Student LifeMcMaster University
My Experience Majoring in Engineering at McMaster University
My Experience Majoring in Engineering at McMaster University
Choosing your Undergraduate Major that will influence your future career is definitely a huge milestone of your life. My name is Alexi and I am a second-year Materials Science and Engineering student at McMaster University. Below, I’ll give you the scoop on my experience as a first-year studying Engineering at McMaster University!
Residence Life
It was quite scary making the transition from high school to university however the engineering faculty here at McMaster instantly diminished that feeling and made you feel like you’re at home. I was fortunate enough to stay in Hedden Hall, a residence located in the north quad, and at the time, home to many engineering students.
Although you can easily trek across McMaster’s entire campus within 15-20 minutes, looking back, I would have preferred to stay somewhere in the west quad because they were closer to most of the buildings where lectures, tutorials, and labs were held. In addition, a residence in the west quad, Mary Keyes E. Keyes has a Tim Hortons and in-dine/takeout restaurant built into the residence itself.
This is particularly useful especially during the winter season when it's freezing cold outside! As a first-year engineering student, my schedule was jam-packed meaning I would be constantly moving from building to building, so having a couple of minutes to spare would have been helpful.
Also check out our video on 10 tips for living on residence:
Making Friends
Frosh week at McMaster was filled with tons of fun activities for all the faculties. It was a week full of parties, scavenger hunts, farms, bounce houses, memes and much more. In all honesty, I didn’t go to many activities because I had no one to go with and I was too shy to make friends at the time.
The whole point of frosh week was to meet new people who were also in the same boat you were with the transition, so looking back, I regret not being as active during the week. However, don't fret! Despite that, I still was able to make friends with other engineering students during the academic year.
A lot of my friendships blossomed from working together on group projects, or from seeing them in lecture often. A lot of other friendships have started simply from being clueless during a lecture, lab, or tutorial - you’d be surprised how many people are in the same boat and that relationships have started merely because of that fact; so never feel afraid or intimidated, you’re not alone! For more advice on meeting friends check out this blog on making friends in first year.
Course Advice
There are tons of helpful resources to help you know what to expect from your first-year university classes. Speaking of lectures, the quality of your professor's teaching is extremely crucial to your learning experience. For any math courses you may take, I suggest Christopher McLean. He has a corky personality - always positive, cracking jokes, generally making it a fun-filled atmosphere to learn.
However because it was first-year engineering and the sheer volume of the classes are quite large, each instructor’s attention is divided among so many students. Going to office hours definitely helps and they are specifically designed to be one-on-one to help you out further if needed.
However, even during some points, I was heavily struggling with my courses. One of the things that I did was try Wize's exam prep. The videos were replayable and they have the option to ask the prof for clarification which was beneficial for me specifically since I learn at a slower pace than others. Another thing I suggest is to go outside and take a walk because at times you might be cooped up inside, wondering why you might not be understanding a topic, only to realize you just needed a break.
Final Remarks
Overall first-year engineering was definitely tough for me, on the academic and social side, but it was worth the experience. For all those going into/are in first-year at McMaster, remember that you are not alone! Reach out if you need help, go join clubs, don’t solely focus on academics, and I promise you will thrive in first-year!
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