Its reputation and sense of community is something I was immediately attracted to. Also, Queen's prides itself on its traditions and heritage that are part of its history as an educational institution. Also, Queen's is a fair distance away from my hometown so it's not hard to get home if needed but also I'm far away at the same time.
Course Curriculum
I enjoy what I learn in my program a lot! Sociology is very all-encompassing in which topics I learn can be anything among the following and more: surveillance, technology, consumer culture, gender and feminist theory, labor, or urban development. I believe the content is interdisciplinary and I enjoy that the most about the curriculum.
Fees
Tuition for a full course load (100%, 5 courses/ 18 credit units) is CAD$ 3,429.50 per semester and a total of CAD$ 1,099.44 is charged in mandatory student fees and ancillary fees. These include charges for student services, campus extra-curricular, athletics and recreation membership, student government fees, etc. With the introduction of the Ontario Government's Student Choice Initiative, many of these fees will become opt-out which is eliminating many of the programmings our student government offers and supports available on campus. Overall, how much is paid in student fees will vary amongst individuals going forward.
Examination Structure
The exam structure at Queen's is intrinsic to the program you are enrolled in. For my major, I typically do not have many exams whereas I complete assignments and essays instead of tested evaluations. For the exams that I do have, they usually are written exams with short/ long answer questions or essays.
Faculty
The faculty of Arts and Science is the largest faculty on campus with over 11,000 students. Given that the two streams are a combined faculty it has resulted in there being smaller communities being made within the faculty based on one's degree concentration. For example, students in politics are their own network despite being a part of the larger faculty. I enjoy the way in first your Arts and Science you do not choose your major until the end of the year so you can try out different courses and things you're interested in before embarking on a further educational pathway in a specific area.
Hostel
In the first year, almost all incoming students live in residence. The style of residence I received was a 'single plus room' which is a single bedroom that includes an adjoining bathroom shared with one other room on a mixed gender floor and building. All residence options include an on-campus meal plan. In upper years, almost all students live off campus in the University District which is more colloquially known as the 'student ghetto' in which there are very old student homes to live in that are falling apart. I personally chose to live in a newer housing development within the university district so as to avoid common problems students face living in the poor quality homes available (e.g. bugs, mice, no A/C, no in-suite laundry, squirrels in the walls, etc.)
