my harry potter school

my harry potter school

McGill

McGill is a beautiful school. It's the study-abroad-dream come true. The campus is gorgeous, with European architecture, which I absolutely adore. It's one of those campuses that you see on brochures and go like "OMG I wanna study in that castle everydaaaay! And roll on the lawn in summer!" Yes, that how I feel! I love the Arts building with its ancient walkways and huge doors and dim lights. (I lost my pictures but I will take somemore soon, I promise!) I perpetually feel like Harry Potter is going to walk out of one of the classrooms and fly off on his broomstick.

The people in school are pretty cool, even though I didn't get Harry Potter for my classmate. And they are really vocal. It's true, angmohs like to raise their opinions in class, and everyone can't wait to talk. I suppose people are more tolerant with differences in views and such, so that you hardly feel awkward raising your point. But that also means that you have to sit and bear with the rubbish people tend to utter sometimes. Haha. Me? I say something once in awhile when I feel that I'm about to burst with my point of view, but usually I'm busy surfing Facebook or talking on MSN or something. Hee, hey I'm on exchange!

Oh, and the other thing they say about angmohs - that they don't really study? That is SO untrue. People here take their studying so seriously! Everyone has bought and/or read their texts even in the first week. I had no clue! Oh, and the readings here are like twice of that of Singapore's. But readings are all you have. Most of the professors have no concept of lecture notes, so you just go into lectures with a blank piece of paper and start copying whatever the lecture says. It's crazy! I bring my laptop everywhere cos I think all my pens will run out of ink by Feb at this rate. Oh, and paper is so expensive.

Having been an NUS kid for 3 semesters, I feel pampered and sheltered and I totally miss the ready availability of lecture notes. And webcasts. And cheap printing. So surprisingly, exchange makes me appreciate good old NUS a little more! I bet this was their ulterior motive all along. Show off their efficiency. Heh. Haha.

So, given all that, I've been trying very hard to go school as often as possible, but the 830am classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are impossible sometimes. Seriously, it's a 10min trek up the foot of Mont. Royal for a 50min lecture, and yes the lecturer is cute, but somehow I always feel conned when I attend the class. Heck, and he's the ONLY one with lecture notes uploaded! Of course the NUS kid in me has been making full use of the IVLE-equivalent here. :D

And now, final verdict and the best advice I have for you: when going on exchange, pick a great city, a lovely campus and a pangsai school! Studying in the world's 18th best university is not the epitome of "partying your brains out on exchange". (Which will be the next blogging topic btw!)

And just in case you thought the previous picture was taken off somewhere, here's one of me walking to my Harry Potter school!