Throwback prof runs weekly social club for first-year students

Jim Avik Ghoshdastidar’s making it easier for first-year science and engineering students to forge friendships.

He’s seen firsthand how those connections can help students with their transition to university. Jim spent 13 years living and working in eight student residences across three universities. He’s been a community advisor, hall director and residence life manager. And he was the last of the hall directors at McGill University who was connected to academics. He managed a trio of residences at McGill while also teaching general, organic and environmental chemistry.

Jim made a point of showing up and pitching in on move-in days, wanting to be the among the first people from the university to welcome excited and anxious students and parents trying to keep it together until they were back in their cars. “It takes a lot of courage to leave home and start a new chapter. For students, moving into residence is one of life’s defining moments. I wanted to help make it a really memorable experience.”

His role in residences made him a throwback. “I felt like I was a transplant from the golden age of academic dons who were involved in students’ lives beyond the classroom.” He misses having students knock on his residence door at all hours of the day and night with chemistry questions or having groups of students take over his apartment for impromptu marathon homework and study sessions. “I’ve always seen supporting students as part of my service to the university.”

Jim joined McMaster’s department of chemistry & chemical biology last August. While he’s not living in residence, he’s still found a way to stay connected with students. By the third week of September, he had ChemClub up and running with a common room in the department serving as home base. The club expanded to two days a week during the winter term with the influx of engineering students taking introductory chemistry courses.

“My job is to bring students together and then get out of their way.” Students play board games, compete in trivia nights and head off together for group tours of places on campus like the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster Museum of Art, the W.J. McCallion Planetarium and the biology greenhouse. The Midterm Waffle De-Stress event was a definite hit. Students also wrote messages of encouragement to more than 150 classmates as part of ChemClub’s Exam Warm Fuzzies event.

Jim empathizes with students who missed out on hanging out during their formative years due to COVID. “We’re running events where students can easily meet one another, have a good time and build out their support networks so they never feel like they’re going it alone.”

Mayra Chacon Scott’s a ChemClub regular. She heard about the club during a Chem1AO3 lecture. She dropped in hoping to connect with other chemistry students. “Meeting new people isn’t my best skill. ChemClub’s made it a lot easier.”

Along with making friends, ChemClub’s become a way for Mayra to unwind. “I drop in to relax for an hour between classes.”

Jim launched ChemClub with students like Mayra in mind. She’s staying off-campus with a family who are friends with her parents. “For first-year students who don’t live in residence, ChemClub’s a way to build authentic relationships with their peers and upper-year mentors.”

Aidan Huang’s been one of those mentors. He started volunteering at ChemClub as part of his HUMAN 3CL3 course and as a way to shore up his leadership and facilitation skills. While he’s finished the course, Aidan still drops in to help “Dr. G” with logistics and catch up with friends.

“The first year at Mac can be so overwhelming. It’s hard to make friends while running from class to class.” Aidan says he found it challenging to meet new people during his freshman year. “ChemClub gives students the time and space to unwind and explore the coolest parts of campus. It’s rare these days to have a chance to do free activities with strangers.”

Those activities are ChemClub’s secret sauce, says Aidan. “It’s easier to strike up conversations with complete strangers while you’re doing something together. Students become familiar with each other week after week and become more comfortable and confident taking part in activities that they may have originally shied away from.”

Jim says his department chair’s a ChemClub booster and he’s grateful for the support from faculty and staff. “So many of my colleagues are doing great work to make students feel welcome and included. It’s a real privilege to be part of this team and do my part.”

Jim gets as much out of ChemClub as the students. “It’s those little moments that I find so incredibly rewarding – seeing students build new friendships, enjoy experiences that surprise them and feel the joy and happiness that comes from spending time with other people.

“Even if students can’t make it to ChemClub, it means a lot that it’s there for them. It’s another way for students to know that faculty and staff genuinely care, want them to be successful and appreciate them as valued members of our university community.”