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Film Studies at Carleton University
Jean (Year 2)
What did you wish you knew before going to your university? What made you choose this institution over all others? What are advantages and disadvantages of your institution or campus? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your university.
I chose Carleton University because of how good their film program seems. The campus is a really beautiful place and it helps to take walks around when I’m stressed. I can’t really think of a disadvantage right now. Some advice I’d have for new first years is probably to spend time managing your time. Write in a calendar, or an agenda, set up alarms and don’t forget to make time for yourself. Understand that there are resources that can be provided and it’s always okay to ask questions.
What did you wish you knew before choosing your specific program? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your program? List any advice for incoming first-year students about your program of study.
There isn’t really anything I’d like to correct. But if I were to change something it would be to make sure I know what all my mandatory courses are. I had to make a lot of timetable changes because I didn’t properly pick my courses the first time. An advantage is that film studies allows me to analyze films and to self improve my storytelling. A disadvantage would probably be the amount of essays I’d have to write. So I guess my advice would be to practice writing, allow others to provide critical feedback or see if there are writing resources online or in the university.
What was your favourite university experience?
I think it’d have to be the first month of university, specifically the weekend. I got to go to Ottawa, a four hour drive away from Toronto and it felt like a great new start in a new place. I got to meet people living on my floor right away and they were amazing people that I spent a lot of time with.
What was your least favourite university experience?
It was failing an English test. I was too sleepy and couldn’t finish.
What is the hardest part about your program and what were the steps that you took to overcome any difficulties?
I get really nervous whenever I need to write an essay for any sort of course and I need to do a lot of essays and reports for my program and each time it makes me feel nervous. Especially analyzing films, since people don’t all analyze films the same way so sometimes I worry that my professors wouldn’t be pleased with my work.
If you were able to take electives, what was your favourite elective? If you were not able to take electives, what was your favourite course and why?
My favourite course was FILM1101 it was the first film course I took in university. It was Introduction to Film so it was overall fairly easy. We also had discussion groups where we’d meet up once a week to discuss the films we watched in class, and they were really helpful as they helped me see from a different perspective.
Additional Comments
When you go to residence for the first time, wipe down everything like the desks and chairs. Also, get to know people on your floor, maybe through social media. Make time for your mental health and don’t pull an all nighter before a test or exam. And if there’s free stuff on campus, take them.