Certain MA programs might require you to have a honour degree, amongst other things. When you apply for this kind of thing, you put yourself in a pool where you are compared to the other candidates.

Finding the balance between workload and good academic result is key. Your academic results matter a lot here, as well as extra-curricular activities and personal background.

I graduated with a double honour in French Littérature and Military & Strategic Studies at RMC. Dealing with the increased workload definitely affected my average (81%). In order to fulfill the requirements for both honours, I had to write two thesis and take up to 9 courses per semester. I got accepted to do an MA in Political Science at Dalhousie but had to stop for medical reasons. I think doing the extra work to get the honours was worth it in the end. It opened more doors when I was shopping around for the MA programs.

My advice to you is to do what you can and what you love. Aim for the moon, if you miss you’ll end up in the stars.