Choosing a university in Canada

[Emilioc]

Hi everyone.
I am a Colombian student looking to study in Canada.
I am trying to apply for physics undergrad programs in universities like SFU, UoCalgary and mcmaster.
I am interested in astrophysics and also quantum physics
Since you know a lot I would appreciate if you give me advice and suggestions, I open for any comments.
Thanks.

 

[Andrew Mason]

Have a look at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. They have a very strong physics program for a long time. I enjoyed my time there as an undergrad. Queen's started the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (Queen's Arthur McDonald won the Nobel Prize in Physics 2015). The physics dept does research there and also has strong ties to the Chalk River nuclear research laboratories which had 2 Nobel prize winners.

 

[bentleyghioda]

I am studying physics at SFU right now. If you have any questions let me know and I'll try to answer them.

 

[Emilioc]

I am studying physics at SFU right now. If you have any questions let me know and I'll try to answer them.

Thanks for the help
Are you enjoying it? I mean do you think it was a good decision to go to SFU or you think there would've been better options.
what do you think about the profs?
and do you like Vancouver?
I from the list SFU is my favorite from the list because I hear a lot of ggod things of it.

 

[Emilioc]

Have a look at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. They have a very strong physics program for a long time. I enjoyed my time there as an undergrad. Queen's started the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (Queen's Arthur McDonald won the Nobel Prize in Physics 2015). The physics dept does research there and also has strong ties to the Chalk River nuclear research laboratories which had 2 Nobel prize winners.

Thanks for the help
Are you enjoying it? I mean do you think it was a good decision to go to SFU or you think there would've been better options.
what do you think about the profs?
and do you like Vancouver?
I from the list SFU is my favorite from the list because I hear a lot of ggod things of it.

Also, is there anyway I can take computer science courses or related work, or you just see physics
Thanks

 

[StatGuy2000]

Also, is there anyway I can take computer science courses or related work, or you just see physics
Thanks

To the OP:

In most (if not all) Canadian universities, students are free to take any elective courses beyond what the required courses for any specific program. So my guess is that yes, you are able to take computer science courses (if it is not already a requirement, as it may be in some schools), and I would strongly recommend you to take them.

To your original question:

All of the questions mentioned in your original post (SFU, University of Calgary, McMaster) are great schools for physics, as is Queen's University. Among other schools worth considering include University of Toronto (my alma mater, btw), McGill University, Concordia University, UBC, University of Waterloo, and the University of Victoria.

In all honesty, there is not much difference in quality of undergrad programs for physics (or really any of the sciences) across Canadian universities, so which school to choose will depend on other factors that may be important to you. Hope this is helpful!

 

[bentleyghioda]

Thanks for the help
Are you enjoying it? I mean do you think it was a good decision to go to SFU or you think there would've been better options.
what do you think about the profs?
and do you like Vancouver?
I from the list SFU is my favorite from the list because I hear a lot of ggod things of it.

I definitely think SFU was a good choice for me. I live nearby, which has made the transition a bit easier for me. I'm just finishing my first semester so I don't have too much experience with different professors, but so far I have found all my professors to be really good. Something I really like about SFU so far is that they have lots of experiences to see what is going on in physics. They regularly have speakers talking about their research. I have been to a few of these talks; some have gone way over my head, but there were also quite a few aimed at an undergraduate audience. There is also a program that allows first year physics students to experience what it is like to be in a research group.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are interested in going into astrophysics, SFU doesn't have too much going on. From what I understand, many schools have a separate astronomy program. SFU, though, has a first year astronomy course, a third year astrophysics course, and a fourth year course on general relativity. They also have two research groups working in cosmology. Also, every Friday they open up the observatory to the public. The university is located on a mountain, so the view is very nice. Lots of people slid bring their own telescopes, it is quite an enjoyable event.

Sorry about the wall of text, I hope this helps.