麻豆AV

Outlined below are key tasks to be done (1) before arriving at 麻豆AV and (2) within the first few weeks of a student鈥檚 first semester. International students have a set of additional tasks to complete (i.e., pertaining to immigration, banking, SIN), which are included in a separate section.

Before You Arrive

1. Accept your admission offer听
2. Activate your 麻豆AV username and password on
3. Setup your 麻豆AV email(s): IT services will email you: (鈥淚T Services for 麻豆AV Students鈥� and 鈥淚T Services for 麻豆AV Employees鈥� from mailadmin [at] mcgill.ca).
   Set up to a personal email if you wish.听Your student email ends in @mail.mcgill.ca. If you are TAing, you will also have an employee email that ends in @mcgill.ca. You will need to access/check both.听
   Note: many of 麻豆AV鈥檚 web pages require you to be signed in with your 麻豆AV email when you are off campus: if you get an error message when trying to access one of the resources below, check that you are logged in to your @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca account.
4. Update your profile: Minerva 鈫� personal menu 鈫� address/phone/email/emergency contact
5. Submit transcripts & proof of graduation: ask your previous institution to send your official transcripts to officialschooldocs [at] mcgill.ca and ancil.gittens [at] mcgill.ca (Graduate Program Coordinator)
6. Submit your legal documents: Check what you鈥檙e missing on Minerva 鈫� Student menu 鈫� Student accounts menu 鈫� View tuition fee & legal status. Find which documents are required for Quebec residents, Canadians outside of Quebec, and International students.
7. Sign up for orientation events: see section "Getting acquainted with 麻豆AV and Biology".
8. Set up an appointment with the Student Accessibility and Achievement听(SAA) if you need accommodations (extra testing time, note-taking support, learning resources, assistive technology...). Meeting with an advisor early will allow you to discuss resources available to you,听and to make sure that enough time is given to put any accommodations in place. SAA also has a helpful FAQ page.
9. Register for courses for Fall and Winter semesters. Course requirements can be found here. Communicate with your supervisor about recommended/required courses. Make sure to sign up for the REGN RGCR course code (this makes sure you are officially registered as a student for the term).
10. Complete 鈥�It Takes All of Us鈥� on myCourses (see "Mandatory Online Sexual Violence Education Program" in the section Human Resources). If you are a TA, you鈥檒l have to do this twice 鈫� once as a student & once as staff.
11. Complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial on Minerva: Minerva 鈫� Student Menu 鈫� Academic Integrity Tutorial.
12. If you have courses at the Macdonald campus and are not driving, familiarize yourself with the Shuttle Bus Rules
13. Look for housing.听Note: the entirety of Montreal seems to move on July 1 every year, though areas near 麻豆AV are much more flexible, or tend to have leases starting May 1.

Within the First Few Weeks of Term

1. Complete the necessary Environmental Health and Safety Training to work in your lab.
2. Set up banking info on Minerva for stipend/scholarship payments: Minerva 鈫� Student 鈫� Student Accounts Menu 鈫� Direct Deposit Bank Account
3. Apply for Teaching Assistantships (TAs) (discuss with your supervisor first: part of your minimum support includes 180h of TAing/year)

- You鈥檒l receive an e-mail from the department when the applications are open

- Struggle with Workday, it鈥檚 part of the process (check Application guide)

- Don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to your department contact for help! (susan.gabe [at] mcgill.ca)

4. Apply for external fellowships and grants (optional - check your eligibility!)
5. Pay tuition, or defer your tuition payment听
6. Learn about . See "Health and Dental Insurance", in section Human Resources
   Note: You are not automatically registered for insurance if you enter in the Winter semester. The opt-out period is very brief (~one month in the fall and the winter), so don鈥檛 forget to opt-out if you intend to have different insurance.
7. Set up an appointment with the 麻豆AV Student Wellness Hub if you need to arrange medication refills, or other medical services including doctor appointments, lab work, nurses, counsellors and psychiatrists. The Hub offers appointments with Access Advisors, who help students navigate which services are offered on and off campus.
   Note: If you call the office at 8:30am on any day, you can sometimes get same-day appointments. Normal wait times are usually a few weeks to a month.
8. Sign up for mailing lists: You may have lists for your lab, the building, the department, seminars, PGSS, BGSA鈥�ask around and see what other students have signed up for (see section Mailing Lists).
9. Get your student card from 麻豆AV鈥檚 welcome centre
10. Set up card/key access for your office and lab (ask your fellow lab members and/or supervisor).
11. Set up a meeting with your PI to determine expectations, training, meeting schedule, and to draft a letter of understanding.
12. Start brainstorming supervisory committee members - look up 麻豆AV (& external) professors with complementary backgrounds to your proposed project
13. Check Milestones (see 鈥�Overview of Degree Milestones鈥�) to check your program鈥檚 requirements and make sure you don鈥檛 miss the deadlines. For any questions, contact ancil.gittens [at] mcgill.ca

Extra Steps for International Students

Before you arrive

1. Look at resources on the International Student Services (ISS) website
2. Sign up for orientation for International students (Orientation webinars, Buddy Program). Previous orientation/webinar recordings are also available online and can be helpful resources (i.e., , 鈥�).
3. Apply for your immigration documents (Application guides for CAQ & Study Permit)

- Start applying for your CAQ as soon as you get your 麻豆AV acceptance letter: Submit CAQ request 鈫� the proof of submission can already be used to start the Study Permit process (no need to wait for CAQ approval)

- Start the Study Permit & Visa process

- Set up medical & biometric appointments (if needed)

- Proof of financial support (enough money to support you for the year)

- 麻豆AV enrolment letter

- Get a visitor Visa (if required - depends on citizenship)

- Sign up for - this helps you speed through immigration!

As soon as you arrive

1. Get a Social Insurance Number (SIN): after you arrive (you need to have your Student Permit in hand), you can or go to a without an appointment and ask for a SIN. Make sure you have . When received, update your SIN in Workday and on Minerva.
2. Get a Canadian bank account: You need a Canadian account to be paid. You can already book an appointment online before arriving but will need to go in person with your immigration and ID documents to open your account. You may need a SIN to open an account (this depends on the bank).

Where to eat on campus

麻豆AV has several options for dining and coffee on-campus. Near the Biology department, here are some options to grab a quick lunch and/or coffee.

For a full list of on-campus dining, visit /foodservices/locations

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