Thanks for taking the time to read my post. My son goes to a small university and taking a 1st year business course. He was an honour student in high school and just finished his first semester with an 81 average mark. As he looks to me for advice I am concerned he should maybe focuss on getting into a bigger university or more prominent one in year 2 or 3. He wants to be a lawyer and works very hard to get those marks. My feeling is that university title is everything. I am rather dissapointed in the quality of the education he is recieving and it seems as though you don't even need to go to class. Several of his proffs have a very heavy accent which he has trouble understanding and they seem very unorganised and lazy. What should he do because you only get one shot at this. The reason for sending him to this university is he could stay at home but I think he is ready to move on. Is the someone you can get advice from on these matters as I really have no clue as I never went. Thanks
University Advice Needed!!
- Thread starter johnyboy
- Start date
It is a little hard to give advice without knowing what univeristy he goes to now. But it appears that the LSAT test score is all that matters for law school.
The law is not for everyone so find out what he wants to do. I know a number of lawyers who do not like their biz. We have a lot of lawyers and it's a very competitive field.
As for the profs at you son's school, that seems to be par for the course. Every university only has a few star teachers who inspire students.
I am not sure that TERB is the best place for this sort of advice
)
The law is not for everyone so find out what he wants to do. I know a number of lawyers who do not like their biz. We have a lot of lawyers and it's a very competitive field.
As for the profs at you son's school, that seems to be par for the course. Every university only has a few star teachers who inspire students.
I am not sure that TERB is the best place for this sort of advice
)a 1 player said:
He wants to be a lawyer and he is like me really in the dark about this stuff. He was glad to stay at home this year as was I $$ but we are in a better position this year so that won't be a problem. He is really into reading and law not real outgoing but stubborn person that wants to do something with his life.
shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
Traditionally, lectures are to elucidate on the material that the student learns through 'reading' the course materials. I missed more than half of the lectures in one course I took and got the highest mark in the final exam. However, a good instructor makes a world of difference! I woudl suggest that your son assess his wants and needs, and decide where he wants to go. For law, there are several good universities in Ontario, Toronto, York, Western, etc. May I ask where he is attending at this moment?
Terb is a microcosim of society as we know it and the very best reside in the virtual world. We have lawyers proffs, university students past and present guidance counsellors, parents what more could you ask for. Just because they like an extra helping of poon is no reason to disqualify their opinion my friend
shakenbake said:
UOIT...btw he is not so much into being a traditional lawyer...family, real estate, criminal ect. but to get his degree and look into his options in business / goverment ect
Ok...johnyboy said:
UOIT is a decent school, though it is new. That being said, it is more known for its technical programs than it's business programs. (Yes, I have been enrolled there, and at Durham College as well).
I would think that any of the schools Shake mentioned would be far superior in terms of qualifying for law school.
I'm of the view that a large University is good training for life. There are I think two major transitions one makes to become an adult, from their parents home and High School to living on your own and Collage is the first. I think a large University better prepares someone for the second transition, from school to the real world.
Ohio State (or any Big 10 University) are very good.
OTB
Ohio State (or any Big 10 University) are very good.
OTB
a 1 player said:
that's the thing right...new and not a real strong business reputation.
Would you be better off to go to the school you were hoping to attend for law schhool and what would be a way to prepare for LSTAT's.
johnyboy said:
I understand the comment about heavy accents. Universities hire folks with doctorates and are expert on the subject that they teach and at the risk of appearing to stereotype, there is a heavy concentration of Asians. You only have to read the names of the strike leaders in York U to know what I mean. I do not know too many students who have taken Math and not dealt with an Asian prof.
Further, if your kid wants to go to the best law schools, he probably should aspire to get into Osgoode, or the McGill or UBC Faculties of Law. McCleans publishes a University Guide and this would be a good starting point.
If he needs hand holding, a large university is not the place for him. In large universities, his professors are dealing with classes upwards of 100 students and the full time professors will be more concerned with research than dealing with him. I suspect that he does need hand holding if you say he has trouble understanding his professors accents and he thinks they are “lazy” (for all he knows, they work 18 hours a day on research he has no idea about). It sounds to me like a small university with small classes and professors who don’t have research eating up their time, may be best for him.
Otherwise, I am in agreement with OTB. The fact that his professors don’t have as much time for handholding when they are dealing with 100+ students and research demands, means that he would be forced to become more independent and learn to not rely on his instructors so much. On the other hand, some of them will try to eliminate time spent dealing with students by dumbing down their courses.
Otherwise, I am in agreement with OTB. The fact that his professors don’t have as much time for handholding when they are dealing with 100+ students and research demands, means that he would be forced to become more independent and learn to not rely on his instructors so much. On the other hand, some of them will try to eliminate time spent dealing with students by dumbing down their courses.
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shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
johnyboy said:
UOIT is being highly touted these days. I hope that the instructor situtation is an isolated instance, in your son's case. Being a smaller university, I would have thought that the students woudl be benefitting from a more 'intimate' teaching/learning environment. Then again, UOIT does NOT have a law faculty, yet. It is a fairly new institution, and not too far from where I live.
Maybe, Toronto would be a better place for law school and law school prep? It is still not too far from where you live, and is not plagued by strikes as much as York. Just my two-cents' worth. However, I would not give up on UOIT, yet. If your son is in first year, there is a lot to be desired in first-year instruction at most universities!
shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
a 1 player said:
Hey, I have worked at UOIT! But, you are right about the emphasis on technical stuff. Nonetheless, I believe that UOIT does have a business program.
Well let me say it depends on how one defines small vs large. Queens in Canada is rated as the #1 university in Canada. Queens has about 15000
on campus. Their law is rated very high, medicine is rated #2, mba is rated #1 in the world, it has a great reputation not only in Canada but around the world. However tough to get into it. Last year they had 26000 applications for undergrad and took 3200 and I'm pround to say my daughter is one who got into concurrent education, that cutoff mark was 90% and they took 92 students, it's a 5 year program. I'd check out there website or even visit the campus. Kingston is a great overall city small enough but close nit.
on campus. Their law is rated very high, medicine is rated #2, mba is rated #1 in the world, it has a great reputation not only in Canada but around the world. However tough to get into it. Last year they had 26000 applications for undergrad and took 3200 and I'm pround to say my daughter is one who got into concurrent education, that cutoff mark was 90% and they took 92 students, it's a 5 year program. I'd check out there website or even visit the campus. Kingston is a great overall city small enough but close nit.
shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
buckwheat1 said:
I have friends in Kingston who don't get out and about much these days......
At 15,000, it is a medium to larger school. U of T was around 25,000 or so students. Small could be about 5,000 students. For example, I believe that UOIT is less than that, at around 4,500, more or less.
You only get one chance at this, so go for the school that will have the best credentials. After all schools with good credentials will get him a foot in the door with law firms because they have nothing else to go on except your degree. Once he has his first job nobody cares about schooling anymore. But, getting that first job at a reputable firm which is the tough part.
QUEENS has just released today that there applications for first year are up 7.7%. It states that they are the higest sought after university in Canada, most other universities are up 1.1%. I wonder where YORK is I have heard they are DOWN.
You are correct in thinking that university name can get you places. That's without a doubt. But if he's really looking at becoming a lawyer, then it won't matter as much. What matters is where he gets into law school.
As for your comment about having professors with accents that he can barely understand - too bad my friend. I went to one of the top universities in the country for business and had professors that didn't give a shit, had massive accents and gave some of the hardest exams I've seen. That's what university is about so is life. You figure out a way to understand. I had a professor that was spoke so softly and with such a heavy accent no one bothered coming into class most days. So how do you pass? You study from the materials as hard as you can, you talk to the prof during office hours and if it's that bad, well, you just ride the curve.
A good business education only gets you so far. I was fortunate enough to have developed great relationships with a few professors - including one with a very heavy accent - and you know what? It's not the material you learn in those classes that help you in the real world. It's the critical thinking and the ability to problem solve that really help you.
So my best advice - let him stay at the small university to get good grades. As long as he keeps up the hard work and writes a great LSAT, he should be fine in the long run.
And as for the comments about how an undergrad degree from a tier 1 school will help him out with law firms? This is somewhat true. But I also have friends that went to small universities, studied liberal arts, went to law school and are now corporate lawyers with some of the top firms in the country.
As for your comment about having professors with accents that he can barely understand - too bad my friend. I went to one of the top universities in the country for business and had professors that didn't give a shit, had massive accents and gave some of the hardest exams I've seen. That's what university is about so is life. You figure out a way to understand. I had a professor that was spoke so softly and with such a heavy accent no one bothered coming into class most days. So how do you pass? You study from the materials as hard as you can, you talk to the prof during office hours and if it's that bad, well, you just ride the curve.
A good business education only gets you so far. I was fortunate enough to have developed great relationships with a few professors - including one with a very heavy accent - and you know what? It's not the material you learn in those classes that help you in the real world. It's the critical thinking and the ability to problem solve that really help you.
So my best advice - let him stay at the small university to get good grades. As long as he keeps up the hard work and writes a great LSAT, he should be fine in the long run.
And as for the comments about how an undergrad degree from a tier 1 school will help him out with law firms? This is somewhat true. But I also have friends that went to small universities, studied liberal arts, went to law school and are now corporate lawyers with some of the top firms in the country.
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