Positive Experience
Beautiful Building
The SCS building at York University is cool! It is new with the latest equipment and facilities. As I am not an architect, I don’t know why the building is designed into an inverse trapezium with right triangles. However, the building is so unique that you can consider it as a landmark. You can easily recognize which building you should enter.
York University School of Continuing Studies building
Beautiful and Big Campus
You are a York University student if you join one of the postgraduate programs, so you have the right to access other facilities on the Keele Campus, and it is enjoyable to take a tour around this beautiful campus. You can sit on the lawn and enjoy the sunshine near the subway station; you can have nice food and drinks at York Lanes; you can do research in the library…There are so many things to do at York University!
Advanced Classrooms
There are four projection screens, so you can see the text and pictures clearly no matter where you sit. The tables are specifically arranged to make students involved in group discussions. There are also plenty of power outlets on the tables, which is convenient for every student to charge their devices during courses at York University.
One of the SCS classrooms with four projection screens
Study Rooms Everywhere
You can find study rooms everywhere inside the SCS building. There are as many as the classrooms (probably even more). As long as you make an appointment, you can use these study rooms to do your assignments or work with your group members in a quiet environment.
A study room that can be used for studying and group discussions
Variety of Food Choices
The SCS building is next to Pond Road where you can find a large variety of food choices. Since you will spend two to three hours on campus, it is super-fast for you to get rid of hunger and thirst. While my courses at York University conflict with lunchtime, I usually have Burger King and Osmows Shawarma… and that is convenient!
Burger King on the Pond Road, close to the SCS building
Nice Professors
The professors are really nice in the postgraduate program. They have many years of working experience in the industry. They are friendly and patient to answer your questions, no matter to explain a difficult concept or give you suggestions about how to find a job here in Toronto. Many of them are kind enough to put off the deadlines if the majority of the class asks for it.
Rich Resource of Guest Speakers
You can listen to many experienced guest speakers throughout the postgraduate program. They have been working in the industry for years, so they can bring their success stories and experiences to you. You can use the rich resource of guest speakers to find your future path and networking!
Negative Experience
Stubborn Policies
You can’t change your course time freely since the first week after the start of your postgraduate program. Perhaps you are not employed before you are allowed to change your time, but after a while, you are employed and your work conflicts with the course time. Unfortunately, it is never going to be changeable until you finish the entire program.
Strict Section Transfer Policy listed on York University's website
No Internship Opportunity
Unlike some of the postgraduate programs provided by other universities and colleges, York SCS programs do not offer Co-ops or internship opportunities. I have been searching for internships since the beginning of my program, and York University can only give me suggestions. When finding a job in Toronto is difficult nowadays, you may need more direct help with work opportunities, and that is what York SCS can’t give.
Limited Actual Teaching Time
It might not be a bad thing if you hate studying, but if you want to gain as much knowledge and skills as possible during your study in Canada, you may find the courses at York University disappointing because the professors teach around 1.5 hours out of 3 hours. The classes usually end before the scheduled time, and much of the course time will be used for group work.
Lack of Office Hours
Surprisingly, this fancy building does not have an office for professors, so there are no office hours. The only way to reach out to professors after class is by email. It will take even longer to contact the program director since you can’t find him in an office located inside the building.
Lack of Hard Skills
To be honest, if you seek to learn as many hard skills as possible to be ready for a job here in Toronto, such as learning to use WordPress and Photoshop, then you are in the wrong place. The professors talk mostly about the concepts and ideas. You have to study hard skills in Canada by yourself!
