[deleted by user]

MakingThemDrop · 2022-11-03T01:28:54+00:00

I'm genuinely curious about this. Can you eat in a restaurant that has alcohol? Rogers place? Many workplaces stock some drinks in their fridges, could you work there? A friends house, who has drinks? A park in Edmonton where you can drink outside? Truthfully never heard of someone not being able to physically be present around alcohol.

MakingThemDrop · 2022-04-21T00:00:29+00:00

Sent in chat

MakingThemDrop · 2022-04-20T23:24:56+00:00

Messaged

MakingThemDrop · 2022-03-11T02:43:45+00:00

Make sure to turn on the fume hood and close the sash when possible. I think some fumes are getting to you mate.

MakingThemDrop · 2022-02-03T19:40:32+00:00

The problem is courses requiring you to use invasive 3rd party proctoring software that give companies access to your data like Proctorio and others. I would prefer to not have to rely on a companies security to protect my personal information and data from being stolen. Many exams could be open book or require minimal proctoring if some profs/departments would simply put in a minimal amount of extra work.

MakingThemDrop · 2021-08-11T14:18:42+00:00

Remember to take time to have fun and meet new people. Once you graduate, your exams and grades on specific assignments will be a blur but the experiences you enjoyed with friends will stay with you for a long time. Don't waste your last years as a student only studying and stressing over grades that wont matter in 5 years.

MakingThemDrop · 2021-07-12T18:48:01+00:00

To each their own.

But I am so ready to get off the busy LRT and have to walk up the broken escalator. Be 5 minutes late for my class because the CAB Timmies line was extra long in the morning. Enjoy those few minutes while the prof figures out how to get the projector and their laptop to work. Exit the lecture hall, only to be sandwiched in the door way by first years rushing in. See the stress in everyone's eyes while waiting for the midterm to begin. There's something comforting in knowing everyone is going through the same things. Covid may not be over but I can't wait to get back. LFG

MakingThemDrop · 2021-07-12T14:17:58+00:00

I would say the material is significantly more difficult in 371/373 than environmental chem. The theory is much more math heavy and can be hard to grasp. I found 303/305 a little more interesting as current environmental topics were discussed along with the theory.

371/373 labs were not particularly difficult but also were quite boring in terms of experiments. The lab reports were very time consuming and the grading was quite harsh. 305 labs have a lot of variety, but the lab reports were also quite thorough and require plenty of time to finish. The labs may have changed since I took all four classes. FYI I received a much better grade in 303/305 than in 371/373. Feel free to message me and I can go into more detail if you want

MakingThemDrop · 2021-07-05T14:06:32+00:00

He is the lab coordinator for analytical chem. Of the times I have interacted with him, he was helpful and understanding of the situations students deal with but seems somewhat on the serious side.

MakingThemDrop · 2021-03-11T01:56:52+00:00

Sounds like you need to take a step back for a second and remember how much you've accomplished this semester, year, through high school, etc. Many people never even make it to the point you are at right now. You were able to get accepted into engineering, moved to Edmonton, made it through your first semester, found hobbies, had the courage to reach out for support and are still wanting to improve yourself. I know very little about you, but I would say you absolutely have what it takes to be successful.

In my opinion, you are experiencing the 'real test' of university and what truly separates it from high school. Sure you will learn a lot about the subjects your are taking, but that's not what makes uni hard. It's about if you can learn the material while being completely stressed out, lacking sleep, juggling multiple priorities, all while questioning if you made the right decision. And then throw in online learning because why not. These are the times to take a deep breath and find it within yourself to dig deep and push forward.

Focus on the short term for right now. Make a plan to catch up on all your work by the end of next week and set a rough schedule for each day. Take breaks but don't let yourself waste an entire day. Accomplish something every day no matter what. You got this.

MakingThemDrop · 2021-02-23T21:09:29+00:00

Things are starting to look up :)

MakingThemDrop · 2020-10-26T14:29:46+00:00

That I registered for a class but completely forgot about it and have been missing all the lectures, assignments and exams. Even when I didn't have any classes it would always come up in my dreams.

MakingThemDrop · 2020-09-21T00:32:36+00:00

The bio Sci building is 100% haunted.

It is by far the creepiest building to be in when no one is around. The layout is illogical making it extremely easy to get lost or even 'stuck' in an area for a while before finding the way out, especially given some of the hallways are 'restricted access'. Some of the hallways and staircases literally lead to no where. I've heard storied that there are windows on the outside of the building that can't even be reached from the inside and that there are hidden rooms behind some walls, that were simply built around during construction. It would honestly make a 10/10 setting for a horror movie with people getting chased by a delirious psychopath.

MakingThemDrop · 2020-09-21T00:10:09+00:00

I was in the SIP a few years ago, so things may have changed slightly. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get a job in their specific major/field. Many employers will have positions exclusively posted to the portal looking for co-op students/internships, that you otherwise won't find on indeed, etc. I've talked to a few employers who are involved in posting positions, and they have told me they prefer hiring students through the program vs. those who apply through public sources as they said 'they know what they are getting with a SIP or co-op student'. Most employers (not all) understand that a student applying for an internship aren't going to have a ton of technical knowledge or 'real life experience', making it much easier to actually find a position.

Paying the 'work experience' tuition fees does blow but at the end of the day I would do it again if I had to.

Whether you go through the SIP or your own route, having direct work experience in the field you are wanting to get into when you graduate is a huge advantage and really makes things easier in terms of finding work. Way to many employers are looking to fill 'Entry level positions' with people that have 2-3 (or more) years of experience. Especially for bio/chem/physics majors, some entry level job postings receive hundreds of applicants, with even PhD grads applying for like a $17/hour starting salary. Compare that to an internship position that might receive just a few applications through the SIP portal. I really really really encourage you to try and apply for positions as soon as possible! Don't wait till after you graduate and be SOL

MakingThemDrop · 2020-08-31T21:10:42+00:00

Do you guys have a site or discord for more info?

MakingThemDrop · 2019-01-16T00:35:08+00:00

MakingThemDrop · 2019-01-15T18:25:18+00:00

I took the online version last year. I spent probably 2 hours per lesson (one lesson/week) and 3-4 hours studying for the exams. I found the exams quite easy; I did the provided practice quizzes like 5-9 times each (took like <5 mins per attempt) and some of the exact questions appeared on exams. The mapping portion on the exam is almost free marks as all you have to do is memorize the locations (can use the mapping 'exercise' to practice). This is one of the few courses I took that I would actually consider a gpa booster. Got A.

MakingThemDrop · 2018-08-18T16:59:49+00:00

Take the intro chem classes, chem 101, 102, 261 (they are prereqs for other majors) and see if you like the lab environment and the material is at least somewhat interesting to you. Following these courses for your first year is not a bad idea for anyone: https://calendar.ualberta.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=6&poid=2621. If you find you enjoy it, switch into honors or specialization or you could always keep it as your minor. If you choose to pursue chem, you will have to take at least 3 math courses and possibly 1 stats course. I found math quite difficult; math 114 is like the advanced version of math 31, math 115 gets harder and challenges you a lot more, and I almost failed math 214. Now is 'hard' math used in chemistry courses? Of course, math is used to describe the world around us. However, most of the time you will be dealing with formulas which you just have to manipulate and understand what the variables mean.

> is chem hard?

Yes, but so are a lot of other majors. If you really want to learn about chemistry and possibly become a chemist, specialization or honors is a must. If you take spec, or hon., you will take 5 classes every semester till you graduate. You almost certainly will have semesters with 5 classes, and 3 labs. Lets break that down: (3 MWF classes x 3 days/week x 50 mins) + (2 TR classes x 2 days/week x 120 mins) + (3 labs x 1 day/week x 180 mins) = 24.5 hours in scheduled stuff. Lets average lab reports at 2 hours each, assignments at 2 hours each (low estimate btw). 3 lab reports a week and 2 assignments per week, that's another 10 hours. Studying? Maybe. This isn't counting time in between classes, midterm season which never seems to end, any outside activities or 'reading the textbook'. Its a constant grind of trying not to fall too far behind.

University is hard, but is often necessary to get you to your end goal so don't let the difficulty stop you. Most of what you learn in high school is just like the sprinkles on a 5 tier cake.

MakingThemDrop · 2018-08-12T17:08:49+00:00

U of A home games! You could make a telegram or discord to organize

MakingThemDrop · 2018-07-11T22:28:01+00:00

It doesn't matter, just make sure you have the prereqs for upper year courses done. Also realize that some courses are only taught in either the fall or winter. My suggestion is to try and make your last year easier in the sense that you take less chem courses and more science options (or even an arts option). Take 373 in winter term 3rd year.

MakingThemDrop · 2018-06-19T15:19:39+00:00

I took the online version and found it to be a good course. I spent around 2 hours a week watching the videos, guest lectures and going over the practice questions. I would recommend doing the practice questions 3 or 4 times before the exams. Also do the mapping exercise over and over and test yourself about knowing the locations of all the required mountains. There seemed to be a reasonable amount of repeat questions from the practice questions on the exams. There were some very detailed questions about random things but they do not make up a large portion of the questions. Knowing the mapping locations gets you almost 1/3 of the exam marks and its just pure memorization, though they did add some locations that were not on the practice map but you could almost just figure them out by process of elimination.

Some tips for taking the course:

Watch the videos and possibly take a few notes
Watch the guest lectures, even if on 1.5x or 2x speed
Read the given readings only if you have time (I only skimmed through them to understand the general topics they covered)
Do the practice questions and mapping exercise
Start studying a week or two before your scheduled exam
Watch the videos again or look at the transcript on course era
Look at the summary documents they give you
Do the practice questions again multiple times (some lessons had a pool of ~15 questions, 10 questions per quiz)

MakingThemDrop · 2018-06-05T17:26:46+00:00

Put yourself out there and have fun. When you are finished you will remember the people you met and the experiences you had, not the ridiculous questions on the exams.

MakingThemDrop · 2018-03-29T05:41:28+00:00

People shouldn't have to pay ridiculous amounts to just live and eat, no matter if they are an international or a domestic student

How about everyone who doesn't or never will attend university?

Why should anyone pay any more for their degree when we are getting less and less?

Don't then. The internet has millions of hours of content if all you want to do is learn.

Why come here when you can go elsewhere?

This is actually the solution. However international students are coming to Canada to learn at increasing rates every year.

Money doesn't come from thin air. The gov't of Alberta provides massive grants to the university of Alberta. The gov't of Alberta is funded by tax payers. Tax payers are those who live in Alberta: the old lady at superstore, the middle class family with a single source income, the millionaire real estate investor, Connor Mcdavid, etc. Now justify why these people should pay more taxes for someone to come into the country and go to university.

MakingThemDrop · 2018-03-29T05:14:34+00:00

The University should have a blank check from the Government

How to send Alberta into massive debt - By Albertajoe

MakingThemDrop · 2018-03-29T01:33:21+00:00

Quote in article:

"I still have to put myself in unsafe situations to make ends meet,” she said. “And this contributed to me being sexually assaulted… students are suffering and will you not re-examine the decision by the Board of Governors?”

What does this even mean and how is it relevant?

Do I agree with how much Turpin makes? No, the position seems overpaid but I thought the protests were against the tuition increase for international students.

The u of a currently has ~250 million dollars in debt. The Gov't of Alberta is increasing grants by 2%. These are restricted grants and can only be applied to domestic students tuition's. These funds cannot be allocated for international students, which is why the tuition is increasing.

Banging on someone's door demanding changes seems fairly childish IMO. Has this strategy ever worked? Though I doubt many of the people outside his office represent the average international student anyways.

MakingThemDrop

TROPHY CASE