Professional Documents
Culture Documents
of life in the room every other sentence, which kept my attention. Various lectures
harboured technical difficulties for at least 5 minutes, and I admit it was entertaining to
think "How many university professors does it take to turn on the sound?" It eased some
of my fears about presenting, because evidently even experienced professionals run
into embarrassing moments and issues.
As a night owl, it was a struggle to get to my early morning tutorials, but these
tutorials turned out to be the most beneficial and influential aspect of the Science 1A03
course. The first tutorials were relaxed flashbacks to Welcome Week, where the goal
was getting to know everyone and being comfortable with our mentors. This trend
continued as we were randomized into groups for our first MRIs. Despite my conclusion
about the tutorials for the course, I can firmly say that I did not enjoy nor learn much
from these projects. The activities (which took up most of the tutorials) were often
uninteresting and tedious, and their relevance to students often felt forced, specifically
to me, as I am in the Mathematics and Statistics program.
What I will remember from MRIs is not related to science, but rather about myself
and other people. The MRIs provided ways to get to know the people in tutorial, instead
of welcome-week style activities, which was very helpful at the start of the semester. I
gained more than one friend from outside my program through my first MRI group. In
changing groups, I was able to improve my social, writing, and leadership skills, as I
dealt with a much less cooperative and effective group. Although it was difficult and
often unpleasant, I learned a lot about working with people with different skills and
learning methods, and my own ability to succeed in certain situations. I was able to offer
advice and support to a group member, and stand up for group members on several
occasions, but I was impressed with my own professionalism. I have definitely come to
see that the most intelligent and contributing members can be the most difficult to work
with, but learning how to approach the problem is a new skill I wish to improve. I also
improved how I am able to deal with my own shortcomings and mistakes. My first MRI
group experience felt like what being in a group is supposed to provide, a support and
an aid rather than a burden. In MRI 2, I made a miscalculation that changed the results,
and because I rarely make mistakes (especially simple calculation errors!) I was
embarrassed and discouraged. Not only was the group understanding, but together we
were able to fix it quickly and finish in time. MRIs taught me more about the group
experience than four years of high school ever could, therefore I would have liked MRI
assessments to have been reflective, as to better absorb and record my progress and
examine my relationships within tutorial.
My Science 1A03 experience has also been greatly affected by our three mentors.
Their attitudes and enthusiasm contributed to my overall enjoyment throughout the
term, and the amount of effort, wisdom and care put into our tutorial was unmatched by
any other mentors I have been paired with (surprisingly many as a first year). The
mentors had much to share on academics, but as all three were enrolled in Life
Sciences, I could not benefit or relate as much as other Life Sciences tutorial students.
Despite this, I feel I gained something just as important from the mentors. Struggling to
find a place in the McMaster community, I found myself a little fish in an ocean of
possibilities, and wanted to find an extra-curricular that I could become involved in. I
was lucky enough to have involved mentors, who promoted clubs and societies, and
offered insight into other options for me personally. I still have yet to become involved,
but am eager and knowledgeable about my options because of their suggestions.
The defining factor that made Science 1A03 different and in some ways more
beneficial than other courses is the reflection that occurred throughout. Weekly opinionbased quizzes were highlights of my week, because they were welcome breaks from
my studies while still keeping up with the course. I enjoy taking surveys and giving my
opinion, and the personal reflections required in the course offered me the same
afraid and unwilling to test it out. Why spend all those days studying, when I can
dedicate one and still do well? At peak midterm time I ended up using this increments
method, and to my surprise, it was just as, if not more effective than cramming, and
definitely healthier.
Time management is not the only improvement that Science 1A03 has brought
about in me. I have improved and updated my strategies for future success, and the
most notable of these is my ability to plan. To prepare for next term for example, I have
set out steps to complete; before the end of term, I spoke with an academic advisor to
aid in my decisions about a possible minor and second term courses. To set up my
success for the future, I am hoping to be able to complete a summer term, to gain
courses and knowledge under my belt and to lighten my future loads. I also must
prepare myself to take the first actuarial exams as well as for my new courses and the
burdens they may bring, as opposed to my experience with Science 1A03.
Science 1A03 has generated experiences and knowledge that I will take with me
throughout my university career. I learned a great deal from topics covered, even if I
didnt realize it at the time, but there are some topics that could have been more
beneficial. One of the most difficult parts about first term was my transition to university
life. Issues with roommates, making friends, adjusting to independent learning and
falling short of my own academic expectations are just some of the challenges I and
many others faced. Topics which would have been useful are resources available for
help on campus, common experiences in science, and ways and reasons to relieve
stress. Focusing on more personal topics rather than academic would have added to
the overall benefits and comforting experience of the course.