When Al and Seth arrived at the Max Bell聽School, they聽had聽more than聽first聽day聽nerves聽鈥� they聽weren鈥檛聽convinced they belonged. With backgrounds in pharmacy and engineering聽respectively, they expected to be surrounded by classmates with political science degrees, government experience, or years of policy reading under their belts. Instead, they quickly discovered a cohort far more varied than the one they had imagined.聽
Their experiences聽鈥撀爉oving to a new city, adjusting to a new field, and discovering what the program is actually like from the inside聽鈥撀爏haped what they now wish they had known before starting the MPP.聽Their reflections offer a candid look at what future students can expect, what they聽don鈥檛聽need to worry聽too much聽about, and what makes the year both demanding and rewarding.聽
Here鈥檚聽what they would聽tell聽the next cohort.聽
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You聽don鈥檛聽need to arrive as an expert. The program meets you where you are.聽
Seth and Al admitted they entered feeling unprepared or unsure of what they were 鈥渟upposed鈥� to know. Seth reflected, 鈥淚聽didn鈥檛聽really read聽poli sci聽academic papers.聽So聽like, how do I read?聽And聽the faculty聽taught me how to read聽them.鈥� He added, 鈥淎nd that seems like a funny thing, but the faculty really does meet you where you are and they are very accommodating.鈥� Their experience shows that uncertainty聽isn鈥檛聽a disadvantage;聽it鈥檚聽something the program expects and helps you work through.聽
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Keep an open mind about what聽you鈥檒l聽end up loving.聽
Many聽MPPs聽arrive with set plans that聽ultimately聽shift聽once they聽encounter聽new material and faculty.聽Al聽said, 鈥淚 came into the degree thinking I鈥檇 do a lot more climate聽or聽environmental policy stuff, but one of my favorite classes ended up being on asylum and refugee policy.鈥� The program鈥檚 flexibility聽and聽wealth of options for elective courses聽allows students to discover interests they聽didn鈥檛聽know they had.聽
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You can come from any background,聽and your cohort becomes one of your biggest teachers.聽
Students聽cohort to cohort聽repeatedly highlight聽how much they learned from one another.聽Seth聽noted, 鈥淚 honestly came in thinking I would be the only science person鈥� But no,聽I found聽the cohort聽to be聽so, so diverse.鈥� Al聽added that this diversity聽also聽shows up in experience.聽鈥淗ere you have people who have been working in the industry for quite some time,聽and that was just a really interesting and valuable experience to bring to group projects.鈥� The mix of ages, fields, and professional histories becomes a core part of聽the academic聽experience.聽
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Remember that learning happens outside the classroom too,聽especially in a city like Montreal.聽
Al and Seth said聽it鈥檚聽easy to get wrapped up in the Max Bell building, with dedicated聽classrooms, study聽spaces, and even a聽student聽kitchen, but the city quickly becomes part of the experience if you let it. 鈥淏oth Al and I, we moved to the city to do our MPP.聽Montreal is a fantastic city.聽There鈥檚聽always something happening, even聽when聽it鈥檚聽winter,鈥� Seth explained. From festivals and聽student-discounted聽concerts to the聽many聽museums with free聽evenings, Montreal offers constant opportunities to step away from coursework, explore, and strike a balance while聽you鈥檙e聽in the program.聽
