GO TO HELL QUEEN'S COMMERCE.

Okay in all seriousness, what's the most important aspect of a university program?

Maybe for some, it's the technology. For others, its the infrastructure: how comfortable is the chair you're sitting in, how well you can see the professor from any seat in the room. For me, it's academic counselling. Knowing that when I have a problem, I can walk in, make an appointment, see someone, and my problem is fixed.

Unfortunately, the program I picked lacks in that very area. They pride themselves on everything else. Excellent infrastructure, advanced technology, 100% graduate recruitment program, blah blah blah. Can't forget their favourite one: #1 MBA PROGRAM IN CANADA.

Last week, I had an academic problem. So I made an appointment with my academic counsellor. Or tried to. Here's how the conversation went: (Keep in mind this is Monday).

Secretary: Okay you need an appointment? I have next week Tuesday at 9am.
Gurleen: Umm, it's urgent, do you think I could see someone this week?
Secretary: Okay one minute. Okay I have Thursday at 11am.
Gurleen: Oh well--
Secretary: NO WAIT! 11:30am.
Gurleen: Yah okay that's fine I'll see you then.

Thursday. I arrived at 11:35am. My fault I know, here's what happened:
Gurleen: Hi I have an appointment. It was at 11:30am.
Secretary: Oh um, the next student actually just went in.
Gurleen: But i'm only five minutes late, I'm sorry I had class --
Secretary: Oh no no it's okay! The other student just showed up 15 min early so I sent her in. She should be out soon. Feel free to take a seat

There was really nothing else I could do so I took a seat. The other person couldn't take that long. I'll be outta here in 20 minutes I thought, glancing up at the clock.

I waited an hour.

A whole hour. How can you allocate one hour to one student, knowing you have a appointment waiting?

Now your thinking - well Gurleen, it was your fault, you were late. Okay fine, I admit I was late. So make me wait 15 min, half an hour, 45 min max. An hour?? Isn't that a bit much?

Keep in mind, i'm not saying they were DONE in that hour, I just LEFT after an hour. Not before I tried making another appointment:

Gurleen: [pissed off] Can you please reschedule my appointment?
Secretary: [Slightly embarassed, knowing the previous appointment was taking much longer than scheduled.] Let me just see if someone's free. [disappears for 18 centuries. comes back shaking her head.]
Gurleen: This is ridiculous, I've been waiting an hour, it really isn't fair.
Secretary: I know, I have no idea what's taking so long, okay let me see....Let me print out your schedule and talk to someone when their done. I'll call you.
Gurleen: Alright, that sounds fine. [thankful that someone would be working around my schedule for a change]

The secretary prints out my schedule, takes down my phone number and email, and promises to get in touch with me. 3:00pm, in class, I get a phone call. Frantically shutting it off, I leave class and run down to the commerce office.

Gurleen: You called?
Secretary: Yes! I have Monday at 11am.
Gurleen: [frustrated - hadn't she just printed out my schedule?] I have class then. Nothing today? Or tomorrow?
Secretary: Completely booked. I have--
Gurleen: How are you completely booked? How many student appointments do they have? What are they doing?
Secretary: [caught off guard by my questioning] Uhhh....well they have a lot of staff meetings, they're on a lot of committees...

Gurleen: Look, this is really urgent, I can't do Monday at 11am, is there an earlier appointment?
Secretary: I have Thursday at 10am.
Gurleen: That's a whole week from now, I can't wait that long! [fully exasperated]
Secretary: Umm..
Gurleen: [unable to waste anymore time] You know what. Just forget it. I'll figure it out.

And I leave.

Honestly, if you're going to have a top rated business school, and if you're going to encourage the brightest students to attend it, you better damn well have the academic resources available to them. At the University of Western Ontario, all academic counsellors have drop-in hours. At the Schulich School of Business, students have the option of calling a hotline for emergency academic questions and concerns. At the University of McMaster, academic counsellors are available from 9am-4pm everyday, and a student has to wait at most two days before seeing someone, even during final exam time. Notice how these academic counsellors at other universities are SOLELY ACADEMIC COUNSELLORS. They're not advisors on 50 different committees.

Note to future applicants wanting to attend the Queen's Commerce program:
student must wait one week to have a 5 minute emergency session with an academic counsellor.