McGill MacDonald campus residence

<p>Hey guys, I'm coming to mcgill this year, but I have noo idea what the campus is like, what the residences are like etc...</p>

<p>I want to pick a residence, Laird Hall or Ecorez, but I have noo idea what they are like, so could someone who's preferably there already tell me what they are like, and which one they prefer?
I also want to know what there is to do on the campus, because I haven't visited it, so I want to know if its really quiet, or if there are things to do?</p>

<p>I would really appreciate your help :)</p>

<p>Hi,
While I can’t comment on the campus of today, I grew up in that town, went to the CEGEP (sort of a junior college between highschool and university), then did a BSc at Macdonald and a PhD there too. So I knew a lot about it.
Here is what I think probably remains the same (and indeed we visited in the summer):

  1. Laird hall seems like an average dorm. Don’t know Ecorez since it must be new. The campus out there in general is absolutely beautiful. It has a faculty club on the water of lovely lake of two mountains. The campus has a gorgeous apple orchard and horticulture department where they sell produce I believe. The campus is shared with the junior college which has the advantage of being able to use the sports facilities (nice pool and squash courts etc- I guess it’s not as new as it was when I was there). The most glorious place on the earth however is the Morgan arboretum for cross country skiing.
    There is an arena too (I learned to skate there as a kid) but don’t know what its condition -I think they have a hockey team out at Mac.
    Parking on campus should be pretty good. I’d recommend a car if you are in Ste Anne. The faculty also has what they call the agriculture “diploma” program - like community college (I think they still have this) and they have had in the past events like wood chopping competitions, tractor shows etc at the agricultural farm. (They have a big experimental farm and a “seed” farm as well.) So there is a bit of the farmer thing going on too.
    A lot of francophone students seem to go to mac. A lot of very laid-back environmental and outdoorsy types, and also internationals studying agriculture.
    Classes are smaller and you can usually get to know the profs and graduate students. A lot of personal attention. Easier to get good grades there and then get into medicine or vet school or whatever.
    The town of ste- anne has become a kind of touristy town of late and there is a yaught club and lots of drinking and partying in the town I believe. There has always been a pretty good music scene in Ste Anne too (was quite the hippy town in the day).
    The odd thing is that the town is a strange mix of rich and working class poor and students. The town has a few restaurants and shops but no movie theater I don’t think.
    Should be quiet on the campus. Students partied and other students houses a lot.</p>

<p>I’m sure that you’ll be assigned a room at Laird Hall in your first year. It’s not glamorous but it’s cheap, well-maintained, and a good place to meet friends. You’ll have to cook since there is no meal plan available at Mac, but you can get breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria.</p>