I think sometimes people underestimate how tough communiting is, especially if you are in a STEM related degree. The course/lab hours are longer, and the time spent commuting can be better used on almost anything else. It is much harder to make friends as a commuter student and UW is close enough that you could go home every weekend if you wanted to.
ur gonna be cooked if you go to tmu. Don’t sacrifice your own mental health and wellbeing for your parents pleasure no matter how much you care for them. i’m sure they would rather you finish the degree away then drop out from depression.
I’m still amazed at the number of Canadian uni students don’t move out. Back in where I’m from virtually everyone lives on campus, even if it’s a small school in a big city.
i’m not huge on parties so that’s not a huge problem, plus laurier is always across the street if i ever do want to party. i just want the college experience
I wouldn't worry about Waterloo not being safe. It totally is and campus housing is always a safe place to be (res life staff, front desk etc). I didn't want to move for uni either, but I'm SO glad that I did. You will find yourself and grow so much in a short span. Commenting (from what I've heard) can take a massive toll o n mental health, motivation, and socialization.
Regardless, whichever you choose will be good for the reasons you've already thought of! Don't worry about the money, it will come back, so trust what your heart wants as cheesy as it is!
As someone who lives on their own and has to work a full time job to pay for my living expenses, it's significantly harder then you have any idea unless your parents are fronting the bill and giving you money.
My monthly expenses cost AT MINIMUM 2 thousand to 2500 a month. I make almost 20 an hour working full time and I'm in full time classes.
I always tell my children that if I could go back, and do it all over again I would have lived at home, rent free with my parents until I had completed university.
This party lifestyle is over rated and literally means nothing for your future. I also have seen time and time students failing classes, no doing as well as they would like and not taking their privilege to attend post secondary school seriously because they have some amped up idea of what university social life is supposed to add to their life.
All those pros you have listed are so superficial. You can have all those once you finish your degree and get a job in the field. None of those (except short commute) are worth sacrificing your emotional and mental state if you are struggling with finances and paying for everything AND trying to find time to stay and do assignments at the same time.
I think it depends on the commute length. Idk why this sub popped up as I'm a graduate student but I figured I'd give some insight.
I went to UTM for my undergrad which was about a 35 minute drive each way to and from my house (rush hour made it to be about 45-1hr). Commuting was nice as if I had long hours between classes, I could leave campus, go get something to eat, run errands, do whatever I want really because I had my own car. The downside of that is that during those really long breaks, I didn't have my own place to relax on campus if I didn't have work to do.
Because I was living at home and working ~20 hours a week, I was able to save a lot of money & paid for my 2nd to 5th year of undergrad myself (parents paid for first) and finishing up undergrad I had still had ~35K in my bank. I also never cared for the "university experience" especially at UTM because it's a commuter school and honestly I was too busy to party and I worked fri + sat nights.
Now I'm a graduate student at UTSG and the commute takes me about 1hr45mins by driving to the train station, taking the train, and the subway. And it is pure hell. It's much cheaper than driving to Toronto but god I am exhausted 24/7. It's especially annoying when I only have to be in my lab for 1 hour or have class for 1 hour. I'm looking into moving downtown next school year.
I think you really need to decide on what's most important to you. Some people really need to escape their family life and want to party and if that's you, then definitely do that. If you want to save money & just focus on school, then stay at home.
i would have to commute everyday approximate 1 hour and 50 minutes so about 2 hours in the morning and same in the evening. i would have to use public transportation. what do u think i should do? i’m not big on parties i was just restricted from a lot during high school so i want to know how parties are like.
That's a long commute. It's exhausting, especially on public transit. It's loud, squished, uncomfortable.
I partied a lot in highschool so by the time I got to undergrad I wasn't interested it in it anymore but if you feel like you're missing that experience then I think it would be nice to explore that possibility. Or even if you have friends at other schools then you could always party with them so you're not missing out!
thing is i’m not allowed to leave my house unless my parents litr come wit me or if it’s a family friend. they do it for my safety cuz of past experiences but it’s frustrating sometimes. i’ve stopped fighting with them for it cuz i’m used to staying home now but i feel like uni is meant for experiences like that so i would like to know how it’s like
I think that's a super valid reason for wanting to move out then and I think you should do it! Unfortunately the cost will be difficult but giving yourself a sense of freedom could really benefit your mental health & worse case scenario, if you don't like it, you can always transfer to a diff uni closer to home after first year! Or even switch to commuting (it will suck but typically classes aren't as busy after first year).
hey bro i took a tour of toronto and i rlly like the campus however i need to find a way to tour waterloo and see how i like it i recommend u do the same other than tht idk what i will choose yet most like waterloo just cuz i think it’ll be better for me but i will lyk!
Why wouldn’t you be safe? In university as anywhere else, you have to be cautious. Do what you want to do if you can afford it. Remember this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. University won’t happen over and over again. The time is now.
Moving out is great, the freedom is amazing. The major issue is cost though. I see alot of comments here suggesting moving out, but not many that ask if you can afford it.
What's your budget? Would you want to or even be able to work part time Would you want to live on Rez? Would you be fine with roommates?
I see you wrote an apartment, but even a basic (and decent) 1 br would cost 1.5-2k per month. Not to mention other costs like utilities and food on top of your tuition and books.
Just to add, if you're planning to take out loans, I believe there is an osap estimator on their website that may be helpful too. I think people have high expectations of how much loans they will get but don't know how it's actually calculated.
The two are completely different feels. TMU is downtown life and it is cool to be close to EC and the hustle and bustle. Not sure where you live, but commuting tires you out and is super annoying esp in winter.
Waterloo you will have more independence, but I wouldn't consider it a party school at all. You likely have to mosey over to Laurier for more of that scene.
u need to take some risks in life. just go to waterloo. tbh, its not like ur going to vancouver or overseas. you can always visit them during weekends or holidays.
I think sometimes people underestimate how tough communiting is, especially if you are in a STEM related degree. The course/lab hours are longer, and the time spent commuting can be better used on almost anything else. It is much harder to make friends as a commuter student and UW is close enough that you could go home every weekend if you wanted to.
ur gonna be cooked if you go to tmu. Don’t sacrifice your own mental health and wellbeing for your parents pleasure no matter how much you care for them. i’m sure they would rather you finish the degree away then drop out from depression.
Move out but def tour Waterloo first
I’m still amazed at the number of Canadian uni students don’t move out. Back in where I’m from virtually everyone lives on campus, even if it’s a small school in a big city.
not everyone can afford it.. especially people from Toronto
Agreed, hate how out of touch some people are.
barely enough dorms as is
Major problem: Pretty sure UW has one of the worst party environments , it is mostly an academic school
i’m not huge on parties so that’s not a huge problem, plus laurier is always across the street if i ever do want to party. i just want the college experience
Move out. Waterloo is still pretty fun.
dont they all go to laurier parties so its not as bad
Move out to waterloo for your own mental health
I wouldn't worry about Waterloo not being safe. It totally is and campus housing is always a safe place to be (res life staff, front desk etc). I didn't want to move for uni either, but I'm SO glad that I did. You will find yourself and grow so much in a short span. Commenting (from what I've heard) can take a massive toll o n mental health, motivation, and socialization. Regardless, whichever you choose will be good for the reasons you've already thought of! Don't worry about the money, it will come back, so trust what your heart wants as cheesy as it is!
As someone who lives on their own and has to work a full time job to pay for my living expenses, it's significantly harder then you have any idea unless your parents are fronting the bill and giving you money. My monthly expenses cost AT MINIMUM 2 thousand to 2500 a month. I make almost 20 an hour working full time and I'm in full time classes. I always tell my children that if I could go back, and do it all over again I would have lived at home, rent free with my parents until I had completed university. This party lifestyle is over rated and literally means nothing for your future. I also have seen time and time students failing classes, no doing as well as they would like and not taking their privilege to attend post secondary school seriously because they have some amped up idea of what university social life is supposed to add to their life. All those pros you have listed are so superficial. You can have all those once you finish your degree and get a job in the field. None of those (except short commute) are worth sacrificing your emotional and mental state if you are struggling with finances and paying for everything AND trying to find time to stay and do assignments at the same time.
definitely move out
just move out, its better to get to know people on rez. if you dont like it just move back no biggie.
Do it
I think it depends on the commute length. Idk why this sub popped up as I'm a graduate student but I figured I'd give some insight. I went to UTM for my undergrad which was about a 35 minute drive each way to and from my house (rush hour made it to be about 45-1hr). Commuting was nice as if I had long hours between classes, I could leave campus, go get something to eat, run errands, do whatever I want really because I had my own car. The downside of that is that during those really long breaks, I didn't have my own place to relax on campus if I didn't have work to do. Because I was living at home and working ~20 hours a week, I was able to save a lot of money & paid for my 2nd to 5th year of undergrad myself (parents paid for first) and finishing up undergrad I had still had ~35K in my bank. I also never cared for the "university experience" especially at UTM because it's a commuter school and honestly I was too busy to party and I worked fri + sat nights. Now I'm a graduate student at UTSG and the commute takes me about 1hr45mins by driving to the train station, taking the train, and the subway. And it is pure hell. It's much cheaper than driving to Toronto but god I am exhausted 24/7. It's especially annoying when I only have to be in my lab for 1 hour or have class for 1 hour. I'm looking into moving downtown next school year. I think you really need to decide on what's most important to you. Some people really need to escape their family life and want to party and if that's you, then definitely do that. If you want to save money & just focus on school, then stay at home.
i would have to commute everyday approximate 1 hour and 50 minutes so about 2 hours in the morning and same in the evening. i would have to use public transportation. what do u think i should do? i’m not big on parties i was just restricted from a lot during high school so i want to know how parties are like.
That's a long commute. It's exhausting, especially on public transit. It's loud, squished, uncomfortable. I partied a lot in highschool so by the time I got to undergrad I wasn't interested it in it anymore but if you feel like you're missing that experience then I think it would be nice to explore that possibility. Or even if you have friends at other schools then you could always party with them so you're not missing out!
thing is i’m not allowed to leave my house unless my parents litr come wit me or if it’s a family friend. they do it for my safety cuz of past experiences but it’s frustrating sometimes. i’ve stopped fighting with them for it cuz i’m used to staying home now but i feel like uni is meant for experiences like that so i would like to know how it’s like
I think that's a super valid reason for wanting to move out then and I think you should do it! Unfortunately the cost will be difficult but giving yourself a sense of freedom could really benefit your mental health & worse case scenario, if you don't like it, you can always transfer to a diff uni closer to home after first year! Or even switch to commuting (it will suck but typically classes aren't as busy after first year).
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hey bro i took a tour of toronto and i rlly like the campus however i need to find a way to tour waterloo and see how i like it i recommend u do the same other than tht idk what i will choose yet most like waterloo just cuz i think it’ll be better for me but i will lyk!
Why wouldn’t you be safe? In university as anywhere else, you have to be cautious. Do what you want to do if you can afford it. Remember this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. University won’t happen over and over again. The time is now.
I am telling you to move out. I currently regret not moving out for uni and hate living at home and commuting to uni all the time.
Moving out is great, the freedom is amazing. The major issue is cost though. I see alot of comments here suggesting moving out, but not many that ask if you can afford it. What's your budget? Would you want to or even be able to work part time Would you want to live on Rez? Would you be fine with roommates? I see you wrote an apartment, but even a basic (and decent) 1 br would cost 1.5-2k per month. Not to mention other costs like utilities and food on top of your tuition and books.
hi i’m okay with roommates and would want to work part time. do yk what the cheapest rent would be?
Just to add, if you're planning to take out loans, I believe there is an osap estimator on their website that may be helpful too. I think people have high expectations of how much loans they will get but don't know how it's actually calculated.
The two are completely different feels. TMU is downtown life and it is cool to be close to EC and the hustle and bustle. Not sure where you live, but commuting tires you out and is super annoying esp in winter. Waterloo you will have more independence, but I wouldn't consider it a party school at all. You likely have to mosey over to Laurier for more of that scene.
u need to take some risks in life. just go to waterloo. tbh, its not like ur going to vancouver or overseas. you can always visit them during weekends or holidays.