've lost like twenty pounds in two years because I'm not eating as much as I would be if I were at home. It IS easy however, to gain weight if you live on residence and you have all this food on disposal thanks to your meal plan. Do yourself a favor, and buy food at the grocery store and cook it yourself. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself energized and hydrated.

Annnd that's all I can think of right now. :]

Thanks Feona,


I can't really cook myself but could you tell me some of the more healthier places to eat on/off campus?

I am most likely to live off-campus since i am on waiting list for residency....

Originally Posted by Cassanova

How EASY McMaster Health Sciences program actually is.

Obvious troll is obvious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdiz0k0Rudw

It's not really a troll if he admits to trying to start a flame war.

1) Working hard is essential, but you also need to prioritize. There is no point of working 10 hours on a 2% lab report when you could spend that 10 hours on a 20% midterm.

2) Study for your exams, regardless of how confident you are. Don't let these go, they can really break your GPA since they are worth so much! If you've been doing poorly, exams are the time to bring up your mark! Easier said than done.

3) Meeting people is essential. Start building your network early. Keep your eyes open for opportunities that may arise.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

It's not really a troll if he admits to trying to start a flame war.

SHE, thank you very much.

Originally Posted by Cassanova

SHE, thank you very much.

You are on the internet
You are posting on a forum

Therefore "It's not really a troll if he admits to trying to start a flame war." was correct.

Q.E.D.

These are what I think are the two most important pieces of advice based on what I regretted form first year.

First: Make sure your doing what you're passionate about. If you don't like your program, look into switching into another one after first year. For me it was a lot easier than I expected.

Second: Get involved! I didn't get really start doing anything outside of academics until the end of second year and I regret not doing it earlier. There are tons of clubs and opportunities in student organizations/government. It really adds a whole new dynamic to student life, and its best to start early!

I didnt read the responses, so sorry if i repeat what others said.

Here's a list of things:

1) ALWAYS GO TO CLASS. You might have an 8 30 am class... and trust me once you skip one class, it becomes a vicious cycle.

2) STAY ORGANIZED. Often times you'll have multiple things due in a week: A lab , an essay, an assignment, a midterm, Etc. You need to know when everything is due or you may end up missing easy marks.

3) TIME MANAGMENT. If you know you have a midterm in october... start studying way before the midterm, never leave anything last minute.

4) MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS IN YOUR CLASS. Its always important to network for many reasons: work on assignments together, form study groups, get notes for a missed class. Several brains are always better than one.

Thats all i can think of, first year was pretty bad for me lol

1) Don't spend the week before first-semester finals smoking pot
2) Don't spend the week before second-semester finals smoking pot

If you avoid making these two 'mistakes', you should do fine. First-year life sci is pretty easy otherwise.

Originally Posted by Mahratta

1) Don't spend the week before first-semester finals smoking pot
2) Don't spend the week before second-semester finals smoking pot

If you avoid making these two 'mistakes', you should do fine. First-year life sci is pretty easy otherwise.

lol FUNNY advice ... but still I'll keep it in mind.

Originally Posted by Mahratta

1) Don't spend the week before first-semester finals smoking pot
2) Don't spend the week before second-semester finals smoking pot

If you avoid making these two 'mistakes', you should do fine. First-year life sci is pretty easy otherwise.

I think you made a mistake. From what you wrote it looks like youre saying we SHOULDNT smoke pot before writing a test, what would be in the sense of that?:o

Originally Posted by BluandExile

1) ALWAYS GO TO CLASS. You might have an 8 30 am class... and trust me once you skip one class, it becomes a vicious cycle.

THIS. First semester I had no classes earlier than 10:30am, so it wasn't a big deal. But come second semester, 8:30 chemistry? I missed probably half the classes. Same with 9:30 Physics 1BA3.. You really shouldn't miss either of those classes..

So definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY, arrange your schedule properly if you are not a morning person!