Student review [#25869] for Biochemical Engineering
at Queen's University

This degree has been mostly what I expected it to be so far. I went into engineering knowing that it would be difficult and that the workload would be heavy, and I think that having that expectation set is extremely important before going into any applied sciences program.

At Queen’s, everyone in engineering starts out in the same general stream in the first year. In February, you have to decide on one of the eleven different disciplines to specialize in. I really appreciated this part of the program, as so many engineering students don’t know what they want to specialize in when they first start their degree. I liked being able to get a taste of all engineering disciplines: geological, mathematical, mechanical, etc. I decided to pursue chemical engineering, with a minor in biochemical engineering.

The courses that I have taken so far are difficult but interesting. I like being able to understand how things in our everyday life work as a result of taking these courses. For example, we learn about air conditioning cycles in CHEE 210 (thermodynamics), how an aeroplane glides through the sky in CHEE 223 (fluid mechanics) etc.

One complaint I have about the engineering program at Queen’s, in general, is a rule regarding examinations and passing grades of courses. In several classes I took in my second year, one had to pass the exam components of a course to pass the entire course. For example, if you had an average of 80% in your labs of a course, which are worth 25% of your grade, but you got a 50% on your midterm worth 30%, and a 40% on your final exam worth 45%, you would not pass the course. This is because even though overall, you got a 53% in all course components, you only got a 44% in the exam components. This rule has been really frustrating for me, as someone who often struggles on examinations and does better in labs or individual assignments. I believe that the program is already hard enough, and this rule does nothing but cause stress to students.

Another complaint I have would be regarding the accommodations. I had an injury very early on in my second year, and the only accommodations I could get involved transferring weight from tests or assignments that I missed onto my final exam. I was never allowed to take a test at another date or even submit an assignment later. This resulted in my finals being worth most of my grades in several courses. It is extremely stressful knowing that your final grade in a course essentially hinges on a 3-hour exam. I think that the faculty could definitely improve on their available accommodations since, at the moment, they leave students who are already suffering from an injury, a traumatic event etc. in difficult positions during exam season.

In general, I would say that this program has its advantages and disadvantages. I strongly believe that the faculty has some areas that it could improve upon, but I do feel supported by student services and advisors. I also feel that I am going into a field with a variety of career possibilities, which is why I chose the program in the first place.