If you've ever heard of Brock University before, then you're probably familiar with the phrase: "If you can walk and talk, you can go to Brock." For those of you who don't know, I can both walk and talk exceptionally well, so I decided Brock was the school for me...
Just kidding.
I actually went to Brock for their well-rated undergraduate creative writing program and the scholarship money they offered me—I just thought this post would be funnier if I started with a joke. However, if you go to Brock or you're considering it as a post-secondary option, don't let the rhyme deter you (I know when I was at high school, that was all I ever heard).
As of April 26th, I had the last exam of my first year, ending my winter term. In honour of that, I decided that I would write a little blog post about my adventures during my first year, the residence I stayed in, how I enjoyed my classes, and what I thought about the school.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL...
First of all, Brock University is located in St. Catherine's, Ontario, not half an hour away from the Niagara Falls. This university is well-known for their teachers programs, their sports management major, and their school of business. I myself am majoring in English and Creative Writing, with a minor in history. The campus is what I like to call "medium-sized." It isn't necessarily small, but it is far from being as big as Queens University or uOttawa (which makes it the perfect place for students who have trouble navigating... like myself). One of the highlights of the campus is the ten-story library that lights up different colours at night, as well as their numerous and modern residence buildings. If you plan on going to Brock, get ready to be referred to as a badger all the time (that's our mascot. Boomer, if you're reading this, hi *waves*).
RESIDENCE...
Brock has a total of eight different residences, offering traditional, semi-suite, suite, and townhouse style rooms. For those of you unfamiliar with the residence buildings, here's a list:
1. Vallee (semi-suite)
2. DeCew (traditional)
3. Earp (semi-suite)
4. Village (townhouse)
5. Res 8 (semi-suite)
6. Gateway Suites (suite)
7. Lowenberger (semi-suite)
8. Quarry View (townhouse)
QUICK NOTE: During my first year (2021-2022), Brock had an additional residence called "Lofts" which was actually an apartment building where students could stay, but did not belong to Brock. For the 2022 Fall Semester, I believe that you can only stay there by applying through the actual building owner, not through Brock.
For my first year, I stayed at the Allan Earp residence (usually just referred to as "Earp") in a semi-suite room. If you aren't sure what "semi-suite" means, it's the type of dorm where you have two separate bedrooms adjoined by a shared washroom (which is the only space you actually have to share with your roommate). If you're looking for your own personal space but you still want to have the roommate experience, I highly recommend choosing this option. It's slightly more expensive than traditional (which is the cheapest option; you share a bedroom with a roommate and a washroom with the entire floor).
The pictures featured in the slideshow start with an image of the exterior of the Earp residence building, followed by an example of one of the dorm room and washrooms, ending with an image of the dining hall at DeCew (where deer can be seen just outside the window!).
Earp formally had the reputation of being the best residence on campus, which it definitely lived up to. It was quiet, with the option of staying on substance-free floors, and had its own laundry room on the basement floor. However, it does not have its own dining hall (the only residences that have dining halls are Lowenberger, Res 8, and DeCew), but they are located very close so it isn't too much of a problem. It also has its own service desk which was incredibly helpful. Overall, 8/10 on the score sheet for me.
As of the winter semester in 2022, Res 8 (the newest residence building), became known as the "best" out of the semi-suite residences. As someone who has seen almost every residence, I can agree. If you're going to Brock University, and you're looking to stay on residence, I definitely recommend having Earp or Res 8 as one of your top picks!
CLASSES...
Because I am a humanities student with a minor in history, most of my classes were English or history based... not surprisingly. My classes included ENGL 1F95 (a first year English and humanities course), BIOL 1F25 (a biology course meant for students who have no prerequisites in science), MARS 1F90 (a humanities course about medieval and renaissance history), CLAS 1P92 (a classics/humanities course about life in ancient Rome), and HIST 1F95 (a world history since 1900 course). Usually first years will a minimum of five courses to receive five full credits by the end of their two semesters—however, I am missing half a credit (which I will be earning in my second year) so I'm short a class.
I had good experiences in all of these courses, and most of my professors and TA's were really great. My favourite course was MARS 1F90. Dr. Basson was a great professor who was very passionate about the subject. There were two hours of lectures and an hour-long seminar each week, and most of the work included short or long essay assignments. One of my favourite parts of this class was our ability to read primary sources from the Middle Ages and actually discuss our opinions of them, instead of summarizing what they were about (which is something very different from high school). My least favourite class was probably CLAS 1P92. Although learning about ancient Rome itself was interesting, the way Dr. Katharine T. von Stackelberg taught was not for me. Her lectures were long, with many slides in her presentations that were covered mostly in text. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the class—our seminars were very unique, where we actually had to pretend to be characters from ancient Rome, and live our lives according to numbers we rolled on a dice.
Also, if you're not sure what the difference between a lecture, a seminar, and a lab is, here's a brief explanation:
LECTURES = a lecture can vary between one and three hours for first years. This is where the professor of your course will address the entire class and teach the subject. Attendance is not usually marked (but I highly suggest attending all of your lectures!).
SEMINARS = each course will be accompanied by a seminar, lab, and/or tutorial. Seminars are usually a group of 10-30 people from your course that will meet in a small classroom to discuss what you have learned in lecture (usually you will be given questions beforehand that you will answer during the seminar). These are usually marked by participation and have mandatory attendance. These are led by Teacher Assistants (TA's).
LABS = labs only accompany science courses. If your lab is in-person, then you will often complete some sort of hands-on task relating to course material with a handful of other people, and usually requires a lab report submission afterwards. Online labs usually require you to read a lab report and answer questions based on your understanding of the information. These are led by TA's.
MY EXPERIENCE...
Because of COVID protocols, my first year at university wasn't your "typical" experience. That being said, I did attend both online and in-person classes, online and in-person seminars, as well as online labs. All of the campus stores and restaurants were open, but masks were required at all times (including in residences). One advantage to being at Brock was our proximity to the Pen Centre, a small mall that was only a ten-minute bus ride away. In my experience, the people at Brock were always nice, and I had great and understanding professors. Another advantage was the fact that Brock is located only steps away from the Bruce Trail and environmentally protected land, allowing students to hike on trails any day of the week. Stumbling across a deer on your way to class is definitely a great way to start your morning! One downfall was, during the time that I went, Res 8 and Inniskillin Hall were under construction, so some pathways were blocked, and at times construction would be quite loud. Otherwise, I'd give my first year at Brock an unofficial rating of 7.5/10 for a pretty good experience.
This slideshow starts with a picture of one of Brock's outdoor study spaces, where students can study or eat. The following two pictures are pictures I took on a hike through Alphie's Trough which is located on campus. The third picture is the Brock athletic field. The fourth picture is the Brock's outdoor high ropes course available for student use. The final photo is an indoor study space for students overlooking the university's pond.
Well, that brings my quick review of Brock University to an end! If you're interested in learning more about my experience at Brock, feel free to reach out to me through my contact page. And if any of my fellow Brock badgers are reading this, congrats on finishing the year, and I'll see you again in September!
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