Preparing for a campus emergency

One of the common questions we get asked by prospective students and their families is “How safe is campus?”

Well, aside from the 24 hour campus security team, the emergency call stations, and MUNSU’s WalkSafe & SafeDrive programs, on Monday, May 13, the St. John’s campus participated in a full scale emergency exercise to help the University and its external partners practice for a potential emergency on campus.

While it all looked very real, with casualties, fake blood, and two incidents, it was a beneficial exercise to help in the event of a real emergency situation.

I was a volunteer for the day with the camera crew who were documenting the entire exercise. We were tasked with filming the incidents, casualties and how the University officials and first responders handled the situation. I’ve always been someone who enjoys trying to figure out how things go together, or watching behind the scenes clips from TV shows or movies. So, you can imagine how fascinated I was following the different groups of responders around for the day, and despite it all being a simulation, it felt very real. What a great learning experience!

To read more about the exercise visit: http://www.mun.ca/emergency/ECC2013/

Until next time,
David.

Q:Do you have a system whereby I can apply for deffered entry? In other words, can I do the application whilst I'm still at school, Do my gap year, and then come to your university, or would I have to apply within my gap year, after I have finished school?

Anonymous

That’s a great question! In our online application form students can select the semester they want to apply for during the academic year. So for example, this year you could apply for Fall 2013 (beginning in September 2013) or Winter 2014 (beginning in January 2014). However, this far in advance, you would not be able to apply for the Fall 2014 semester. So the easiest thing to do would be to wait and apply during your gap year.

Q:I have got a Overall Band of 7 for IELTS with 5.5 for writing, will this be accepted? I am a transfer student and i have done 2 semesters in my current university also.

Anonymous

Applicants wishing to use IELTS to demonstrate proof of English proficiency must have an overall band score of 6.5, with at least a 6.0 in both reading and writing. Additionally, your test results must be sent directly from the testing centre.

If you are a transfer student and you have attended an English language post-secondary institute, you must have completed the equivalent of 30 credit hours (approximately 10 courses) at a recognized college or university where English is the primary language of instruction. The 30 credit hours must include six transferable credit hours in English language/literature courses.

Please visit our website for additional ways in which you can demonstrate proof of English proficiency.

 

Your next step - Get Advice (Part 2)

In part two of his guest post, Ron O’Neill sums up the top 10 things for students to keep in mind when getting ready to come to Memorial in the fall:

  1. It is still possible to apply to Memorial for some non-competitive entry programs. 

  2. Memorial Advisers may be coming to your school to offer academic advise and help you select appropriate courses, and you will receive a copy of the GUIDE TO FIRST YEAR. 

  3. If you need to write the Math Placement Test (MPT) you must register for it before May 13, 2013. You can access a sample test  online.

  4. You need to set up your MUN Email account. This will be the main communication link you have with Memorial. 

  5. You should also access Memorial Self-Service. This is the site where you will register for each of your courses.

  6. Registration starts on July 16. You will be assigned a registration time, which will be emailed to your MUN account, and will be posted on Memorial Self-Service.

  7. Don’t forget to register for orientation when you select your courses (Orientation 1000). Two days of important actives on September 2 and 3, 2013, just prior to start of classes.

  8. MUN ID cards and lockers can be obtained from ANSWERS in the University Centre UC-3005.

  9. Classes for the Fall 2013 semester begin on September 4, 2013.

  10. Stay in touch with the Academic Advising Centre. Find us in SN- 4053 or phone 864-8801 if you have any questions.

-Ron

Q:Hello Jaimie, I've been a silent reader for quite some time now and I have always been jealous of your job. You get to travel to different countries and recruit students from all walks of life. Will there be any job opportunity as a recruitment officer in the future for a fellow student?

Anonymous

It’s great to hear that you’ve been following the blog for a while! Thank you for tuning in and checking out what Memorial has been up to! Getting the opportunity to become a recruiter after graduation was amazing! After graduation I wasn’t quite sure what type of work environment I would enjoy but after doing my research and finding this position I knew instantly that it was a dream job for me! If you ever get an opportunity to go after something you know you’d enjoy, go for it!

Thursday’s Q&A - International Edition

In recent weeks, we’ve been receiving a lot of questions about our admission criteria for international students, particularly those studying the General Certificate of Education (GCE). While this week’s post is dedicated to this particular curriculum, if you have any questions about others please let us know by contacting us on the blog or through our become email! 

When considering a GCE applicant our Admissions Officer will consider a combination of O, AS and A Level subjects. For general undergraduate admission to non-competitive programs, students are recommended to have a B average, typically in the following 5 subject areas:

English language/literature

Mathematics

A laboratory science

A modern language, classical language or social science

One other subject area

Some international students, who are studying in English or who are living in an English speaking nation, may ask if they are still required to complete an English language/literature course in high school. As a general rule, the answer is “yes”. We require all students to have at least one language/literature course to satisfy general admission. In addition to this, we also ask students to provide proof of English proficiency. This can be demonstrated in a number of ways, as indicated on our website.

Another common question is if a student has to write the Math Placement Test (MPT). Typically, all students registering for a Math course at the university are required to write the MPT; this test is written on campus, and is used to determine which Math course at Memorial is appropriate for you. Depending on your high school curriculum, however, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, students who have completed AS or A Level mathematics will not have to write the MPT if they score at least a D in either Level. An added bonus, of course, is that you will be eligible for transfer credit!

Transfer credit can be granted to applicants completing the A and AS Level subjects of the GCE if they meet a minimum grade. It should be noted that students can receive this credit, regardless of whether they intend to pursue that subject at the university level or not. For example, if a student completes A Level Geography, but does not want to major in Geography at Memorial University, we will still grant transfer credit for this subject. The credit will be put on your academic transcript and can be used to help satisfy the requirements of your degree program. It could also help shorten the length of your intended program of study!

Thank you for your questions!

Happy Thursday,

- Carolyn and Keir 

 

Meet our international recruiters - Carolyn and Keir!  We have been receiving a lot of questions from our international students during our Q&A Thursdays - which is so exciting! We love hearing from you and send a big thank you to those who have been getting in contact with us. Carolyn and Keir will be helping out with some of the international questions - so look out for the answers that I will be posting on their behalf. I encourage you to contact us through our become email when your questions involve more personal information such as grades, application details and things that involve further explanation. When you post anonymously  we are unable to contact you directly to get specific information which sometimes is necessary when answering your questions. Contacting us through our become email or creating a tumblr account is a great way to connect with us!  Stay tuned for the answers to your questions you asked this week :) Jaimie
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Meet our international recruiters - Carolyn and Keir! 

We have been receiving a lot of questions from our international students during our Q&A Thursdays - which is so exciting! We love hearing from you and send a big thank you to those who have been getting in contact with us.

Carolyn and Keir will be helping out with some of the international questions - so look out for the answers that I will be posting on their behalf.

I encourage you to contact us through our become email when your questions involve more personal information such as grades, application details and things that involve further explanation. When you post anonymously  we are unable to contact you directly to get specific information which sometimes is necessary when answering your questions. Contacting us through our become email or creating a tumblr account is a great way to connect with us! 

Stay tuned for the answers to your questions you asked this week :)

Jaimie

Your next step - Get Advice (Part 1)

This weeks’ guest blogger is Ron O’Neill, the coordinator for high school advising with the Academic Advising Centre (AAC). This is a two part blog, Ron will also be posting next week with a few more tips.

Every year the AAC coordinates academic advising for all incoming students. Academic advising helps you figure out what courses to take in your first year of university and answer questions you might have about coming to Memorial.

In the province, students in high school will get to meet advisors in person wherever possible. It is wonderful for the advisors – faculty and staff members from different areas in the university- to get to know you while giving you info about all the great programs and courses that university has to offer. If you are planning on coming to Memorial from outside the province – we’ll be in touch shortly to provide you with all the info you’ll need to decide on what courses to take in your first year here at Memorial.

Some students feel a little stressed about meeting with an advisor. You might not know for sure exactly what you want to do at university and sometimes the volume of options can feel overwhelming. Advisors will help you figure out your best choices and, indeed, part of what university is about is being exposed to new fields of knowledge and learning about new ways to view the world. There is a fair bit of flexibility in most programs to allow you try out a variety of different subject areas.

Or you might be a student who knows exactly what you want to do but feel nervous about meeting with a faculty or staff member from that area of study because you’re not sure what to talk about or if you’ll get into a competitive-entry program of study. No worries – advisors understand that it can be intimidating to meet with someone and will do their best to make you feel comfortable while giving you the best possible information for meeting your goals.

The Guide to First Year lays out all of the information you’ll need about first year programs of study and describes all the different courses available to you.

Things to keep in mind when meeting with an advisor:

  • Let us know about any career goals you might have
  • Think about the courses that are most of interest to you in high school and subjects available at university that you have heard about that have peaked your interest in the past
  • Have a look at the programs and course descriptions listed in The Guide to First Year
  • You can always change your mind after you meet with an advisor – just contact us to make sure you’re taking the right slate of courses for your goals

We’re always here to help so contact us at 709 864 8801 or advice@mun.ca if you have questions.


-Ron

Q:Hello! I am attending Memorial in the fall for my first year, I was just wondering when i pick my courses?

Anonymous

Happy Thursday! Excited to hear that you will be attending in the Fall!

The Guide to First Year provides students with a “To Do List” (on page 2) which gives you a great snapshot of what you should be doing and when to do it!

On page 70 in this guide its all about Registration. It explains the process, who to contact if you experience problems, describes how the wait-list system works and other key details. 

Registration begins on the 16th of July and onward! You will receive an email with your Memorial Self-Service account notifying you when your registration date and time will be! Make sure to set-up your Memorial Self-Service account - steps on how to do this is located in the “To Do List” in the guide! 

Note: It is important to register as soon as it allows you too AND make sure to register for Orientation :) 

Q:hi, say I was to get a BA in another university in canada but I wanted to do teaching as well. Could I still apply for mun's teaching degree after I graduated ? thanks:)

Anonymous

You should refer to the Faculty of Education website for specific program admission requirements (which can be found halfway down the page of the link provided above). 

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