Wrapping up...
Well, undergrad is almost done, and everyone's in that sentimental mood. I'm sure things won't really sink in until months (years?) afterwards, but they've been a good four years. I still remember doing my university applications and filling out Mac Arts and Science with one spot, and U of T HUMANITIES with the other. I considered applying to Queen's with the third, but I didn't even want to go there, so I just put down another college of U of T, leaving it as humanities. If I didn't get into Mac, I'd go to U of T, and see where that path would lead. But I never got that chance, as I got into my program of choice, and in a way, haven't looked back.
It's too bad few other universities have tried the Arts and Science model, because it's one that makes for a pretty interesting approach to university. I had first year chem in a class of 300, but in all my other classes, my profs were on a first-name basis with everyone! Lectures were more like big dicussions, and first year was the perfect transition.... I can't say it's been perfect. It's hard to be forced into courses diametrically opposed to your strengths and interests. Most people are either good arts students or good science students and university is supposed to cater to that through specialization. But here, those good arts students have to take physics and bio, while the hardcore math and science crew spend their entire first year writing essays and research papers. That can really be frustrating. It can also be discouraging for students who don't really know what they want to do, and cruise through their undergrad without specializing at all. But I guess I've always valued a liberal education, while accumulating useless knowledge. Go Reach for the Top!
But the most impressive thing has been my peers who have been, in a word, brilliant. I can't wait to see where everyone will end up. I'm quite sure that I'll be good friends with about 25 future doctors, and about 15 future lawyers, while a bunch of other people are doing some interesting grad work. My housemate's heading to Oxford next year! Kind of makes my Mac MA look pretty plain by comparison!
Although I'm heading away from undergrad preparing to do (a lot?) more school, I think my most major learning experiences have been outside the classroom. I knew that coming into Mac knowing next to no one, I'd have to take advantage of the opportunity to really jump into the thick of things. Some of the important roles I've found myself in over the past four years:
-As Jesus (on stage) -- Many thanks to Chard, Keith and Nels for making the trek down to see my stage debut. After screwing up another performance, I realized this was not for me and promptly retired.
-As a res Community Advisor -- For two years, this was my job through the year. But it was more than just making money for free res. Although at times it ammounted to no more than cracking down on underage drinking, there were moments when I knew I was doing something important. Probably the biggest being one of the girls getting pregnant, and understandably, freaking out. She ended up keeping the baby, but it was a pretty touchy situation for a while
-As a Debator -- I guess I picked debating as my one serious extracurricular activity, mainly as a way to gain confidence. I did make it out to several varsity tournaments though, going to tournaments at Western, York and U of T. Although I've gone against some of Canada's best debators, I never did make a semi-final in any of those tournaments. Oh well.
-As a Welcome Week coordinator -- If grad school pans, I guess event planning is an option after planning a week for over 4000 participants! Actually, while it was a fun job for a summer, I probably wouldn't touch it again with a ten foot pole.
-As a TA -- I didn't work in res this year, so I needed a job. I TA'd an Artsci course in West Thought -- covering thinkers from Nietszche to Kafka, Dostoyevsky to Adam Smith. I learned a lot more the second time around the course, but it can be tough marking the papers of ambitious students just a couple years younger than myself.
-As NGO vounteer -- Though not school-related it was an eye-opening experience and really exposed to me how insular academia can be. I guess just getting my hands dirty and building a school from scratch really drove home for me the limitations of a a narrow university existence without wider context. Thus, the experience probably drove me to study economics as opposed to a less "practical" field (a goal i used to have in high school), in which the only goal is to get so specialized in some esoteric field that no one in the outside world even knows what you study (and it's true, economics is not immune to this criticism -- an issue I'll have to deal with if i go on in it).
-Research assistant -- That's my job this summer. Hopefully I'll get some exposure to the field and see if that's really for me. I have no idea what I'll be doing, but it pays more than i've ever made!
But probably the experience that has taught me most has been being in a relationship. It's not something to really blog about, but it's something that's really taught me a lot about life and my priorities with there's another person in the picture. Obviously I have no idea where this will end up, but its definitely made me a better and more well-rounded person.
PS you may notice that "Physical Activity" or "Partying" did not really make that list, and thus I can't say it's been an entirely balanced experience. Some things definitely had to be sacrificed, and I guess the Bruce Lee physique went first!
Well, undergrad is almost done, and everyone's in that sentimental mood. I'm sure things won't really sink in until months (years?) afterwards, but they've been a good four years. I still remember doing my university applications and filling out Mac Arts and Science with one spot, and U of T HUMANITIES with the other. I considered applying to Queen's with the third, but I didn't even want to go there, so I just put down another college of U of T, leaving it as humanities. If I didn't get into Mac, I'd go to U of T, and see where that path would lead. But I never got that chance, as I got into my program of choice, and in a way, haven't looked back.
It's too bad few other universities have tried the Arts and Science model, because it's one that makes for a pretty interesting approach to university. I had first year chem in a class of 300, but in all my other classes, my profs were on a first-name basis with everyone! Lectures were more like big dicussions, and first year was the perfect transition.... I can't say it's been perfect. It's hard to be forced into courses diametrically opposed to your strengths and interests. Most people are either good arts students or good science students and university is supposed to cater to that through specialization. But here, those good arts students have to take physics and bio, while the hardcore math and science crew spend their entire first year writing essays and research papers. That can really be frustrating. It can also be discouraging for students who don't really know what they want to do, and cruise through their undergrad without specializing at all. But I guess I've always valued a liberal education, while accumulating useless knowledge. Go Reach for the Top!
But the most impressive thing has been my peers who have been, in a word, brilliant. I can't wait to see where everyone will end up. I'm quite sure that I'll be good friends with about 25 future doctors, and about 15 future lawyers, while a bunch of other people are doing some interesting grad work. My housemate's heading to Oxford next year! Kind of makes my Mac MA look pretty plain by comparison!
Although I'm heading away from undergrad preparing to do (a lot?) more school, I think my most major learning experiences have been outside the classroom. I knew that coming into Mac knowing next to no one, I'd have to take advantage of the opportunity to really jump into the thick of things. Some of the important roles I've found myself in over the past four years:
-As Jesus (on stage) -- Many thanks to Chard, Keith and Nels for making the trek down to see my stage debut. After screwing up another performance, I realized this was not for me and promptly retired.
-As a res Community Advisor -- For two years, this was my job through the year. But it was more than just making money for free res. Although at times it ammounted to no more than cracking down on underage drinking, there were moments when I knew I was doing something important. Probably the biggest being one of the girls getting pregnant, and understandably, freaking out. She ended up keeping the baby, but it was a pretty touchy situation for a while
-As a Debator -- I guess I picked debating as my one serious extracurricular activity, mainly as a way to gain confidence. I did make it out to several varsity tournaments though, going to tournaments at Western, York and U of T. Although I've gone against some of Canada's best debators, I never did make a semi-final in any of those tournaments. Oh well.
-As a Welcome Week coordinator -- If grad school pans, I guess event planning is an option after planning a week for over 4000 participants! Actually, while it was a fun job for a summer, I probably wouldn't touch it again with a ten foot pole.
-As a TA -- I didn't work in res this year, so I needed a job. I TA'd an Artsci course in West Thought -- covering thinkers from Nietszche to Kafka, Dostoyevsky to Adam Smith. I learned a lot more the second time around the course, but it can be tough marking the papers of ambitious students just a couple years younger than myself.
-As NGO vounteer -- Though not school-related it was an eye-opening experience and really exposed to me how insular academia can be. I guess just getting my hands dirty and building a school from scratch really drove home for me the limitations of a a narrow university existence without wider context. Thus, the experience probably drove me to study economics as opposed to a less "practical" field (a goal i used to have in high school), in which the only goal is to get so specialized in some esoteric field that no one in the outside world even knows what you study (and it's true, economics is not immune to this criticism -- an issue I'll have to deal with if i go on in it).
-Research assistant -- That's my job this summer. Hopefully I'll get some exposure to the field and see if that's really for me. I have no idea what I'll be doing, but it pays more than i've ever made!
But probably the experience that has taught me most has been being in a relationship. It's not something to really blog about, but it's something that's really taught me a lot about life and my priorities with there's another person in the picture. Obviously I have no idea where this will end up, but its definitely made me a better and more well-rounded person.
PS you may notice that "Physical Activity" or "Partying" did not really make that list, and thus I can't say it's been an entirely balanced experience. Some things definitely had to be sacrificed, and I guess the Bruce Lee physique went first!
posted by Anonymous at 2:10 AM
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