[mcinside]

Are You Prepared for First Year?

BY NEHA D., MACINSIDERS

So as the title says, are you prepared for first year? Take this quiz and find out! Questions in red are for students living in Residence only and questions in blue are for students commuting or living off-campus.

Remember: No cheating and answer all the questions honestly!!

Q1) Where can you access your Account Statement?
a. Student Accounts and Cashiers' website
b. MacStar
c. MUGSI

Q2) Which online tool can help you look for jobs?
a. MacStar
b. MUGSI
c. OSCAR

Q3) What is an i>clicker?
a. A wireless mouse
b. A touch screen tool used at Mac
c. A device used in the classroom to answer questions

Q4) Where are most of the first year textbooks being sold?
a. Titles and T-29
b. The Tank
c. T-29

Q5) Where is Titles located?
a. In University Hall
b. In the basement of Hamilton Hall next to the Student Centre
c. In the basement level of Gilmour Hall

Q6) Scenario question: You get back a test mark from your professor. This is the first test you wrote in University. The mark you see if 10% lower than you expected it to be. What do you?
a. You scream and yell and yell and scream
b. You suspected that this might happen so you strive to work harder the next time
c. Get depressed and stop trying to study

Q7) True or False: It is unadvisable to approach your professor and ask them questions.
a. True
b. False

Q8) What do full time students need to obtain the discounted price for GO bus tickets/monthly pass?
a. A confirmation letter form the Office of the Registrar and an application from Compass
b. A GO Student Discount Card
c. Just their McMaster Student Card with validation sticker and the “HSR” section present

Q9) Which of the following services are free for full-time McMaster students?
a. HSR
b. Coach Canada
c. VIA Rail

Q10) Do you know which buildings your classes are being held?
a. Of course!
b. Not yet

Q11) What does MUSC stand for?
a. McMaster University Student Centre
b. McMaster University Student Clubs
c. McMaster University's list of Student-run Clubs

Q12) Have you planned routes to get from class to class for each day?
a. Of course!
b. Not really.
c. I’ll get to it

Q13) True or False: Studying is important but getting sleep is more important.
a. True
b. False

Q14) What are the three most important things to keep in mind for academic success?
a. Organization, Preparation and Determination
b. Socialization, Time Management and Preparation
c. Slacking off, Not caring and Not caring some more

Q15) What are the three important concepts that ensure you make the most of your first year?
a. Academic Performance, Socialization and Balance
b. Studying, Academic success and focusing on Academic Performance
c. Socialization, making friends and Preparation

Q16) Which Office deals with your Payment Agreement?
a. Office of the Registrar
b. Student Accounts and Cashiers
c. Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

Q17) Scenario question- When entering your first class, you see a bigger amount of students than you had first expected. Should you
a. freak out and run away
b. boycott class forever
c. understand that this University and that there will be a lot more students in the same class with you compared to high school

Q18) True or False: You get Tax Receipts for your tuition.
a. True
b. False

Q19) Where is the Office of the Registrar located?
a. In Convocation Hall
b. On the second floor in the Burke Science Building
c. On the first floor in Gilmour Hall

Q20) Where is the Student Financial Aid Office located?
a. In Convocation Hall
b. On the second floor in the Burke Science Building
c. On the first floor in Gilmour Hall

Q21) What does the negative sign (ex. -800.00) on your Student Account mean?
a. Payments received
b. Payments outstanding
c. No Payments required
d. Both (a) and (c)

Q22) True or False: You have the complete freedom to study and do homework when you want to, if you want to.
a. True
b. False

Q23) Have you finished/almost finished packing?
a. Yes!
b. I have time

Q24) What is Macexpress?
a. An office that deals with transport
b. An office for fast mailing services from your residence
c. An office that deals with your Meal Plan

Q25) How much do you have to pay for using the washer in the laundry room?
a. $1.75
b. $1.25
c. $2.00

Q26) Where do you go if you break/damage something or get locked out?
a. Custodian’s Office
b. The Housing Office
c. The Service Centre

Q27) Are you allowed to live on residence during the December break?
a. Yes
b. No

Q28) True or False: It is recommended that you solely focus your time on your studies during first year.
a. True
b. False

Q29) What is RACER?
a. A McMaster Hybrid car
b. A service for InterLibrary Loans
c. An online movie service

Q30) Where can you find old exam papers to borrow?
a. Titles
b. The Library
c. The Hole-in-the-Wall

Q31) True or False: You can buy off-campus event tickets at COMPASS?
a. True
b. False

Q32) What does SOCS stand for?
a. Student Off-Campus Society
b. Services for Off-Campus Students
c. Society of Off-Campus Students

Q33) What does OCE stand for?
a. Off-Campus Entertainers
b. Off-Campus Experience
c. Off-Campus Entertainment

Q34) Do you know which routes/buses to take to get to McMaster University?
a. Yup
b. Not yet

Q35) What does OCRC stand for?
a. Off-Campus Recreation Centre
b. Off-Campus Resource Centre
c. Off-Campus Recreation Committee

Alright you're done! Now compare your answers:

Answers: 1)c 2)c 3)c 4)a 5)c 6)b 7)b 8)c 9)a 10)a 11)a 12)a 13)a 14)a 15)a 16)b 17)c 18)a 19)c 20)c 21)d 22)a 23)a 24)c 25)b 26)c 27)b 28)b 29)b 30)b 31)a 32)c 33)b 34)a 35)b

So, in total you would have answered 30 questions. Compare the number of answers you got right to this scale:

24-30/30
YOU ARE PREPARED FOR FIRST YEAR!
Congratulations! You have done your homework and researched all the important and useful information you'd need to know for first year! You know your way around the campus and know how to keep the right attitude to succeed in first year!

18-24/30
You're almost there!
You've got some of the information covered but there's still stuff you need to know; do some research and visit the websites. Brush up on information about the libraries, Titles services, Student Accounts and Cashiers, the Office of the Registrar etc.

0-18/30
YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR FIRST YEAR!
You haven't been following up on important information and you are missing out on a lot of things. To help you, go back to the quiz and try to research the answers to the questions you did not know on the McMaster website (mcmaster.ca). Read of all of the information on the links you find. Some other good websites to visit are: Student Accounts and Cashiers (http://www.mcmaster.ca/bms/student/), Student Financial Aid Office (http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/), Office of the Registrar (http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /registered/) and your faculty's website.
Also, keep checking back on MacInsiders for useful announcements to stay up to date!

This quiz was not made to strictly test your knowledge but to reiterate useful concepts and information that can be helpful to you in first year. It could span from locations of places that you might have to visit, to highlighting pointers and things to regularly keep a check on. It can also act as a checklist, a reminder for things left to do and a lesson on how to keep the right attitude in first year.

Enjoy

[~*Sara*~]

25! Haha, awesome quiz =]!

[xo.monica]

23 =[
and since when does SOCS stand for Student Off-Campus Society??
I thought it was Society of Off Campus Students. That is what everyone's been saying..
:S

[nh999]

yeah...xo.monica is correct. I double-checked that one. It should be "Society of Off-campus Students".

[xo.monica]

haha, sweet.
that means my score is now 24, so I fall under "Prepared for first year"
wa-hooO!!

[~*Sara*~]

Originally Posted by nh999

yeah...xo.monica is correct. I double-checked that one. It should be "Society of Off-campus Students".

Yep, that's actually correct check: http://socs.ca/

[crucif3x]

27 WOOT!!! I just didn't know what MacExpress, RACER and tax receipts LOL I guess stalking MacInsiders really helps!

[JEFF_CHAN]

I got 0 points. Oh dear. D:

[lorend]

The answer to #32 has been fixed! I missed it when I was checking over the article before posting. Sorry!

[mcinside]

Thanks for pointing that out guys...I typed the wrong letter in the answers by mistake

Glad you liked the quiz =)

[Smeena Deol]

lol 20 :| i'll studyy more! great quiz btw.

[xo.monica]

Originally Posted by JEFF_CHAN

I got 0 points. Oh dear. D:

LOL. I really hope you're kidding. xD

[goodnews.inc]

After reading this the first time I realised that I really need to plan my routes. After I did, it helped me avoid switching into another Math 1A03 core which would have had me running from CNH to ITB in 5 minutes.

[jhan523]

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

After reading this the first time I realised that I really need to plan my routes. After I did, it helped me avoid switching into another Math 1A03 core which would have had me running from CNH to ITB in 5 minutes.

CNH to ITB is ridiculous! I would definitively avoid that if you don't like running/jogging.

[xo.monica]

Is it bad that I don't know what CNH and ITB is...?
lol