<p>I'm in the process of completing the student housing survey, and I'm not entirely sure which res I'd prefer. I've ruled out *Solin Hall<a href="looks%20nice,%20but%20too%20far%20for%20my%20liking">/i</a>, the *MORE residences<a href="not%20keen%20on%20communal%20living,%20at%20least%20for%201st%20year">/i</a>, and *Royal Victoria College<a href="ambivalent%20about%20living%20in%20an%20all-girls%20residence%20for%20another%204%20years">/i</a>.</p>
<p>Greenbriar, New Res, Douglas, Gardner, Molson, and * McConnell* remain as options.</p>
<p>Last year my daughter had requested Douglas but was put into RVC. She was very disappointed, did not want to live with all girls, etc BUT it turned out really well for her. After getting over the initial shock, she started to look into RVC and found that the west wing (older part) was far nicer then the newer (1960's?) wing. She requested to be put there, and had a slightly larger room overlooking an inner courtyard and could here the pianos from the music school (a good thing).</p>
<p>She made a lot of friends very quickly. There were very few girls who had actually chosen RVC, except for the international girls whose parents had made the choice. Except for one very loud music playing girl, no one made too much noise, so sleep and studying were possible. The bathrooms were clean. The location was excellent. RVC is on the corner of University and Sherbrooke, across the street from the campus, so when it was 20 below, she didn't have to stay out in it for long. She also didn't have to slide up and down the hill where most of the dorms are. RVC is also downtown, so all those amenities were available, the metro, banks, food, stores, etc. </p>
<p>The boy issue didn't seem to be a problem as she met them in classes and social activities and extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>BTW, you don't live in the dorms at McGill for four years, only for one year. They only have enough room for first year students then you have to find an apartment, which is not too difficult and it is less expensive.</p>
<p>My daughter told me this morning that there is talk about making the east wing of RVC coed. Whether that is for this coming school year or not, I don't know.</p>
<p>musicmom2: could you (or your son) say more about Douglas ? is the walk long in the winter to go to engineering classes ? is it a good idea to have a bike ? how cold does it get ? .... for someone used to warm winters...
also... is anybody in engineering? how big are the classes?
thanks!</p>
<p>Douglas is so picturesque, but don't get your heart set on it, being the first choice of many, it's difficult to score a place there. Also, scholarship recipients have first dibs and fill a lot of the spaces.<br>
My son loved Molson. The parties were over the top, but he made such good friends, funny, smart and interesting. It's the typical U.S. dorm experience -- although he said some girls took cabs to class, a touch of New Res on the hill.<br>
Sad that res life is over, he's now moved 25 minutes off campus to the Plateau with four roommates and will buy a clunker bike to get back and forth. But he has an awesome furnished apartment with 12 foot ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors, moldings and light fixtures, new kitchen and baths. Even renting it for 12 months instead of just the in-school months it'll be less expensive than res.
Cold? Of course. Builds character and proves you're alive. Dress appropriately and don't dwell on it.</p>
<p>Regarding distances: relative to the ammount of walking students do to get around montreal on weekends (and weeknights), the walk from rez to campus is pretty much a joke. Engineers take essentially all of their classes on the Rue University side of campus (McConnel, Frank Dawson Adams, MAAS, or Trottier), studying mostly at Schulich Engineering Library. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes to get to class. First year classes are huge, all engineers take the same classes then (Gen Chem ~ 600, Physics ~ 300, Math ~ 300, Linear Algebra ~150). I'm entering my third year, sizes have shrunk to ~ 120, on average. I take classes for my minor as well, and those are ~ 50-70. </p>
<p>Walking distance seems to be a big issue for a lot of people, I think I'll make that my next project. Walking from Rez is really not a big deal, especially when you move out of Rez into either the Ghetto, Plateau, or farther away, where walking distances exceed twenty minutes and a bike might be necessary. I recommend not weighing walking distances between the Rez's unless you're considering Solin, OR, you're really really lazy and anticipate having trouble making those 8:30 classes. </p>
<p>Music People: Prez Rez, Dio, and RVC are ridiculously close to Schulich music. </p>
<p>Last piece of advise: don't worry too much about anything that might not go exactly your way, initially. Don't set your heart on any one Rez, THINGS ALWAYS WORK OUT. You'll realize in a year that it was not worth the pain. Relax, you'll find your niche and enjoy your time here, eventually if not immediately.</p>
<p>why are prez rez or dio not mentioned anywhere in the "residences' room reservation agreement" ? is it not a choice any longer for first year students?</p>
<p>The Upper Residences are pretty much identical. The culture changes from year to year, but the experience you have in one is not going to be significantly different from another, so I'm lumping them all together.</p>
<p>Pros: Surrounded by the most diverse student body. Close to campus, close to the Plateau, close to Mont-Royal where Tams Tams (hippie music and a lot of pot smoking) is held in the summer.</p>
<p>Cons: Dorm rooms are tiny. The hill is not so bad in the fall and summer, but Montreal winters make it a real pain to walk up hill. Dorm rooms are in pretty bad condition in my opinion. Also, if you happen to live near someone who is a particularly messy, because of the proximity to your dorm, some of the consequences can spread to your room. Shared kitchens.</p>
<p>New Rez</p>
<p>Pros: Best rooms, best food, most convenient location.</p>
<p>Cons: New Rez's dirty secret: Because of the sheer amount of young people in the residence getting high and drunk every Thursday to Sunday, New Rez often has pest problem. Imagine trying to clean up 14 floors worth of 18-21 year olds every Monday. New Rez also has a well deserved reputation for being the residence with the most spoiled brats. I know, every residence has its bad apples, but New Rez just attracts the most because of it's environment. It's the most expensive residence and it's dorm rooms once belonged to a four star hotel, it's to be expected. Also, the likelihood of you getting a single room is pretty low since they often go to scholarship students so just keep that in mind.</p>
<p>Greenbriar</p>
<p>Pros: Most accessible in terms of location. Across the street from most of the major buildings. Biggest living spaces. Meal plans are optional and you get your own kitchen so if you're a good cook this is a great location. Cheapest rents. You get your own bedroom in addition to a large apartment, complete with living room, balcony and windows.</p>
<p>Cons: Lack of any real good grocery stores near campus. There's a Provigo and a Metro, but they aren't all that great if you're looking for specialty stuff (ie: Asian food, organic food etc.). Rooms vary greatly in quality.</p>
<p>Btw, they're repainting all the rooms in Douglas. Also, there was an underground tunnel to navigate between houses which is being painted green (it has been red for the past 30 years, apparently).</p>
<p>I'm really wanting a Douglas single. How is the social vibe there? Do the kids feel a bit separated from the other upper rez students? Are the parties more low-key? Is it worth the extra couple thousand dollars?</p>
<p>Well, this year doug was a lot of fun. the parties feel more exclusive because it's just going to be the hundred or so people you see every day. mostly people from other rezes didn't show up, but that never hurt the fun factor. i still had a lot of friends in upper rez, but you have to be wiling to go up there and get to know people, otherwise you get stuck in a doug bubble.
umm i'd definitely say i was happier at doug than i would've been elsewhere, but as far as money, i'm not sure how to quantify whether or not it is worth it. we do have our own dining room and more laid back caf workers, though. :P</p>
<p>awesome to hear. Did you make good friends and stuff to move in with for next year?</p>
<p>I wanted MORE single before but it seems sort of risky because you don't know who you're gonna end up with and there's only a few people per house...</p>
<p>Molson/Gardner seems pretty good too but I'm sort of dreading the hill during the icy winters... and douglas is less of a hike right? (is there a big difference between the distance to upper rezs and douglas?) Also worried about Molson's party rep and its affect on GPA. I don't want a really boring rez either though.</p>