Undergraduate Degree

[Valcrimo]

Hey guys,

 

I'm considering transfering from University of Toronto to Dalhousie next year. I did a program called Shad Valley there and I really liked it.

 

I was wondering if anyone here did their undergrad at Dalhousie. If so, I have a couple of questions:

 

1) Is it any harder than UofT?

2) Are the structure of classes/evaluation similiar?

(ie. are there more tests or presentations, are you usually provided with past tests, etc)

3) Any tips on which res to chose/etc.

 

Thanks a bundle!

[hopeforthebest]

Hey guys,

 

I'm considering transfering from University of Toronto to Dalhousie next year. I did a program called Shad Valley there and I really liked it.

 

I was wondering if anyone here did their undergrad at Dalhousie. If so, I have a couple of questions:

 

1) Is it any harder than UofT?

2) Are the structure of classes/evaluation similiar?

(ie. are there more tests or presentations, are you usually provided with past tests, etc)

3) Any tips on which res to chose/etc.

 

Thanks a bundle!

 

Dal is a great school and it's always nice to have people visit the maritimes!

 

1) This is a really difficult question as it is totally dependent on the programs. Also, a lot of maritimers who attended Dal for undergrad probably didn't transfer to U of T, and if they did, it was likely not in the program you are interested in. Defining which University is "harder" is pretty much impossible.

 

2. Again, it is program dependent.

 

3. They are all decent, but I'd say Risley if you want something nice and new, and Howe Hall seems to have at least a moderate amount of spirit.

 

Sorry if this wasn't really useful, but I think that your questions aren't really going to be answered well. Transfering is a leap of faith and you need to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, and not to get an "easier" degree.

[DanInVan]

I went to Dal for my undergrad (Biology and Neuroscience). In all honesty, I loved it there, and I don't think I would have gone any where else if I had the chance.

 

1) I don't know how it compares to U of T, but I found it to be very fair as far as marks go - if you put in the work, you will get rewarded. I don't recall there being any bell curves or anything like that.

 

2) Speaking from the biology department, tests are usually worth the bulk of your grade, but labs are worth enough to really help boost your grades (most people do better in the lab component than in the classes). Once, again, I'm not sure about U of T, but for the most part, you don't get credit for labs, they are just considered part of the course.

 

In a typical semester, I had five courses that were three hours in length, three labs that were two-three hours, and two tutorials that were an hour long each. I probably did 4-5 hours of homework each night as well.

 

3) As for rez, I lived in Shirreff Hall (back when it was all girls!) so I can't comment on the others. Risley is co-ed, the newest and all singles (I think?). Back when I went there, you could always count on at least one party in Howe Hall...I lived in rez one year and then moved out in to the South End.

 

Hope this helps!

[ElleFrye]

I did my undergrad at Dalhousie in Microbiology&Immunology and English Lit.

 

One of my favourite things about Dal was how they were very accommodating with respect to pursuing a combined degree in both sciences and humanities - I am told that this isn't always easy everywhere.

 

As far as Dal being harder than U of T in the sciences, not a chance. Although the quality of education you can expect from Dal will be exceptional, I found that they very rarely (in fact, I don't think I had a single class) where they bell curved the students. I also found most profs to be extremely fair with what they put on the tests (i.e. if they didn't cover it, it likely won't show up on the exam). Thus, if you put in the hard work, you will be rewarded with the A+ you want. I agree with the other post about labs in science being a good asset for boosting grades.

 

If you are a humanities student, however, then I will warn you that getting an A in a humanities class at Dal is just as hard as it is anywhere - class averages strongly favour B-.

 

Of residence, I can say little, as I never lived in Res; however, as far as parties went, I always had fun at Howe Hall.

 

I just wanted to point this out, since I know occasionally some people are still under the mistaken impression that doing an undergrad in Nova Scotia will make you an NS resident for medical school applications, and this is not the case (you pretty much have to spend a year or two working in NS prior to being considered an NS resident, even if you do go to Dal).

 

In summary, I guess that if you really fell in love with Halifax, doing an undergrad at Dalhousie is a great way to spend a few amazing years in the Maritimes. Good luck making your decision!