Hello, people of the forum
So I'm a teacher from Manitoba, who's currently teaching Biology in Bangkok, Thailand. I have my B. Ed. (with a specialization in Biology and Chemistry) and a B. Sc (general science; Bio major, Chemistry minor) from the University of Manitoba. Teaching Biology has re-kindled my interset in the subject and I'm planning to join a Master's program in Biology (something to do with Botany).
My current plan is to come there in the summer of 2014 and do a half semester of under-grad courses as a refresher and for general interest's sake.... possibly a full year of that if it takes a while to get onto the substitute teaching list in a school division in the Burnaby area.
Can anyone advise for / against this plan though? I wouldn't mind starting right into the grad school program, but I feel a little overwhelmed at having to apply to a specific researcher and a specific topic. I feel like doing a 6-12 months of undergrad courses, possibly working as a TA in the lab or just having the chance to check out the campus and meet some of the professors that could be my research supervisors would be a good way to go about it...
How soon should I be starting to panic about applying for the specific master's program? Can anyone give some advice for someone that's never lived in B.C... or from someone that's done a similar thing as I'm looking to do? I heard that the undergrad courses can be a little overwhelming with the huge class sizes and lack of attention from the over-worked professors... Has anyone experienced that and maybe have another more 'cozy' university to do some under-grad courses while I work my way towards the Master's program?
Thanks for anyone who read all of this, and hope to meet some folks from the cool community here soon!