What is the West/Calgary opinion on this

[Andrew]

Originally posted by the_only_turek_fan@Nov 8 2004, 02:05 PM
No McGill or am I just not reading it right???

This is the list of schools that only offer undergrad. THats why tehre is no mcgill.

[calf]

Originally posted by Andrew+Nov 8 2004, 04:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Andrew @ Nov 8 2004, 04:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-the_only_turek_fan@Nov 8 2004, 02:05 PM
No McGill or am I just not reading it right???

This is the list of schools that only offer undergrad. THats why tehre is no mcgill. [/b][/quote]
Yup...McGill is #2 in the Medical Doctoral Universities

Link...it was posted earlier

[moon]

I couldn't care less about the ranking system. I went to the University that was most convenient for my personal life. Don't really care what some magazine cared about it or the program/s I was interested in.

Also I have heard some Universities (Calgary being one of them) didn't really help Maclean's nearly as much as others and therefore did not rank as highly.

[tripin_billie]

these rankings are completely crap. I went to McGill for first year and I'm now in third year at UVic and I like UVic infinitely more. Plus, I actually think I'm getting a far better education. This could be because I'm not doing lower level classes, but I talk to friends still at McGill and they say their classes are down to around 30-40 while mine are down to 12-30. Also, its really nice being on a first name bases with your profs.

Really, these ratings are pointless because its always a personal choice, depending on city and faculty.

[Incinerator]

I pay no regards to the opinions of commies publications such as Maclean's

[MarchHare]

To add some of my own anecdotal evidence. My girlfriend and I both graduated from Mount Allison a few years ago at the time when they had been ranked #1 by MacLeans for like 9 or 10 consecutive years. We then moved to Calgary, where I got a job at SAIT and she completed a B.Ed. at UofC. In her opinion, there was absolutely no question as to which school was better. Let's just say that based on her experience at the two schools, the MacLeans rankings aren't that far from reality.

[Oxygen-Supply]

That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

[calf]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

That's a pretty broad and bold statement. Can I ask why?

[peter12]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

Pretty ######ed. Let me guess... still in high school?

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

Heh, it appears as though you've dug a little too deep for some of our resident UofC students. Would be interesting to hear your reasoning though.

Anyways, I agree. Go somewhere else if the opporunity presents itself unless you are planning on taking something such as Business...

[peter12]

It just was a stupid statement. Never mind helping fix the problem or looking into the U of C. The U of C has some excellent programs and some not great programs.

If you want to take Business, Engineering, Geology, or most of the Social Sciences, you can't really go wrong with the U of C, especially for your undergrad program.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics
- Poli Sci
- Law
- Communication

Stephen Harper, and how many other federal Conservatives went to/are/were on staff of U of C? Economics

The prof I did my undergrad thesis with said U of C was one of the best of Political Science Maters (mind you more right wing that most schools in the east)

Law, I don't know any U of C lawyers, but I can think of times I've heard posities, and nothing negative about U of C Law

Communication, a guy I went to undergrad with is doing is Masters of Communication at U of C now. So I hope it's good for his sake

[calf]

Originally posted by FlamesAllTheWay+Nov 9 2004, 04:55 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (FlamesAllTheWay @ Nov 9 2004, 04:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

Heh, it appears as though you've dug a little too deep for some of our resident UofC students. Would be interesting to hear your reasoning though.

Anyways, I agree. Go somewhere else if the opporunity presents itself unless you are planning on taking something such as Business... [/b][/quote]
It's not that he dug deep, it's just that it was such a ridiculous statement without any support. Fix what? Yes, tuition is high, yes a lot of stuff is being cut...wait, I've answered my own question ...but a lot of those problems are happening at other Universities, so I fail to see why those are reasons to declare "I will never go there".

It's been said, but the university you go to makes a marginal difference. When you're done and want to get into (and be successful in) the work force depends moreso on your work ethic and who you are as a person, not which school you went to.

[calf]

Originally posted by Maritime Q-Scout@Nov 9 2004, 06:11 PM
being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics
- Poli Sci
- Law
- Communication

Around Calgary, I'd say it's better known for/better reputation (whatever the word I mean) is (in no particular order):
-Engineering
-Business
-Geology
-Social Sciences (Poli/Econ the most prominent)
-Medicine and Law (if we're not just including undergrad programs)
-not sure about CompSci/Actuarial Science, but a fair number of people take it

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Oh, I totally agree your University experience is what you make it. Perhaps i'm a little biased to, I commute to school and basically just take my courses. So, besides a few big nights at the Den, all University really is for me is classes.

But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.

Anyways I took Sciences at the start of my first year and that was like being on a farm. Smallest science class was like 200ish people and then you'd get herded into a lab or tutorial. Political Science?? Mixed feelings. Some good profs and some bad. Heh, a friend of mine is in economics and his 'prof' is basically some guy they found to staff the position. I think he has a BSc or something but that's it. So, in my humble opinion, the UofC is a so-so university, nothing special though...

[Maritime Q-Scout]

it's odd, I went to a commuter campus university for my undergrad, but had a blast, meet so many people. There is a common area that the campus naturally draws to so everyone hangs out there. Despite not having many people on residence there were always ALOT of people floating around.

Now that I go to a major university that had a HUGE amount of students live on campus, and in residence, I find that there's MUCH less of that. I go to class, and then go home. I commute, even though I live much closer to the university. I find at Dal (and most universities) there isn't a main attraction to go to inbetween classes, etc.

I think it had to do with my undergrad having the entire university (with the execption of the residences) connected, and not through tunnels, but natraully at evey level. I've had people from other schools tell me "I don't know when I leave one building and entre another, I have to read the signs" to which I'd reply, "once you're here a week you get it down pat, and the signs are well displayed so no worries there, it's really easy to navigate, and great in the winter/rain"

The university I'm at now, you basically have to go way out of your way to get from one building to the next without going outside (me being a wimp and skinny ass I do it to avoid the cold) but it's more of a hassel.

What I'm getting at is if a commuter campus is designed right it can work to benifit the social aspect of students. If a residence based campus isn't laid out properly (now my current institution is laid out very well but not as good as my alma mater) it doesn't overly enhance the student experiance (unless you actually live IN residence)

[JiriHrdina]

Originally posted by FlamesAllTheWay@Nov 9 2004, 07:13 PM
But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.

Well if that is true its lazy hiring on the part of that employer. I've been on both sides of the hiring desk and can make the following observations:

My B.comm from the U of C was a great asset to me, including when applying for positions outside of Alberta. It held up against degrees from other major schools.

As someone who has hired a lot of people I would never base my impressions of someone's education on Maclame's rankings. In my experience I was looking for a specific type of education in terms of a program or a degree, and didn't care as much where the person got it, as long as it was a reputable school. There are more important things to look at than the perceived quality of the school, including:
- experience
- portfolio (if its that type of job)
- project work completed during their schooling
- references.
- attitude
- on and on

My point is that there is so many other important things to look and consider than these rankings. If an employer is relying on the rankings to make a decision than it reflects poorly on them

All in my humble opinion of course.

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina+Nov 9 2004, 11:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JiriHrdina @ Nov 9 2004, 11:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-FlamesAllTheWay@Nov 9 2004, 07:13 PM
But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.

Well if that is true its lazy hiring on the part of that employer. I've been on both sides of the hiring desk and can make the following observations:

My B.comm from the U of C was a great asset to me, including when applying for positions outside of Alberta. It held up against degrees from other major schools.

As someone who has hired a lot of people I would never base my impressions of someone's education on Maclame's rankings. In my experience I was looking for a specific type of education in terms of a program or a degree, and didn't care as much where the person got it, as long as it was a reputable school. There are more important things to look at than the perceived quality of the school, including:
- experience
- portfolio (if its that type of job)
- project work completed during their schooling
- references.
- attitude
- on and on

My point is that there is so many other important things to look and consider than these rankings. If an employer it relying on the rankings to make a decision than it reflects poorly on them

All in my humble opinion of course. [/b][/quote]
Whoa, I should be writing those interview/resume tips down.

Anyways, perhaps I didn't phrase myself properly. What I was getting at is that even if people don't care about these annual reports or claim they are biased and what not, they are the only reports out there. And the UofC is consistently near the bottom of them. So basically when statistically comparing universities with numbers, etc, this is the all the stuff that is really there to use.

But I am sort of playing devils advocate here. I don't really care what these reports say at all. Different Universities have stronger and weaker faculties and your experience at school is what you make it, yadda yadda yadda.

Now deleteth those resume/interview tips now. I shall have the upper hand henceforth...

[snowdude]

THE VIEW FROM THE UofA


*SHRUG*

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by Maritime Q-Scout@Nov 9 2004, 06:11 PM
being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics

Whoa there - I think you mean the Business Program, not economics there. Big difference there between the two, one more concerned about the theoretical view about how everything in the universe is financially linked together and the other more focused on how to run and manage a business (using fundamentals from the other). I'd say the The UofC has a better commerce program than Econ.

Actuarial Science..... for those who thought accounting was far too stimulating....

As for you Snowdude, taking a page from this thread, what Faculty are you in before we start making UofA / Edmonpuke cracks?