Other than a cute scarf, the must-have accessory at McGill is a laptop, hands down. Laptops are essential for taking notes, or, more accurately, Facebook stalking, during the larger lecture classes. The entire campus is covered by McGill’s wireless network, which is actually quite fast. However, if you don’t bring a laptop to school, you shouldn’t run into many difficulties. Other than the larger and more crowded computer labs in the libraries, there is at least one computer lab in nearly every building on campus.
The McGill Web site, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. It’s true; everything you could possibly want to know about McGill and its policies is there. However, getting to this information is a different story. The Web site is a labyrinth of links, and much of it can only be discovered by using the search tool for the specific information you seek. McGill administration ignores this fact, and if ever you have a question, their first response is to direct you to their almighty Web site. WebCT is a resource for students’ individual courses that professors can upload recordings or copies of their lectures and students can communicate with one another or the professor through discussion boards. Minerva, the online database for student responsibilities, such as registration, tuition payment, exchange applications, and transcripts, is the bane of students’ existence. It frequently times out, has a low traffic capacity, and is incredibly confusing. When registration time rolls around, absolute chaos ensues. After refreshing the login page for approximately half an hour, you will finally access the course listings only to find that all the classes you were hoping to take are full.