Tips and Tricks for Starting the Year Off Right

GUIDEBOOK#1

Academics are the highest priority, there’s no time to join anything!

Both experiences inside and outside of the classroom are

valuable to your growth! The things you do outside the

classroom can be just as important (if not more important) in

shaping your university experience. Take the time to try things

that are out of your comfort zone, and you might be surprised at

how much you learn!

Your grades drop 30% from high school to first year, and you’re probably going to fail a class!

First year can be challenging, but with the right study tools you

can definitely succeed! Recognizing areas of improvement,

asking questions during office hours, and studying effectively

can definitely make the transition easier! There’s also plenty of

resources to help you along the way--whether it’s class

Facebook pages for student collaboration, or midterms from

past years for extra practice!

If you do end up failing a course, remember that university is challenging, but there’s ways to get back on track! !

MYTHBUSTINGDECONSTRUCTING McMASTER MYTHS

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Myth vs Fact

Some programs are more difficult than others and have smarter students!

Every program has unique challenges about it, and has highly

motivated and talented individuals in it! It’s easy to look at

someone’s schedule and think just because they have less class

than you that they have “easier” courses or that they’re doing less

work. However, lecture time doesn’t dictate how difficult a class

will be, or how much effort someone needs to put in to succeed!

Remember that we’re all passionate about different things and

have a variety of different backgrounds and skills.

Take “Bird Courses” to get easy 12s!

If a class isn’t interesting to you, you’ll probably have to put in

more work/motivation to do well! Every year during course

selection there’s always a buzz about which “bird courses” to

take, but the truth is that a bird course for one student may not be

for a bird course for another.

Instead, look for courses that make you excited, and also courses that challenge you to learn in different ways, like writing essays or working in groups. !

MYTHBUSTING

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If you commute to campus you won’t make friends or be able to participate in extracurriculars!

There are lots of ways to make McMaster feel like your

community, regardless of whether you live on or off-campus!

While residence is an exciting experience, living at home provides

many potential benefits, and half of the first year student

population lives off-campus! Joining a club or going out to a

campus event are just a few small things you can do to make Mac

feel like home.

If you’re not stressed all the time, you’re doing it WRONG

Most students will undergo some stressful periods, but it’s

important to find ways to destress and take care of yourself!

University life is not all about worrying when the next assignment

is due, or whether you’ve spent enough time in the library! Finding

ways to balance different parts of your life will help keep you

motivated and re-energize you!

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6Be sure to check out the Society of Off-Campus Students (SOCS) for exciting events both during welcome week and throughout the year!

MYTHBUSTINGDECONSTRUCTING McMASTER MYTHS

Myth vs Fact

If you don’t get involved during ClubsFest then it’s too late to join!

McMaster has so many diverse opportunities, and it’s never too

late to try some! The first month of university can be pretty

overwhelming, so don’t be stressed if you haven’t taken the time

to find out the different ways to get involved! ClubsFest is just one

of many different ways to learn about these opportunities, but you

can also check out Clubza for a complete list! And if you don’t

want to join a club, McMaster and the Hamilton community offer

many other ways to spend your time or volunteer!

No one can avoid the Freshman 15!

There are ways to maintain a balanced diet at University! Centro

may be just an underground tunnel away (great in the winter!) but

there are so many other interesting places to eat on campus! Try

Bridges for some delicious vegetarian and vegan options, or

consider heading off-campus to Locke Street for a delicious

dinner in downtown Hamilton! Reading nutrition information,

carrying healthy snacks, and avoiding late night snacks will help

you eat healthier, and more balanced diet!

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JOIN NOWOR NEVER

MYTHBUSTING

SETTLING INHELPING YOU START THE YEAR OFF RIGHT!

Academics

Start the year off right by finding a good scheduling/calendar system!Once you get your course syllabus, put all your major deadlines on a calendar of your choice so you get an understanding of when your busiest weeks will be (and also which weeks you can take some more time off). Google Calendar is also a perfect way to sync all your important deadlines with your McMaster email.

Back up all of your important documents to avoid losing files!Every McMaster email comes with some space on your google drive to store files, and this also let’s you access it from any computer and share documents easily with others! It also prevents a lot of stress in case your laptop breaks right before an assignment is due!

Textbook costs can add up quick, so save money by waiting or buying second-hand books from an upper year!

Textbooks can be very expensive if bought from the Campus Store, so wait until class starts and ask the professor if the textbook is mandatory and whether past editions can still be used (these will be cheaper!)

Talk to upper years or friends who’ve taken the course to see how helpful they found the textbook, but keep in mind that everyone will have a different experience

Look online (i.e. Facebook: McMaster Used Textbook Sales) to see if upper years are selling used textbooks at a lower cost

Roommates/Floormates

Find out which floormates have the same classes as you so that you always have a study buddy!

Your Roommate may become your best friend, or they may just be a friendly face to see everyday, either way be respectful!

Take some time to get to know your roommate, whether it’s going to lunch once a week, or joining an intramural team together. Small gestures are a good way to relax and support one another!

Make some ground rules with your roommates early on to avoid any tension!

Discuss things like noise, having people over, cleaning, and class schedules to determine how each of your daily routines will work with one another!

NAVIGATINGTHE McMASTER COMMUNITY

CLUBSFrom Engineers Without Borders to Macapella, there are over 300 unique clubs on campus, serving the most diverse interests! A lot of clubs will be represented during the second week of school at ClubsFest.

FACULTYDuring welcome week you’ll see all sorts of jumpsuits, each colour representing one of the SIX faculties found on campus! Your faculty is a great source of information, including academic advisors to help you with program/courses, as well as bonding opportunities such as socials events.

You might also consider getting involved as a first year rep, where you would help run amazing events, like semi-formals, musicals, and more!

MSU

CLUBS

Getting to know your University

MSUThe McMaster Students Union (MSU) is first and foremost an organization that’s all about YOU! The MSU offers a number of services, such as Spark, that are aimed at addressing the needs of students at Mac. Check them all out here.

You have an opportunity to shape the MSU both by voting in elections for its main governing body the student representative assembly (SRA), or by running to represent your class as a member of the first year council (FYC)!

Check the McMaster

Students Union website

(www.msumcmaster.ca)

and browse through a full

list of clubs using Clubza!

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Nature

Must See WaterFalls: Probably one of the top items on every Marauder’s bucket list is to visit some of these waterfalls!

Check out Dundas peak for a breathtaking bird’s eye view too!1. Webster’s Falls

2. Chedoke Falls

3. Tiffany Falls

4. Devil’s Punchbowl Falls

Cootes Paradise Trails Bright red maple leaves, plenty of deer, and a great lookout spot for a sunset (Sassafras and Princess Point!), what’s not to like about Cootes Paradise? Whether you’re looking for a fun way to explore campus or want a new jogging spot, check out the various trails behind Les Prince Hall and Brandon Hall which take you around the waterfront and into Westdale.

COOTESPARADISE

FIVE FUN THINGSTO DO ON AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON

Westdale

If you’re tired of watching netflix in your room, why not grab some of your new friends and head to Westdale Theatre for a Friday evening!

Not only does Hamilton have some of the best waterfalls you’ll find, but it’s also home to a beautiful waterfront just east of Westdale. Head past Princess Point in Cootes Paradise and you’ll find Hamilton Harbour has got everything from cafes to biking trails, and even a pier side ice skating rink!

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WESTDALE

Downtown

Hamilton’s James Street is the place to be this September 11-13th for the annual SuperCrawl! Live bands, food trucks, performances, and all sorts of artists and vendors line the street for this dynamic and diverse cultural festival!

And don’t worry, the festivities don’t end in september, Art Crawl occurs on the second Friday of every month and continues showcasing all the city has to offer!

Check out the restaurants in westdale for a great dinner spot.

BEANBAR

SAIGONRESTAURANT

EXPRESSITALIAN

JAMES STREET

SUPERCRAWL

WELCOME WEEK2015/2016

Parties & Drinking

There are lots of ways to make friends, and many fun activities that don’t involve alcohol!

Although it may seem like everyone is heading to a

party every night, that doesn’t mean you and your

new friends can’t stay in and watch a movie, or

enjoy a cool evening event! If you decide to go to a

party, it’s completely okay not to drink, and people

won’t make a big deal out of it!

Drinking does not have to mean getting drunk!

Don’t wait until you are throwing up to realize you

may gone over your limit.

If you’re on campus, consider calling the Emergency

First Response Team (EFRT) to help anyone who’s

not feeling well

If you’re off-campus, Student Walk Home

Attendant Team (SWHAT) can come to YOU and

help you get back to your res or off-campus house

within walking distance!

Be safe with the choices you make, and take care of others around you!

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Events

Welcome Week is a great way to step out of your comfort zone, but you don’t have to go to EVERY event to enjoy it!

There will be a wide-range of events running all day,

whether it’s a big concert or painting a banner for

your residence! But sometimes it can also be nice to

just take a break and get to know your roommate

better, or explore what Hamilton has to offer.

Welcome Week Events

MAC CONNECTORFACULTY FUSION

MSU AIRBANDS

MACPASS CONCERT

SHINERAMACHARITY CASINO

SIDEWALK SALE

and MORE!CLUBSFEST

PJ PARADETHE SHININGROPE

MSU CONCERT

WESTFEST

Making Friends

You are going to be meeting dozens of new people everyday, but the friendships you make are the ones you take the time to invest in!

Don’t worry if you haven’t met your new BFF by day

one, you have at least another four years to meet

some amazing people on this campus! But a great

place to start is on your res floor, or the students

you’ll sit with in lecture classes!

While everyone may look like they’re beaming, that

doesn’t mean they’re not nervous and panicking on

the inside too! However, if you’re having a rough

start, consider talking to your new support system:

your CAs, Res Reps, upper-year students, or drop in

to the Student Wellness Education Lower Lounge

(SWELL) for more support!

It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, but talk to someone if you’re having a hard time!

CONTACT US

/MSUSPARKCheck us out on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

@MSUSPARK

Visit our website for more info

MSUMcMASTER.CA/SPARK