Hey guys, welcome back to my Channel today, I'm joined by a guest my cousin Maddy
so we are both at Queen's University and I thought it'd be really cool to do a first-year QA to tell you guys about our
Experience and everything we've learned and what we wish we knew before coming
We're gonna be talking a little bit about our personal experiences
And then I also asked for people to send me in questions on Instagram
So we're gonna be answering those specific questions to have Madi with me here because we both go to Queens
But we have like really different experiences. So I thought it'd be really interesting to have both of our perspectives
Let's just get into it at Queen's. I'm in art and I'm hoping to major in Dillman media and I live in Montreal
So that's like only two and a half hours away from here. I'm in engineering and next year
I'm gonna go into the civil engineering and I'm from New York City, which is like a seven hour drive
I think first we're gonna answer the specific questions and then we're gonna give you like hacks for Queens tips and tricks we picked up
What we wish we knew the first question was what sort of grades do you need in order to get in for n?
It's pretty high. So I'm coming from the state. So it's a little bit different
I think for me the grades were like 90 average. I also applied for a scholarship which also required a certain average
So I think my grades were based off of this scholarship requirement, which was like my 90s
I don't know what it was for arts. I'm pretty sure it's like mid-80s around there
I had a 93 going in but something to keep in mind when you're doing your applications is they weigh heavily onto your PSD
I think Queens is one of the only schools in Canada that like did really consider a lot of your like
Extracurriculars more than like just your SAT grades and your high school grades. When did you hear back from Queens?
I heard back the last day and I applied in January. I've heard before her I think it was probably January
I like committed and March I came in right away. They send out acceptances up until mid-may
So like don't worry if you don't have yet
I know someone who got admitted like last day possible and they're in a way better resident
It's like it has nothing to do with like
What other unis did you apply to how why did you decide on Queens?
I only applied to Queens because it's coming from Montreal and they have like the sea ship system
Which if you're not familiar with it, it's basically like you do read 12 and 13 and like a separate thing from high school
I really wanted to get out of there. If I didn't get into Queens I could just go to second your seat. Yep
So and I really have to lose
that's why I only applied to Queens and I chose Queens has I was really looking for a film school and I was kind of
Debating between Queens or Ryerson and then that debate was kind of like City or campus and I chose campus
I applied to eight universities. I want to see okay
Gil U of T Queens
McMaster Waterloo northeaster Cornell and New York state school feel like I'm missing one, but I applied for
engineering and architecture and then I actually didn't end up deciding until like the very end because I
Had architecture and engineering programs. I applied to both in the end
I was like debating kind of between like McGill architecture or Queens engineering
I think like the biggest deciding factor was like I knew that I want to do engineering
And I think that Queens is like the best school for that. They like really like welcome you into the faculty
They don't make it stressful like really hard work, but it's like a really great strong community for that
I really wanted that what is the best rest to limit?
I think you think that is not clean at all and it's very loud complete mess, but I think make the people there really crazy
I was gonna say Brent or like any of the single plus residence because they're just like the newest and they're super nice
Those are really nice
I've heard those have really thin walls so you can hear the dome but just a single plus ones are like the nicest but then
Like Lenny and like Vik board bra are very social
I also just think it comes down to the kind of people that you're around
And what you make out of it what residents are you in? I'm in Waldron Tower. I'm in band
You have your own sink in the room, which is really great, but the showers and the bathrooms are co-ed
And it's a little far. It's like six minutes to bands. There's like eight people up my floor
That's all girls all girls and the dining hall. The dining halls in bands. Just walk down my vigil amazing
Is it lonely living in residence? I don't think so. I don't think so. You're constantly surrounded by people
You know, if you have a single room like you do get your own personal space, which is really nice
sometimes you need the balance of being constantly surrounded by people and then just like being in your own space even if you're alone in
Your room there's someone next to you. There's someone across the hall
Is it possible to have a quiet night to yourself depends on where you was here?
Yes, and I know like mine isn't even like a party rez on the weekends. I can here music coming from every other floor
What are the showers like is it weird that they're co-ed? My Marco? Yeah, but what my showers are pretty good
Like I've heard Lenny's are gross last time I was there the curtain was on the ground
So for a mine like it's actually really nice like you get a door
it's a curtain over the door and then a little changed in the room and then a curtain and then a shower so it's really
Private there's three cubicles by the way, first semester
I was never there at the same time someone else this semester I have been but I don't know who they are, you know
So it's like really not weird and any general advice for renting your room get a fridge. Oh my god. Yeah
Like advantage later, I guess think we had a bigger fridge we get a big fridge currently in my fridge
I have sriracha an empty bottle and cream cheese that is it still worth it
I got a really small fridge because I didn't think I was gonna need anything. I was very wrong. I have like path besides
It's a fridge as Maddie and mine was like overflowing tried socialize with your floor have some like friends on your floor
So that like if anything ever happens in your room like you need post-its you have someone ask 24
Was it difficult to adjust to living away from home and how was the adjustment since I went to summer camp
I feel like it was really similar to that
It wasn't new to me to be away from my parents for like an extended period of time
He just met honestly was fine because you're just so busy from the get-go
also
I was really fortunate since I lived so close that I was able to go home for my friend's birthday my birthday
Thanksgiving like a bunch of that
So honestly, it was really easy to adjust
It's so true like what your first like I took month
You're honest like high of like all the excitement of like new people new classes. It's like really great
But like if you live like really far away, I think you do miss it after you like kind of settled down
I didn't go back home until
winter break again my family or anything until there will be moments like where you will miss like your home and that's like very
Normal in the end. I had a really great adjustment to it. What is it like living in Kingston versus Montreal?
What's a change from a big city to a small town heart? It's very different
You're coming from like a huge city
You can take the bus or the metro to like a million different places and then here in Kingston
It's like a three minute bus ride and then you're downtown and there's one block of downtown and that's it
So it's a completely different I really like it
I have to say it totally changes like how the community and the this is it's such a small town
So no one really to go it forces you to be in this kind of like community bubble
Which is like super super super nice wherever you go, its students. It's kind of like your tap
I really like that again like coming from New York City to Kingston
I literally like the first time I got here I was like, oh my god, there's so much sky, I'm like, oh, yeah
I'm Scott. I know jury when I go back and I see the tall buildings
I'm like, what is this? Like it's so weird to think. Oh my god, so
I
Forget what I was saying before she FaceTime
But basically I never even knew like buildings were like a thing until I didn't have them and now I really appreciate them
How often do you return home? And how do you get there train plane car?
I went home pretty often first semester had like reasons to I think I went home like five times this semester
I've gone home once I'm going home a second time
I used to take the bus
But then it became like really delayed every time I took it so I started taking the train and I liked it a lot better
I think I went home for winter break and Reading Week, which is in February and then I went to Montreal during
Thanksgiving and all of those times I took a bus to Montreal and I drove back home
don't take the bus unless you want to wait like and
If you miss homemade food, yes, so
Every time I go home. I like request a menu. So from way I miss it so much
It's Freshman Fifteen real and how hard is it to avoid?
I would say it Israel depends on you as a person
Like I know people who didn't work out a lot in high school work out more and then I'm the opposite
I feel like Freshman Fifteen comes from after you go out drinking like people always go to get pizza
I like McDonald's and things like that
I think that's where like the myth has come from think it's really easy just to get like fries and like a burger and my
Ice cream everyday, I think it's available for you
Yes get it and it's nice like every so often but like just kind of like no going in
How is the food I like the food?
I like the retail places lazy loca Booster Juice kita pay, I like that food
Like obviously it's not the best and it's definitely not the healthiest but like I like it have a little like pyramids
Yeah, where's the best food calf? Why it's definitely bamm-bamm calf was there's West Lennie band a web site
you only really eat there if you're on West but definitely between
Léni like ben is a million times better like Lenny
They make the food like in advance and then just like stick it under like heat roof
So then I'm bad like they're literally making the food right in front of you. Our class is hard
See, this is where it's great to have an edge with me
Yeah
They're hard and they're challenging but like you just gotta get used to the workload work hard
Like there's no slacking. Once you're in University like it's not like channel like you got it like you gotta keep at it. Yes
It's very hard, but you have to learn how to prioritize your time. It is hard
It's really hard PSA study old exams Douglas or Stauffer other good study spot Douglas. I say Douglas - it's so nice
It's like the Harry Potter reading room is the only thing that can make me concentrate whenever I get in Douglas
I'm like time to focus and work. We could flick magical. I really like the ILC
It's the energy building. The Performing Arts Building is no bader. It's like really good for studying also. Yeah, like the whole wall
It's like glass and you look out into the lake. I think there's a really big cafe. Oh my god. Yeah
Do you know cafe I've never been chic. Oh, yeah
Is it hard to make friends? I mean, I guess it depends on your personality
I heard someone else talk about this and like the first year QA like it's really easy to meet people but it like you have
To take that extra step to actually form a really good strong
Yeah, that's the best way I have it because you're gonna be meeting so many people
Eventually, like you'll meet someone who you like really get along with well, and then you're like bond over like similar interests and stuff
I also like really believing like the more the merrier
Include everyone if you're going out to dinner and then like you have another friend be like come with us, you know
When did you start looking for houses? I think November people always say like you need to have your house by November
It's what like March 27 and in like the Facebook group
There are still people saying like we have an empty rooms. Anyone looking for one like come join us
There are still houses out there the past
tenants have until December first to tell the landlord if there's taking it for another year if everyone's like getting a house in November you're
Looking online and there's like nothing left wait till December first because then like all the houses will be available
Is it hard to fit in if you're not a big partier, you can find your people
Yeah don't like to like that's totally fine. It is like a really social school, but that's something that you do like
That's like really really good for you
If you want to go party, there's always something happening
But if you don't want you to do whatever you want and it's like no one's like getting mad at you or not going out
If anything moved that's because my memory card just like glitched last question
How do you stay on top of your work and not fall just to warn you probably the first two months
He will be behind even if you're super into school my high school and si chef did not prepare me or the workload
So it was really a struggle at first
Strategize when you're gonna do what Romeo is kind of easy because I basically have like the exact same
readings and homework and modules every week
So I know what I have to do have a planner or me
What I like to do is put a little box next to everything I have to do and I get like this urge to check
Off the box and if it's not checked off like how that stresses me out
So that like gets me to do my homework ASAP. Joey is a very organized person. That's right
We're less organized. I would just say stay on top of when everything is due
Make sure that you write that stuff down
if you don't you can't keep that information in your head like it's not gonna work out if you find a
Repetition and like what you're like assignments, aren't that's super helpful
Like what you're saying if I are behind?
I suggest like sit down go to the library and get as much stuff as you can to catch up cuz it's really
Really easy to get behind. I'm very behind right now. So after this, I'm gonna study. Those are all the questions
We're just gonna like give our own little hacks and like reasons. I should come to Queens
They're sometimes like all-ages events and they can be like kind of lame at first
But then like they're a really good way to meet people specifically in first year
Even though some of the rooms like aren't like as nice as like Brant or Leggett or Watts or whatever if you like decorate it
And you bring like a lot of stuff from home really make city leggy
yours and you just like forget about like the grossest of the walls or whatever take time during like really good weekend or something or
Like one afternoon to let go and find little places that you like to go and study I think during like finals week or something
I found like a really nice place
It was like either Douglas Hearst off cuz there's so many other places on campus
That like you can find exit go and like work there for a long time. That's like not crowded
It's like find like your little spot just really nice
That's the food plan here for like when you're in res is amazing
I think it's like the best meal plan that I've heard of any other
university join the
Facebook groups and chaps and everything like there are so many pages and that's like a really great way to like start communicating with people
Especially if you want a roommate or anything so that when you get here you have familiar faces
Even if you don't know anyone then a thing that I like learned is college classes are not like high school classes English
Was my best class I think like in high school one of them and here it is so hard and like psychology I loved in
High school here. It is. So hard just know like I was shocked for edge
It actually helped a lot having taken AP classes might be too late now
But yeah your senior year or whatever cuz that helps a lot
I took AP English and it is so much easier than the English year
I don't think
Can you photoshop it Co Maddie's amazing, I'll begin Yoshi. I gotta say people who are considering Queen
I think it's the most beautiful camp
Oh my god
We're going even if you want like small-town vibes kind of no super cute like all the class sizes are really good
I love it. Have you had dinner yet? Yeah, just come with me. Okay
I'll give you gently ten. Really. Yeah, I'm giving values have for dinner. Did you explain towns? Yes, I did
And I said the meal plans really good do you agree this meal plan
Like I talked to my friends from at the University of Ottawa like anywhere. I was like this meal plan is
Believe me our meal kinds of that it's better than anything like got him Booster Juice
He tap him anywhere you want it's instrument the Starbucks. We have a veal can that includes?
Usually like you got a coffee a sandwich like a muffin that's usually like $20
Jennifer tab which is like crazy. So yeah, that's pretty much like all the questions we got that's kind of like our experience
It's really great here
A Siobhan said like the campus is out of like Hogwarts like it's beautiful
and if you have any other questions
feel free to like leave a comment down below or like DM you on Instagram cuz I will answer you it's gonna be tough like
You're gonna get adjusted not
Everything is what you expected it to be just make the most of it and you'll have a really fun time
Yeah, I think I'm too clean
Um, yeah, so that's all for the video
I hope you guys enjoyed if you didn't give it a thumbs up subscribe down below and come to Queens. Okay, well fine