Any advice for 1st year engineering?

[leMune]

yea,
if you were to meet a first year engineering student, what would you tell him/her?

[ReflexFX]

Work hard and don't fail anything, your "life" is less important for at least that first year.

[Kobe]

It is fucken tough, suck it up and work your ass off, it gets easier after the 1st year I've heard.. Put in 100% effort and don't give up...

[samo147]

work hard and if you enjoy it keep at it
if you hate it
drop out and do something else you love

i dont know if 1st year gets any easier
i found 3rd year to be the hardest
but 4th year was pretty easy i thought or maybe i just got better at time management

[jsn]

work and study your ass off. Don't skip classes. I skipped way too many classes in my first year and paid for it.

[Super_Geo]

1st year is a fucking breeze... I made it a rule not to go to any class before 10:30AM... once you commit to that it's a lot easier to get shitfaced numerous nights out of the week.

It's pretty much a review of grade 12. The first thing I would recommend you do is go to your profs and tell them a made up sob story about how busy you are with extracurriculars (that don't really exist) and see if you can get your course mark to be purely based on midterm/finals.

If you can't swing that, find some keeners to copy homework from.

[WithTheLightsOn]

Learn how to ignore a stupid post.

[dirtsniffer]

have good habits
have good friends
try not to turn into a giant douche. if you're already a douche, pull your head outta your ass and stop pretending you know everything

[turbotrip]

prepare for your most important year of university, and try to make as many friends as possible 1st year cuz u'll need them later.

[Sasuke_Kensai]

Study, and know the base principles (not just the procedures to solve particular problems). If you don't know your personal method of studying yet, learn now. If in doubt, study with groups.

Don't spend all your time studying. Continue to go drinking, to the mountains, or whatever it is you do for fun. Stress may take you down more than not knowing the material 100% will, when it comes to exam time. Get engaged in POETS, activities, etc (I regret treating school as just school - not as memorable as I'd like it to be)

[holden]

Have great notes (either by yourself or someone else) and find a good group of friends to work/study/copy.

[Impreza]

Make friends!!!!! Single most important thing.

[gretz]

Stay interested i what you are learning, makes it a shitload easier...

[colinxx235]

get every roadmap humanly possible from beyond members :rofl: haha

[swak]

Drink, Study, Drink, Study... You get the idea

[pheoxs]

School isn't that bad. Honestly. Try not to stress out that much. The people I know that failed put next to no effort it and probably deserved to not do that great.

You can basically go 1 of 3 routes.

1) Party a lot / Not care about school and likely fail

2) Enjoy school, have a decent social life, go out on weeknights once in awhile, and pass with average marks

3) Be super stressed out always studying trying to beat the curve and get decent marks.

My background: Enjoyed school, partied probably too much, had lots of fun, put minimal effort in studying, graduated with a 3.5.

[leMune]

should I buy the eng 200 book? I heard that everything in lectures are in blackboard.

[Guillermo]

don't text and walk

don't stop and talk to your idiot friends in the middle of the hallway

that's it for me :bigpimp:

[Redlined_8000]

-get a study group
-prioritize toward your goals (4.0gpa with no social life, or just go for pass with as much social life as possible)
-dont let anything or anyone get in the way of your goals. If they do tell them to fuck off
-use all the possible time you have to be productive (eg: study on train)
-Figure out the best most efficient way that you learn

= success

[calgarydub]

Originally posted by Guillermo
don't text and walk

don't stop and talk to your idiot friends in the middle of the hallway

that's it for me :bigpimp:

These things will never change, and only get worse lol

GET OUT THE WAY

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by pheoxs
The people I know that failed put next to no effort it and probably deserved to not do that great.

And you can go fuck yourself :guns:

;)

I always take issue with anyone that tries to play engineering off as easy. It is NOT. It involves advanced knowledge in many areas that can be difficult to wrap your brain around at times. There is a reason engineering is considered difficult, and that is for the average person it IS.

In my crappy opinion, engineering would be worth it if I was smarter. I am not, and after doing my 1st year 5 years ago, and having my soul slowly crushed by spending every waking minute doing homework, and then stressing about marks, makes me rarely even consider going back to finish. The ROI (especially if you are paying everything yourself) is not there for what it takes from you (the best years of your life).

Yes, it might not be as glamorous to get a diploma of some sort, but I have friends that two years out of high school had Monday-Friday jobs and a house, after such a short (and relatively easy) period of time in post secondary.

[dunx]

1. I'd say find as many good friends/class buddies as possible.
2. Party in your homeroom as much as possible

Oh and study some so you can pass/graduate

[bjstare]

Whoever says it gets easier after 1st year probably didn't make it past 1st year... or just doesn't have any idea. it gets incrementally harder every year after until 4th, which is still around as tough as first, but feels super easy cause 3rd year sucked so bad. Work hard so you can have your choice of what discipline to specialize in; my 1st year gpa held me back from my first choice.

Also, if it doesn't seem like a good fit after first year... it probably isn't. Move on.

As for the engineering vs. diploma thing... looking at it from the perspective that certain individuals have a house and job 2 years earlier is a short sighted statement. Its easy to save for a house on a new grad engineers salary, so that will come soon enough. Theres much more room for advancement with a degree over a diploma. If there wasn't, there would be no reason for anyone to get a degree; you'd see diploma holders in upper management because they all got a 2 year head start... but this isn't the case. Just food for thought.

Let the thread derailment begin.:rolleyes:

[ExtraSlow]

Get buddies.
Don't be afraid to take a W, it's miles better than an F.
Work your ass of, but make sure you are getting adequate sleep, and a little socializing, or you'll never last.

[Neil4Speed]

Stick with it! Its a hard trip, but so so so worth it.

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, it IS worth it. I enjoy the career options that the degree opened up for me. I'm 13 years since first year, and now, looking back, I'm really glad I did it.

But, it has to suit your personality. Some smart people can do it, but just hate it. I know people like that, and honestly, they are wasting thier lives.

Luckily for me, and most people I know, the jobs are interesting.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1

The ROI (especially if you are paying everything yourself) is not there for what it takes from you (the best years of your life).

Yes, it might not be as glamorous to get a diploma of some sort, but I have friends that two years out of high school had Monday-Friday jobs and a house, after such a short (and relatively easy) period of time in post secondary.

I super disagree with this statement. ROI is huge compared to anything else you can do in 4 years, other than perhaps, Actuarial Science.

Your buddies with diplomas will cap out pretty early and I'm guessing you were out of high school around 03-05, which means that your friends were coming out of school during a labour crunch.

Most of my friends graduating with Chem/Civil/Electrical/Mech are making ~65 out of University with pretty amazing potential to go up with bonuses. (Post 09). Earning that kind of money at 21 or 22, is pretty crazy IMO.

In addition the degree is ultimately versatile, and gives you instant credibility.

Btw. I am not an Engineer, but have some pretty big regrets not doing it.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed


I super disagree with this statement. ROI is huge compared to anything else you can do in 4 years, other than perhaps, Actuarial Science.

Your buddies with diplomas will cap out pretty early and I'm guessing you were out of high school around 03-05, which means that your friends were coming out of school during a labour crunch.

I didn't bother quoting your whole post, but everything you stated is fundamentally wrong. I would also argue (just from that post alone) that you yourself do not have direct experience with diploma programs. Also, I was out of high school in '06, withdrew from engineering in '07, and graduated with my diploma only a year after the recession (2010). So, I personally think I know what I am talking about.

Technologists can make $65k out the door too (I know some who started at $80k out the door, albeit in Fort McMurray). While I do agree that there are different ceilings in place, once again, the issue with your statement is that you are only considering engineers who are GOOD at what they do and succeed. There are plenty of engineers out there who will be LUCKY to top $100k/year, EVER. That does not differ as much as you'd like to think compared to a technologist.

It's a viable option for many people, but I appreciate the condescending tone some of you would have towards a diploma. Along with that, it also does not require you to kill yourself for 4 or 5 years, take on massive debt (engineering is $10k per year for tuition alone, I doubt most would have $40k saved going into school with an additional $10k per summer from working), and waste some of the best years of your life.

I will give you that in order to get past the $100k per year mark, a technologist would probably have to go into consulting or run their own business (in Edmonton or to the south of Edmonton).:dunno:

Edit-
As for the credibility one, like I said, condescending tone. To say that a diploma gives you know credibility is asinine. :nut: Among other things, with your professional designation, technologists can stamp most of what engineers can, and diplomas are recognized throughout North America.

[TheCheff]

^^ u need to stop associating taking engineering at 'university with ruining the "best years of your life". It doesn't, and I currently have a 2-year diploma from SAIT and am now finishing up my engineering because unlike you seem to believe there is a great difference between the tech and the engineer, including wages/benefits/bonuses and senior positions.

Also techs can only stamp after 10 years in their prospective field and only to exactly what they specialize in. and I don't know about what engineering firm you work for but the one i work for no tech stamps anything LOL

Back to the original thread
-make a good group of friends to study with (I've met some of my best friends through uni)
- Don't leave campus til 90% of your work is done, its much easier to buckle down and grind at school then it is at home.
-I always try to have all work done before the weekend so I could just relax and hangout with friends do whatever.

[Neil4Speed]

Let me ask you simply stated. If you knew someone who just finished 1st year Engineering successfully, would you encourage them to drop out and do a diploma?

10k of Tuition a year, are you an international student or something?

Tuition is 6.5k a year after all fees, where Sait fees for Eng Techs ranges about 5 -6.5k, depending on the program/year.


Originally posted by TheCheff
^^ u need to stop associating taking engineering at 'university with ruining the "best years of your life". It doesn't, and I currently have a 2-year diploma from SAIT and am now finishing up my engineering because unlike you seem to believe there is a great difference between the tech and the engineer, including wages/benefits/bonuses and senior positions.


Agreed, most of my friends are engineers and look back on University as being allot of fun, as it was.

[m10-power]

I went to sait, eet mostly because I hated 'school' and like hands on learning. Already had a family/house and couldnt afford the 4 years of university. I also had the benefit of working at an engineering company for a few years before going to school. Degree used to mean much more but now a diploma will get you just as far. Some larger companies want the degree though, typical for producers. After 15 plus years I wouldnt change my choice and I'd gladly compare my income verses any engineer of similar years experience.

My advice beyond putting your head down is to network at school, be honest and dependable. People that you met will be your opportunities in the future and visa versa. Dont burn too many bridges. Also when you are done, dont come into the work place with a superiority complex, treat office support staff with respect and get ready to learn as you dont know jack ;)

And get into the field and learn how things really get done, way too many engineers end up as office jockeys with a ring and no practical experience.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
Let me ask you simply stated. If you knew someone who just finished 1st year Engineering successfully, would you encourage them to drop out and do a diploma?

10k of Tuition a year, are you an international student or something?

Tuition is 6.5k a year after all fees, where Sait fees for Eng Techs ranges about 5 -6.5k, depending on the program/year.



I'd never go to U of C for engineering, but maybe that is just me. Last time I checked, engineering was $10k per year at the U of A.

Second, why would you ever try to convince someone doing well at something to quit? That's plain ridiculous :nut:

I never said a degree was bad, I tried for one. However, the vast majority of engineers spend their 4 or 5 years working their ass off constantly (and it sucks. Congratulations if all you can do is worry about money and school for 4 years). So, if we take your average high school graduate, plop them into the 4 year program (even though I'd highly recommend the co-op), they graduate at 22 and might have an idea of what they are doing. That is best case scenario.

The average age of 1st year engineer is not 18 though. I'd be willing to bet it is somewhere around 22 (or higher). So, the average graduating age is probably somewhere around 26. And you are just starting your life (with debt). :eek: To dismiss having the income to own your own house by the age of 22 is hilarious. The first years of your adult life are THE MOST important for setting your road in life financially, as well as preparing for retirement. As I'll demonstrate below, engineering isn't paid quite as well as you think:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-salary-wizard.html?narrowdesc=Engineering&narrowcode=EN01

This website has some pretty good stats on professional wages in Canada, I'll let you guys take a look. Needless to say, the engineering wages aren't all it is cracked up to be. If this is about money, for each engineer you know with X years of experience earning over $100k, I can give you 10 that do not.

TheCheff, I'd be curious as to your current life situation to be going back into engineering. How old are you? Do you have a family? Own a house? Are you funding yourself? Do you still live at home?

If I had the ability to live at home while taking engineering and not have to worry about anything BUT school, I could definitely slog my way through I think. That's not the way it works for everyone though. If I save up enough to eventually go back to get a degree, it won't be in engineering :dunno:

[turbotrip]

with the new technologist certifications that started very recently, technologists are pretty much the same as engineers now.

but the experience/social life at university is supposedly better than at sait; so i'm not sure what the guy saying university ruins your life is talking about.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Get buddies.
Don't be afraid to take a W, it's miles better than an F.
Work your ass of, but make sure you are getting adequate sleep, and a little socializing, or you'll never last.
That's true to a certain extent but it also depends on where your marks lie. I had a friend who became 2nd priority to get into his program of choice because he took a W instead of an F. Eventually he fought his way through to get into it. But it was way more hassle than needed if he just took an F heh.

__________________________________


As for average age, looks like most people still graduate around 21-23. Of course you get a portion that are just plain older and/or it took them a year or more to decide that engineering might be right for them, but still majority begin at 17-19 and end at 21-23.



Originally posted by Neil4Speed

Most of my friends graduating with Chem/Civil/Electrical/Mech are making ~65 out of University with pretty amazing potential to go up with bonuses. (Post 09). Earning that kind of money at 21 or 22, is pretty crazy IMO.

Yeah it is pretty crazy when you think about it :D

[Super_Geo]

Salary is only similar between techs and engineers at EPCMs and smaller oil companies… and for the most part only during the earlier phases of career progression. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, engineers progress faster, get paid more, and top out higher. At the bigger producers it is very difficult for a tech to make it into a senior technical or management role.

I also think an engineering degree is the best undergrad degree you can get. Unless you want to become a doctor, there are literally no doors closed to you career wise. I worked in engineering for 4 years so I could qualify for my P.Eng and then left for the finance industry… it was an easy transition, all the people I interviewed with gave a lot of weight to how technical my degree was (engingeering physics), I ended up getting my current job as a energy trader at an investment bank over people who had a commerce/econ degree and investment banking experience. There are a lot of people on the trading desk with engineering undergrads.

There is a huge demand for engineers in law right now… there has ben a shortage of patent lawyers for years, and now with all the tech giants suing the shit out of each other (Apple vs. Samsung vs. Google vs. RIM vs. Sun etc) they need people who understand the legal and technical side of things.

Anyway, I think getting a tech diploma is a great career choice… but I definitely wouldn't call it a better career choice than an engineering degree.


Originally posted by HiTempguy1
To say that a diploma gives you know credibility is asinine. :nut:

You no it! ;)

[bjstare]

^:werd: , well written.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Super_Geo


You no it! ;)

I thought I'd slip it in there for good measure, a little bit of a play on words in regards to "knowing" about the intricacies and differences between the many levels of academia.

:poosie:

I ain't even mad. Like I said, if you can do engineering, do it! I'm not arguing that typically engineers can not earn more money, I've never said that.

I honestly can't even begin to know where you got the idea to do what you did Super_Geo, but clearly it has worked out.

[pheoxs]

Originally posted by Disoblige

As for average age, looks like most people still graduate around 21-23. Of course you get a portion that are just plain older and/or it took them a year or more to decide that engineering might be right for them, but still majority begin at 17-19 and end at 21-23.



Yeah it is pretty crazy when you think about it :D

Pretty much sums myself up. I graduated at 21 from EE at UofA, started work this summer (took ~1.5 months to find a job I wanted) and started at ~60k with a small start up company.

[Abeo]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1

I ain't even mad. Like I said, if you can do engineering, do it! I'm not arguing that typically engineers can not earn more money, I've never said that.


You piss on every engineering thread that I come across; you mad.

To the OP:
Just because the class seems easy from the lectures/quizes/assignments does not mean its easy to get a good mark in the class. Some classes have killer finals, or incomplete lectures.

I had a buddy who did every single assigned question three times because he was afraid he wasn't smart enough. He got A's, and his sheer force method worked way better than my "I'm pretty smart, I can figure this stuff out" method (which got me a couple A's, but a bunch of C's). Once I learned how to study and manage my time, and changed my friends from partiers and slackers to motivated people, things were way easier.

[pheoxs]

Another word of advice: Don't be afraid to go walk to the profs after class sometimes. Most of them are really nice, if you have 3 massive assignments all due one day, maybe try asking one or two for a day extension or two and explain why. Do it before the due date though, if you know you'll have a lot to do, go ~3 days in advance and just ask for an extra day. Most profs are fine with that (since they don't mark for a long time it seems :facepalm: ) and worst case they say sorry can't do it. No harm to you though.

[dirtsniffer]

How does every thread turn into this.

[badatusrnames]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1


I'd never go to U of C for engineering, but maybe that is just me. Last time I checked, engineering was $10k per year at the U of A.

Second, why would you ever try to convince someone doing well at something to quit? That's plain ridiculous :nut:

I never said a degree was bad, I tried for one. However, the vast majority of engineers spend their 4 or 5 years working their ass off constantly (and it sucks. Congratulations if all you can do is worry about money and school for 4 years). So, if we take your average high school graduate, plop them into the 4 year program (even though I'd highly recommend the co-op), they graduate at 22 and might have an idea of what they are doing. That is best case scenario.

The average age of 1st year engineer is not 18 though. I'd be willing to bet it is somewhere around 22 (or higher). So, the average graduating age is probably somewhere around 26. And you are just starting your life (with debt). :eek: To dismiss having the income to own your own house by the age of 22 is hilarious. The first years of your adult life are THE MOST important for setting your road in life financially, as well as preparing for retirement. As I'll demonstrate below, engineering isn't paid quite as well as you think:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-salary-wizard.html?narrowdesc=Engineering&narrowcode=EN01

This website has some pretty good stats on professional wages in Canada, I'll let you guys take a look. Needless to say, the engineering wages aren't all it is cracked up to be. If this is about money, for each engineer you know with X years of experience earning over $100k, I can give you 10 that do not.

TheCheff, I'd be curious as to your current life situation to be going back into engineering. How old are you? Do you have a family? Own a house? Are you funding yourself? Do you still live at home?

If I had the ability to live at home while taking engineering and not have to worry about anything BUT school, I could definitely slog my way through I think. That's not the way it works for everyone though. If I save up enough to eventually go back to get a degree, it won't be in engineering :dunno:

Nice highjack, seems that every thread about either UofC engineering or SAIT tech diplomas degenerates into a degree versus diploma debate.

By the way, you should check out the APEGGA salary survey to get a better idea of what an engineer in Alberta can earn. No clue where that site you showed got its numbers:

http://www.apegga.org/pdf/SalarySurvey/VPS2011.pdf

And compare that to the ASET salary survey:

http://www.aset.ab.ca/Downloads/documentloader.ashx?id=4797

You're right, techs can do pretty good for themselves, but also, in a lot of organizations can hit the glass ceiling pretty quickly too. While this isn't true in all instances, it does limit the amount of opportunities for techs. Management potential is far higher for degree engineers.

Also, what I don't think are really captured here are the bonuses and incentive plans, which for professional staff in oil & gas can be very lucrative (note that the APEGGA survey only includes cash compensation, not total).

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by badatusrnames
Also, what I don't think are really captured here are the bonuses and incentive plans, which for professional staff in oil & gas can be very lucrative (note that the APEGGA survey only includes cash compensation, not total). Totally true. Professional Engineers at an Oil and Gas company make 20-50% on top of that in shares, stock options etc.

[hollowscar]

I have a diploma from Sait and think that its ridiculous how much of an ego trip this thread is getting.

A diploma is convenient, hands-on, affordable, and does not require high grades to get into. I did not know what I wanted to do with life and got one in Industrial Instrumentation Engineering Technology. I have ADHD, and barely paid attention in class which had some teachers yelling at me. I worked my ass off though as I stayed late nights studying in the library while my peers would get hammered on weekdays. Let's just say a lot of students in my program were not typically bright but were street smart and came from outside Calgary.

A degree in engineering is very competitive. You have to have good grades just to get in, which is not hard for the lazy but smart students from high school who make it in, but get a harsh wake up call in their first year. Engineering degree holders also generally make more money as they can be lead engineers and have opportunities to get promoted while a diploma holder can do well with a business and through recognition.

An engineering degree does give you that advantage, but in the end, if you like to work outside, and really get hands on, a diploma is all you need.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
How does every thread turn into this.
No kidding.

[dandia89]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
How does every thread turn into this.
because everyone things they know the path to success, and everyone else is wrong

[foos_guy]

Roadmaps for labs and assignments up to a few years back. Profs tend to be lazy and recycle a lot of questions (changing numbers here and there)...

But it's very important to understand the problem and the solution; don't just copy the roadmap. Getting copies of past exams with solutions is also a good idea.

More importantly, as other's have said, find a good group of people to study/work with. It's always better to solve a problem bouncing ideas around instead of getting frustrated by yourself.

[dirtsniffer]

i would also suggest being nice and helpful to as many people as you can. most people will be willing to return the favors. you are all in it together, no need to treat it like a contest

[hollowscar]

Yeah, I think if one looks into UnCollege, they will understand that a degree does not translate to success. If engineering is just a way to make good money for you, then you are not being creative.

If however, you do have good skills in math and science, and thrive in that atmosphere, then go for it. If you give it your 100%, I don't see why you won't succeed. Also, don't compare yourself with anybody else. If you do that, you will end up in a never-ending spiral of dissatisfaction.

[dirtsniffer]

a professional designation generally translates to success, no?
not really a useless piece of paper when you need it to perform the job

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
a professional designation generally translates to success, no?
not really a useless piece of paper when you need it to perform the job
That P designation is certainly something too. Definitely excited when I'm close to that :D

[hctu]

It's funny how the original question from the OP has now turned into the Engineering vs. Tech debate... I'm not going to get into that.

I agree with most of the advice here in that you should learn to hook up with new friends and get as many "previous" roadmaps as you can for previous tests, labs, notes, etc. The new friends that you are meeting will also be the people who will open the doors for you for future jobs. That's how I got my first couple of offers.

The thing that I found in University is that it isn't necessarily hard, but it's hard to catch up if you ever fall behind. So make sure that you keep up. It's possible, but it's a lot harder to catch up compare to high school. To me, university isn't about what you learn - as I rarely use what I actually learned there, but it taught me about how to do things smarter and more efficient.

BTW, I am a P.Eng that graduated from U of C and work for a big Oil and Gas. Looking back, it was a stressful and painful time but I'm glad I went through it. To me, it was worth it to know my limits.

Oh, and IMO it doesn't get any easier. I think people think that way because so many just get "weeded" out after the first year. So the average GPA is probably higher as you move up. 4th year is only easy because the profs typically don't like to fail you.

[schurchill39]

I'm in my last year of chemical engineering at the University of Saskatchewan and am also the President of the Chemical Engineering Student Society for the 2nd year in a row. These sorts of questions are things I deal with all the time as we work pretty closely with the 1st years trying to convince them that chem is the way to go. Here is what I usually tell first years:

1. Like everyone has said here make good motivated friends. Its a night and day difference in your own personal motivation, plus by studying with a few people you can all feed off of eachother and help one another with areas you may be weak on when it comes to studying/homework.

2. Make friends with upper year students. Not only is getting the first crack at used textbooks awesome, but they will have tons of advice about what prof's to take, which ones to avoid and what electives are good etc.

3. Build a relationship with your profs. When you have problems go in and talk to them BEFORE the midterm or final. If you go the day before a test you will be waiting in line behind 10 other people all asking the same question. Going and talking to your profs when you run into trouble shows them that you are interested and focused and want to succeed, and when you run into trouble with a test or what not they will be more likely to help you. I know I've written a few shitty tests in my day but because I knew the professor pretty well he was willing to shift some weights around for me.

4. Get involved! University is so much more than just school. Join a student group, a sports team, or a discipline society. It doesn't matter what you do just do something. You'll meet alot of like minded and focused people through these avenues. I am a strong believer that the social aspect of your University or Tech School career is just as important as the academic side of things. Just find a way to make the two work hand in hand.

5. Get your homework done well before hand. This isn't highschool anymore and the night before will very rarely (if ever) be enough to get half an assignment done let alone the whole thing.

6. Learn how to study. It sounds silly now but when you figure it out it will make all the difference.

7. Chem eng is the way to go! (Shameless plug!)

[skd]

1st year was tough. My advice is to keep on top of everything. Missing a class is like missing a semester. Don't let yourself fall behind because then youll be behind on everything and you'll feel over whelmed. I wrote notes every night and reviewed every end of the week so that when a midterm or final came up I didn't feel so overwhelmed with studying. Haha and no social life. That's about it. Lol keener fo sho. Second year gets better though. At least civil was better :) hope that helps!

[Guillermo]

don't use the computers in the library to play video games, watch youtube, or check facebook.

don't sit at the tables in mac hall and do your homework. those tables are for people to sit and eat at. if you are sitting at those tables, you should be eating.

and don't sit around campus all day long "studying." there isn't enough room for everyone to do that. Go home and study. If it's too far, move close to campus. You shouldn't be living with your parents after the age of 18 anyhow, and living with roomates during university is 80% of the experience. kids in calgary can't seem to figure that out.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by Guillermo
don't use the computers in the library to play video games, watch youtube, or check facebook.

don't sit at the tables in mac hall and do your homework. those tables are for people to sit and eat at. if you are sitting at those tables, you should be eating.

and don't sit around campus all day long "studying." kids in calgary can't seem to figure that out.
This will never happen lol. People will always use computers in libraries/labs for procrastinating, and there will always be hipster douches studying in Mac Hall.

And you'll always have kids "sitting around campus all day long" accomplishing less than what they wanted.

[Guillermo]

^^i know, I just get annoyed by that stuff and was in the mood for a rant LOL.

actually the other day I needed to get a call number for a book, and the woman working at the little help desk thingie told me I had to look it up on a computer. I look around at all of the occupied computers with people playing games, facebook, etc. and asked if they had any computers reserved for library catalogue use. they don't, she said I had to wait in line. :rofl:

it's a sad, sad day when you can't even look up a book call number at a library because everyone is too busy updating their facebook statuses.

[dandia89]

Originally posted by Guillermo
and don't sit around campus all day long "studying." there isn't enough room for everyone to do that. Go home and study. If it's too far, move close to campus. You shouldn't be living with your parents after the age of 18 anyhow, and living with roomates during university is 80% of the experience. kids in calgary can't seem to figure that out.

at first i was going to disagree with this, but living in canyon meadows and going to u of c is ridiculously annoying. especially since most of my friends live on campus or live in the northwest. i cant count how many hours i've wasted taking the train to school with delays or wasting money on parking

[magicalpoop]

1) Don't drink so heavily that you puke
2) Get some exercise
3) If you don't have a stress relieving hobby, find one now
4) Eat 3 meals a day
5) hydrate
6) Join Engineer clubs that involve the Schulich Acitivity Fund . You get to go to Europe, Asia, USA for free to examine structures ... AKA have fun for free
7) If you know you don't have that great of study skills or time management, it might be better to take a lighter load on your first semester....hell maybe even just 3 so you can settle in.


But I see the OP posted this in September,
you're probably either regretting going into eng or barely hanging in there...

Well just hang in there :P

[Redlined_8000]

^^ The first 5 on your list there should be commen sence lol



Originally posted by Guillermo

and don't sit around campus all day long "studying." there isn't enough room for everyone to do that. Go home and study. If it's too far, move close to campus. You shouldn't be living with your parents after the age of 18 anyhow, and living with roomates during university is 80% of the experience. kids in calgary can't seem to figure that out.



I use to study at sait all day. Some sessions were 12hrs. Going home to study isnt as good because your just by yourself, and if you study with groups you can bring up alot more key points on the subject and what not.
And haha maybe your just mad at your parents or something, because I lived with my parents during my schooling, and saved a shit ton of cash. Everyone living outside of home was just fucking broke and have like 20grand worth of student loans hahaha :rofl: :rofl:

[ottamania]

get better at math.

[Guillermo]

Originally posted by Redlined_8000

And haha maybe your just mad at your parents or something, because I lived with my parents during my schooling, and saved a shit ton of cash. Everyone living outside of home was just fucking broke and have like 20grand worth of student loans hahaha :rofl: :rofl:

actually, Calgary is the exception when it comes to living with your parents during University. In any other city in North America, 99% of students move away for University. Living on your own is a MAJOR part of the college experience, and something that is sadly missing from the U of C. but i guess you wouldn't know that if you grew up in Calgary and lived at Mommy and Daddy's house during University. :rofl:

[GordonGekko]

Originally posted by Guillermo


actually, Calgary is the exception when it comes to living with your parents during University. In any other city in North America, 99% of students move away for University. Living on your own is a MAJOR part of the college experience, and something that is sadly missing from the U of C. but i guess you wouldn't know that if you grew up in Calgary and lived at Mommy and Daddy's house during University. :rofl:

Well that's not really true. There's a lot of commuter schools in Canada. I would say moving away is a lot more popular in the states. However I have commuted to school and lived on rez and I have to say living on rez is totally worth it. Its funny because I haven't met anyone who regrets living on rez and at the same time I have hardly met anyone who regrets not living on rez. Seems like the commuters always have a bit of a chip on their shoulder about it and love to remind you how much money they saved. I think we're lucky to live in place with such a solid economy and great paying jobs up for the taking so my advice to anybody that lives in Calgary and plans to go to the UofC would be to get a good job from May through August to pay for most of your room and board/tuition and move the hell out of your parents house. You won't regret it.

[Guillermo]

^^yea, University is an entirely different experience when you're living in rez or off-campus with buddies. it amazes me that people in Calgary don't really get that, or appreciate it.

[GordonGekko]

The mid-day naps alone make it worth it ahaha

[Rat Fink]

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