Tips for choosing and getting in to university
As the deadline to apply to university approaches, students and parents asked author Erin Millar their questions
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If you or your children are thinking about applying to universities next year, you probably have a lot of questions about what to think about: Small school with a focus on teaching, or research-intensive? What about living away from home for the first time? How about budgeting, studying and staying healthy?
Readers asked Erin Millar their questions in a live discussion Oct. 27, 2011. To read a recap of the chat, scroll down.
Ms. Millar is a Vancouver-based journalist and author whose writing about university life has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Maclean's, Reader's Digest, Sun Media, Canadian Living and other publications. Her first book, The Canadian Campus Companion: Everything you need to know about going to college and university in Canada, was published by Thomas Allen in 2011. Erin has reported from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Jordan, Israel and Qatar.
More news and advice about the undergrad experience in this year's Canadian University Report.
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I was the first person in my family to go to university for quite a while, and my family and I really didn't know what to expect. I really wished that I had had a resource of information to help me pick a school, reflect about my career goals and succeed once I was there. That's part of the reason that Ben Coli and I started writing "The Canadian Campus Companion." I sure could have avoided some mishaps if I had had it!
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Sorry for the delay, Guy, and thanks for your question. In speaking with students, I think there are two main areas of difficulty in terms of the transition: first, the academic demands of an undergraduate education can be incredibly challenging for many students. They need to work on a totally different set of skills, including learning from lectures, self motivating, lab work, reading an insane amount, and so on. Many of those things aren't needed in high school.
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Secondly, many student report suffering from depression and anxiety during their first few years of university education. Experts say that this can be triggered by these huge life changes. The good news is that university is a great place to work on all these challenges, both personal and academic. Every college and university in Canada has excellent services for students, from counselling programs to academic help.
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Hi Kathy, Not knowing what to expect is a huge burden on many students and their families. And it's difficult to talk about since the experience is so different for each student. We interviewed dozens of students about what they expected and what they wanted to tell others to expect when writing our book, and we heard the same things over and over: it's not as scary as you might think. ...
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... Kathy: students also said that the most important thing to know about the differences between high school and university is that you'll be expected to take care of yourself. Professors won't chase down homework, parents won't be there to tell you to go to bed or eat dinner, etc. You're the boss. It's a lot of responsibility, but it's also very exciting.
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Hi again Guy. I do agree that there is reason for concern about academic preparedness coming out of high school. Of course, some high schools are doing a great job while others are clearly falling short. But, yes, I've heard from many professors that they find students' basic academic skills -- reading ability, math skills, writing -- to be below expectations. I think it's important for students to start thinking about what they need to do to be ready well in advance of that first class.
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Hi Undergrad: I strongly encourage all undergrads to include some kind of international experience as part of their degree, whether it is an exchange, a gap year working, an internship or co-op, or a volunteer experience. The skills and knowledge that you take away from your classroom studies is only one part of the whole educational package you should come away from university with, and what you do outside of that is equally important ...
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... in terms of stories, every student we spoke to for our book who did an international experience recommended it. We also heard from employers who said that they look for these types of experiences in job applicants. It's cliche, but true: an undergraduate degree is simply the price of admission to the job market these days. What will make you stand out is other experiences, like international ones, where you gained valuable soft skills.
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Hi Guy, The social aspects of university can certainly be a challenge too. You're right that for some students, this will be their first exposure to drugs, alcohol and sex. When writing "The Canadian Campus Companion" we tried to take a very open approach. Yes, we know students will be involved in this stuff and rather than lecture we wanted to provide information that would help them make informative decisions and stay safe...
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...One problem we heard a lot about both from students and from university officials was that students often feel very at home on campus among their peers and this can sometimes create a false sense of security. Unfortunately, sexual assault rates are highest among the age group that makes up the typical student body. So when you put that many young people together and add booze, there can be problems. So it's very important to develop systems to ensure you and your friends stay safe. Check in on each other. Be careful not to over-consume. Get to know new friends well before putting too much trust in them.
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Some schools certainly have worse reputations than others, and Queens has been struggling for years to deal with security around its homecoming and orientation week events. But I think that you'll find that party life at any university. So regardless of what school you and your kids pick, you should do what you can to make they are prepared to make responsible choices and stay safe. ...
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... one interesting point you may want to share with them is that most students vastly over estimate the amount that their peers drink, which sometimes causes them to feel like they need to consume a lot to fit in socially. A study at UBC found that 67% of students thought the typical student had five or more drinks the last time they partied while in reality only 24% did. The majority of students drink occasionally and moderately and many students choose not to drink at all. The norm is not the 24-hour keg parties we are used to seeing in movies.
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A number of my co-workers have spent up to $100,000 on 4 years of education for their kids only to find when they are done school they work part time at a call centre for minimum wage. Is this what I can expect from an investment in a university education today? Would it be more practical to simply take a 2 year College course for less debt and more income?
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That's a really hard question to answer because it really depends on your children's aspiration, abilities and experience. As I said earlier, a degree is only the price of admission to the job market these days. Students need to be thinking about what they are doing to build soft skills as well as the technical knowledge they are getting in the classroom. They need to be good communicators, innovative problem solvers, creative team players, leaders. They need to participate outside of the classroom through travel, community services, athletics, clubs, music, or whatever else interests them. ...
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... Students who are concerned about their job prospects after graduation should also be doing what they can to make contacts and explore their potential career while still in school. There are a lot of clubs that network with alumni and others in the professional world (look up AIESEC, for example) and co-ops and internships are a great way to do this. Students can often join professional associations for a discounted price and attend conferences etc.
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I do think that you ought to consider college programs as well as university programs. Doing a 4-year undergraduate degree doesn't make sense for all students, especially those who are eager to gain a specific skill and get out in the work force. It takes a lot of reflection.
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Hi Michael: We actually wrote a section of our book specifically on this topic. The good news is that Canada has really great publicly funded universities, and any public university that you go to is going to offer you high quality education. But that doesn't make your decision any easier, of course ...
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In our book we urge students to put their own educational goals above worrying about the reputation of a specific school. Just because McGill and UToronto are well known large institutions, doesn't mean they have the best, say, engineering department. So you need to be looking at schools and their reputations at the program level, not the overall level. ...
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If you know what your career and educational goals are, it's easier to decide which are the best schools in your field. You can ask people who work in your field what programs they recommend. You can look at where the leading researchers are. But don't let reputation be your main factor. Prestige doesn't mean that a university will suit your goals and learning style and finding a place where you can succ
eed as a student is much more important. -
Just another note to readers: Don't worry if your question doesn't show up right away. For ease of reading, I'm waiting to post the next one until Erin answers the previous one. Please note, too, that I may edit questions if parts of them stray from the point.
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I am currently taking a gap year between high school and post secondary to save up some money, I have just started the process of applying to universities for next fall and am finding the whole process slightly overwhelming. There are just so many options and I have been feeling the pressure of getting into the "best schools" ei. McGill, UBC, and Queens, however, now I'm nervous that my grades (I averaged an 86%) just aren't high enough to get accepted. I am applying for BA programs and would love to major in English, physiology, and counselling . I just feel a bit lost and am wondering if there are any good resources to help guide me through.
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Hi Ellie, I think your feeling of being overwhelmed is what most people are going through. I would advise you to pick a handful of schools that you think you could be happy at and apply for them but don't get fixated on only applying for the top schools. Your average is strong, and you'll likely have more than one option, but you can lower your stress level by having some back-up plans. ...
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There are many considerations you should have in mind when you pick a school, and whether or not they are "the best schools" is only one issue. You also need to think about the life you want to have for the next few years. Do you want to be in a big city or would you rather be in a smaller, more manageable centre? Do you want to be at a large research-intensive university where you can be exposed to leading research? Or would you prefer to get more one-on-one time with professors at a smaller university that focuses on undergraduate education? ...
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You might want to check out our book "The Canadian Campus Companion." In there we have a chapter on choosing a school that walks students through the different considerations. There is also a chapter on reflecting about yourself and your goals and figuring out how to find a major, school and program that suits you, as well as stories from students who have gone through this before.
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Hi NS: More than half of undergraduate students change their major or school sometime during their undergraduate education, so it is very common. Being interested and engaged by your subject of study is very important in order to succeed and earn high marks. At the same time, most high school students don't have any idea of the range of topics and majors out there until they get into university and start exploring, so it can be difficult to make that choice. ...
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As I wrote before, the choice of degree is only one part of whether your son will be a strong job applicant upon graduation. Employers are telling me over and over again that they are looking for graduates who can demonstrate they have gained communication, leadership, problem solving skills outside the classroom. That's what makes people stand out. ...
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I came across this website this week while researching a magazine article: www.explorefinancialservices.com Although it focuses specifically on what employers are looking for in potential employees in the financial services industry, it's enlightening for any student to check out. These are the characteristics that employers are looking for, so figure out what you can do to gain those.
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Hi WackedoutWillie: (Love you name, by the way.) This is really a continuation of the discussion that I was just having with NS. Will you son find a job with just a BA in English? Yes and no. If he comes out of university with a degree but no other experiences to make him a well-rounded and interesting person, he will likely have a very difficult time. ...
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Thanks for having me, Christina. I'll just finish answering this question from Willie, but I encourage people who didn't get their questions answered to email me directly. You can do that through my website: campuscompanion.ca and I'll do my best to get back to you right away.
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Back to Willie: University is a great place to explore not only academic offerings but other career opportunities. (I went to university for a degree in music and came out with a job in journalism, for instance.) So if you decide on the university route, I would just encourage your son as much as you can to pursue his interests, try out clubs that appeal to him, go to conferences, see if he can participate in an internship, co-op or exchange, do volunteer work, etc. These are the experiences where he may start to see how he can fit his education into a career post school.
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