Why students should write opinion pieces Writing opinion pieces allow students to improve their writing skills, refine their opinions and make their voices heard
This is a shameless self-promotion. You should write for me. Seriously. I’m a nice enough editor and I’ll be eternally grateful if you choose to write. But beyond doing me a favour, writing for the opinions section can be an extremely rewarding experience. For one, writing an opinion piece is a lot different than simply stating your opinions aloud. When you write an opinion piece, you are forced to confront your own assumptions and...
Waiting for course enrolment waitlists Other universities allow students to join a waitlist for full-capacity courses—so why doesn’t McMaster?
Photo from Silhouette Photo Archives January marks the beginning of a new semester filled with new classes. While course enrolment for both fall and winter terms occurred in the summer, students have until the end of the drop-and-add period on Jan. 15 to enrol in courses for the current term. Or, at least, they can attempt to. McMaster University students enrol in courses through Mosaic, the university’s administrative information...
The need to standardize undergraduate theses Students completing their undergraduate thesis under the supervision of the same supervisor should be given the same assessments.
Photo C/O Grant Holt As students return from the winter break to begin new classes, a large population of students will be returning to their undergraduate thesis or seeking a thesis supervisor for the following year. The undergraduate thesis is a characteristic, and sometimes required, component of many four-year honours degree programs. Regardless of program, senior theses are designed to allow upper-year students to hone their...
Taking no-risk classes for big rewards Why every student should consider taking a personal interest course
Photo C/O Madeline Neumann Following the advocacy efforts made by the McMaster Students Union, the fall 2018 term introduced McMaster University students to a new option for course enrolment: the personal interest course. The PIC option allows students to take an elective course without affecting their cumulative grade point average by making the course assessed on a credit or no-credit grading scale. In order to receive a final...
Reducing confusion over snow days and exams The university should revise their inclement weather and examinations policies to reduce student confusion over rescheduled exams
Photo from Silhouette Photo Archives December is fast-approaching: holiday shopping is underway, the weather is dropping and students are beginning to prepare for final examinations. But with this winter forecasted to be especially harsh, students should also prepare for the possibility of rescheduled exams. For the fall 2018 term, McMaster University plans to run final examinations for a 12-day period from Dec. 7 to Dec. 20. While...
