Navigating Academic Life at McGill

By Katie Dolan, McGill University, Canada

McGill isn’t nicknamed the ‘Harvard of Canada’ for nothing!

If I am being honest, there is a pretty hefty workload at McGill. This might not be what some of you want to hear, but as someone who hasn’t said no to many (or any for that matter) social activities during my exchange, I have been able to manage my workload just fine. In all seriousness, yes, there can be a lot of work, but it is more than doable, and McGill students really live up to their ‘work hard, play hard’ reputation.

Class Size and Schedule

As a business student, I have been studying at Desautels Faculty of Management which is McGill’s business school. I have 4 classes both semesters (the max is 5 per semester), which I would say is the perfect amount if you are on exchange and want to have a little extra time to explore Montreal. In first semester, all of my classes were 400-level classes which are slightly more challenging but very manageable. The 200 and 300-level courses tend to be more introductory which is great if you want to try out something new, however I am not sure that they are necessarily that much easier (luck of the draw)! For me, as my classes were 400-level the lecture sizes were a lot smaller and tended to have a more classroom feel to them. I really have enjoyed these smaller classes and have found that it makes engagement and participation a lot easier (which actually contributes to part of my grade!). As for class times, be prepared to have some classes that start at 8.30am or even some that end at 9pm! On the bright side, Desautels never has classes on a Friday so you can always enjoy a long weekend!

Differences Between Manchester and McGill

The biggest difference I have experienced between McGill and Manchester is the continuous workload. You’ll never find yourself without some work to do at McGill. Most of the classes I took had weekly readings, which you really had to do to understand the class and gain your participation marks. For one of my classes, we had short pop quizzes during the semester based on the readings. As well as that, looking over the content before class is really helpful, especially as participation and attendance can contribute up to 20% of your grade for some classes. For my advertising and media course, we actually had a quiz at the end of each class that went towards our grade, so you really do need to show up and be engaged during each class – even at 8.30am on a Monday morning! Lecturers have much more of a say in the grading and assessments choices here. For example, your lecturer might drop a quiz mark while averaging the grade if it was an anomaly (but definitely do not count on this!!). Participation is largely graded through interacting in class, discussion posts online, teams chats, and even emails to teachers (depending on your teacher).

Another tip is be prepared for group work and presentations – and I do NOT say this lightly! I did not know it was possible to have so many group projects. Honestly, it was a bit nuts and definitely a shock to the system. For each of my classes, I had a minimum of two group projects, most of which required a report and a presentation. There was a week in October where I had six group meetings six days in a row, for different projects. All of this depends on the courses you pick, as the more finance-based courses tend to have less or no group work. Also, as someone who has hated presenting their whole life, it honestly doesn’t really phase me as much anymore (which is something I never thought I would say), but I guess that’s what a 45-minute group presentation can do to someone (yes, 45 minutes!!).

Another tip is to stay on top of your work, otherwise it can very easily pile up. The week I returned after reading week, where I was on road trip in the US (not doing as much reading as you would like to think) I had a midterm exam, an essay, 3 group presentations, a group report, and discussion posts all due, on top of my normal lectures and readings for the week. However, I did manage (somehow) but I would highly recommend staying on top of your work. I find that the grading system can be slightly easier and lecturers are very supportive, however, as there are a lot of little tasks due on the week-to-week, there is a  high level of independence and organisation required.

Picking Your Courses

Picking your courses can be a little daunting and it is hard to really get an idea of what something is like until you’re in it. The first week of each semester is called ‘add/drop week’ which is essentially an introduction week to each class where you’ll learn a little about the teacher and class concepts. During this period, you can go to some other classes and add or drop classes (depending on if there is room left). I actually ended up dropping two classes from outside of business and picking up ‘human resource management’ during this period, which ended up being my favourite class that I have ever taken at university!

There is also a website called ‘Rate My Prof’ where students have given their opinions on professors and classes which can be helpful when making your choices.

McGill’s Campus

McGill’s campus is truly beautiful. It is right in the middle of downtown, so it is pretty cool to be surrounded by skyscrapers when you walk out of class. It is also positioned right in front of Mont Royal which is great if you want to go for a walk in between studying or classes. There are also a ton of libraries to study in: Schulich, Redpath, and McClennan are the main three. There are lots of great food places nearby for an easy lunch like, Shwarmania or the hot dog van man who takes centre stage on McGill campus in the warmer months. Most of the buildings also have cafes or shops in them and once you find the $1 drip coffee in the engineering building its game over for any nearby coffee shops. Having said that, I still spend a little bit too much time (and money) in the Tim Hortons near campus.   

Different faculties at McGill also have their own bar! In Desautels, their bar is called 4a7, and is open on a Thursday evening to round up the week. Gerts is also a student bar/café that is open during the week on campus, although with the huge choice of bars and cafes in Montreal I would strongly advise broadening your horizons!

To Round-Up

I have heard the term ‘McGillian complex’ thrown around a little which, I can sum up by the fact that I have seen more people in suits than sweatpants in my classes –although apparently this is quite specific to Desautels and most of the other faculties are more chilled. Although, I must admit by the end of my first semester, I had developed a little McGillian complex of my own. There’s nothing quite like sitting in Redpath Library wearing my bright red ‘McGill’ hoodie loud and proud, or cheering on McGill at a football or ice hockey game (neither of which I know the rules of).

Overall, life at McGill took some adjustment and a little bit of a reality check that you actually have to ‘study’ during a ‘study’ abroad, but I have enjoyed every second of it so far – even the endless group projects. I could not recommend McGill enough if you want to grow academically and personally. Of course, starting a new university in a new country can come with some challenges and at some points you may feel a little uncomfortable or out of your depth, but it is true what they say – you don’t grow from your comfort zone.