What to Expect

Sociology students want to know all about people. They study all aspects of human society and culture.

"[The] program has a lot of room for specialization," says Amy Kszyston. She studied sociology. "There are a number of required theory and methods courses, but once you have those completed you are free to explore a variety of different fields in sociology."

Her typical day varied a great deal, with each class requiring two hours of lecture a week and one hour of tutorial.

Kszyston had two hours of homework a night, with a full academic load including five classes. "In the first year, you can usually expect to have one chapter per class per week that you are expected to read and understand by lecture. If you have a full course load of five courses, that is five chapters in a week."

That might sound like a lot, but don't worry. "It is really not that hard to fit it all in. Sometimes you might have to pick and choose, but one important thing I learned is do not let yourself get too far behind or you will never catch up."

Kszyston likes the diversity of studying sociology. "I took a class on political correctness from a sociological standpoint. It was a great class. It was all lectures and your whole mark was based on one paper that you had to hand in on the last day of class. It was a different way of learning and a welcome break from lecture and textbook readings."

Kszyston found that a lack of knowledge about sociology programs can be a drawback. "Students from other faculties often laugh about students with social science degrees, but I think they are wrong. I believe that I am far more prepared to enter the workforce than some other students from other faculties."

Kszyston notes that many of the skills she acquired during her program are useful, job-related skills, including research methods, data analysis and writing skills.

How to Prepare

Kszyston sees the transition to college as the biggest challenge that students face. "I really had no clue how to write a research paper,... how] to take notes in class so I could study from them later, or to take notes from a textbook that summarizes the important facts."

She encourages high school students to develop those skills and not to be afraid to seek help if they need it. "One thing incoming students should know is that there is a large group of people employed at the university with the specific function of making the high school to university transition easier for you. All you have to do is use their services. That is what they were designed for."