Undoubtedly, McGill has been some of the best four years of my life. I’ve made lifelong friendships, grown as an individual, and earned myself a prestigious degree that is recognized all over the world. For the people who may be thinking about applying to mcgill, or even the people who already have, I am here today to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from my time at McGill.
Work Life Balance
McGill is a challenging school. There is no question about that. The amount of course load and time pressure students at McGill face is only one part of the hurdle. McGill students are usually involved with more than just school. Managing school, being part of extracurricular activities in the form of clubs or sports, while managing internship applications seems to paint quite an accurate picture of a busy Mcgillian.
Staying motivated and organized is key. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend your days in the library in order to succeed and I can’t really tell you what it is you’ll need to do to succeed but what I can tell you is finding your rhythm. It took me a while to find my rhythm, in fact, it took me my whole first semester jumping between putting too much emphasis on “work” and sometimes on “life”. I really believe that everyone will find their rhythm at McGill and have a much better well-rounded happy student life.
Mcgill Bubble
The McGill bubble is an imaginary zone that surrounds the campus where students live, study, or socialize. Although it is a safe haven to most students, many students fall into the trap of being too attached within the bubble. Something I wish I did sooner was going outside of this comfortable and exploring the dynamic city of Montreal. There is so much more to do outside of the bubble without the need of transportation. Some areas I would highlight are the Old Port, the Plateau, and ChinaTown. All these areas are unique its own way and definitely worth a visit.
Picking good profs over schedule
One of the biggest mistakes I am guilty of is trying to build the perfect schedule. It is definitely tempting to build a schedule without any early morning classes and trying to get back to back classes but what most students don’t realize is how important professors are. Although the class section you’ve selected may have the same name as others and the contents taught are most likely going to be the same, you may have a completely different experience depending on your professor. Again, because this is such a subjective topic I can only provide you the tools to hear what other students say about different professors. With this information you should be able to better select the professor who will be teaching your class. Go to ratemyprofessor.com to see student reviews about different professors.
It is Cold in Montreal
If you were going to ask anyone about McGill, one of the first things anyone will tell you is how cold it is. Yes, Montreal is cold, but it shouldn’t be the reason to stray away from McGill. Coming from Thailand myself, this was also one of my biggest concerns. I think anyone can overcome the cold with good preparation. It is not ideal that you’ll probably experience 7-8 cold months throughout the year but if you have a coat, gloves, and boots you should be just fine.
The Bottom Line
If I were to list out everything I have learned at McGill I would probably bore you to death so I am going to stop here. Going to McGill will teach you a lot of things and many of these will be very specific to McGill. However, the bottomline is, going to university will teach you a lot and you will grow not only mentally but personally. For those of you going to McGill, or considering McGill, I hope these lessons will help you out. For others who may be going to other universities, I wish you the best of luck!
