McGill University (Canada)

Date: Nov 30 2003
Major: Geography and Geosciences (This Major's Salary over time)
While McGill is certainly not the

Harvard of the North

as some might claim (and I, for one, feel that this is a good thing), it is one of Canada's best universities and has an international reputation for academic excellence. It consistently ranks among the country's top three universities and ranks quite highly for research, particularly in the biological and medical sciences. More and more, the school is seeing an increase in American enrolment, due to its reputation and its incredibly low cost in comparison to private (and some public) American schools.

McGill is an extremely diverse university, with students from all over Canada, the United States, and the world. This diversity mirrors that of the surrounding city, Montreal, which has the largest "college student" population of any city in North America (including Boston). Diversions abound, including great bars, clubs, and restaurants. The city, alone, is a great reason for coming here. It helps to know French, particularly if you want to explore areas outside of downtown and the McGill Ghetto (the name for the residential area to the east of campus), but it's not entirely necessary; you can definitely survive in the city without ever needing to speak French.

Residence (dorm) space is pretty limited and is only available for first-year students. (Due to the recent res space shortage, McGill recently bought a hotel and converted it into a residence, and although it is the most expensive of all the res's, it's also the nicest.) I can't say much about res because I lived off-campus for my first-year, but I can say that housing is relatively cheap in comparison to other, similar cities. While it's getting progressively more expensive to live in the Ghetto (and most of the apartments there are just that—ghetto), there are some great adjacent neighbourhoods, such as the Plateau and Mile-End, which have affordable housing with a lot of character. Public transportation is pretty cheap ($27/month for a monthly pass which you can use on the metro or the bus), so you don't need a car to get around.

I can't speak for other departments since I'm majoring in Geography, but my department is quite small and there is a general sense that everyone knows everyone. The faculty are quite approachable and generally friendly, although I've found that this is not always the case in other departments (where I've taken electives), such as History and Political Science, where faculty can be arrogant, unapproachable, and even rude. Every professor is required to make office hours for their students and they are almost always accessible via e-mail as well. First year class sizes tend to be huge, particularly in popular departments such as Psychology and Poli Sci, and you'll find yourself in a big lecture hall with 700 other people. But, third- and fourth-year classes are much smaller—between 20-40 people—so it's important not to get bogged down by the large intro classes.

Some find the administration to be frustrating, but I've found them to be generally friendly and understanding. Since I've been here, I've been able to get two emergency student loans from McGill's Student Aid to pay off some bills and things (since I'd gone over my budget) and they were very understanding and quick about it. Registration is really easy now; McGill used to have an annoying phone registration system, which everyone hated, but now it's completely electronic and done through the internet.

The campus is nice; it's an oasis of greenspace in the heart of Montreal's downtown. It's an odd mix of Gothic architecture and modern concrete buildings. Some buildings, like the Arts Building, make you feel as though you're a part of a great institution; others, like Burnside Hall and the McLennan Library, are downright depressing to even walk past. Because the university is so underfunded, they've had a hard time maintaining the campus so it looks as though some of the buildings are falling apart.

Overall, I've enjoyed my time here and I've felt that I've gotten a solid education. Be warned, though: McGill is a large school, so don't expect to be coddled. If you're the kind of person that needs a lot of support, this isn't the place for you. But, if you're willing to take the initative and work for your education, it's well-worth the effort.