Living/Academics at McGill--questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z McGill University
1

<p>Im definitely attending McGill, after visiting Montreal this past weekend I knew that this would be the perfect place for me.</p>

<p>However, to get a difference of opinion from the tour guide/a friend who attends, my parents went on their own and talked to the parents of a girl who graduated from my high school and went to McGill. They were very enthusiastic when we got back from Montreal; basically prepared to send in the deposit at any time. This girl whose parents they talked to does love McGill but ran into some issues her freshman year and now my parents are EXTREMELY skeptical. As in, before they were thrilled about me going there…excellent city, great reputation, more rewards that the small american liberal arts schools i applied to. now theyre thinking that even though these schools are way more expensive and have less to offer, that maybe less risk/less reward will be better. </p>

<p>i think all colleges have their issues, its just mcgills is more unfamiliar to an american international than that of colleges here. also, i know plenty of people who are americans and have absolutely adored mcgill. this girl does too, she just had a few more road bumps. but with that said…these were my parents’ concerns, if anyone (especially a former/current student) can elaborate.</p>

<li><p>housing–i plan on putting the upper rez houses as my top choices, which come with an 8 month lease. the people my parents talked to said their daughter stayed in the apartment-style houses freshman year…and 11 month lease. theyre also afraid that once i do get out of rez, that ill have quite the time finding a renter unless i plan to live there in the summer, yet the doubted that was possible because my french is only passible and apparently you have to be fluent to get jobs in downtown montreal, even. not to mention that most apartments dont come furnished, and its hard as a student to provide this plus cooking suppies and other stuff.
i said that yeah, the summer thing with the apartments can probably end up a mess, but even if i have to rent it out for really cheap, these apartments are MUCH cheaper for me than living in a dorm at a private american university for only the school year. so whats the real deal here, anyone?</p></li>
<li><p>lack of academic flexibility–me and my parents were highly interested in arts legacy. however, this girl did not like it, thought it was geared too much to philsophy/political science, and was too similar to what she learned in high school and had to go through so much crap to meet with an advisor, get out of the program and into classes she wanted, etc. im thinking this is just a difference of opinion–my tour guide is a business major, english minor (basically what i plan on doing) and really enjoyed the program. she also felt that people and the arts departments had a lack of creativity, and almost too rigorious academics.</p></li>
<li><p>finances–apparently there was also an issue because there are many very financially stable people at mcgill, and budgeting while your friends are spending lots of money for a night on the town was a problem for this girl, who had to take out massive loans, unlike what i will be doing. ill have to earn my spending money and i know i cant be skiing and whatever very often but…is this really a HUGE issue? i would think it would be better than NYU where its 50,000+ dollars a year and the city taxes are ridiculous.</p></li>
<li><p>other–cell phone deals are a pain to navigate, and mad expensive. it is apparnetly very challenging to get a good deal in the states, and im not sure i want to switch to a montreal number. any advice? also, banking…my parents are really worried about the money transfer, with the american dollar being worth less, plus transfer fees, huge shipping costs etc.</p></li>
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<p>if you read all that and are going to attempt to answer…thank you.</p>

2

<p>I can help you out with #3 and #4.</p>

<p>I went to a boarding school freshman year filled with a TON of rich kids. I do not need FA but my parents are very strict with money... It was hard at first but you have to come to realize that no one really cares whether or not you have money; you can get by with a limited budget, and no one really notices. My only suggestion is to work a ton this summer and plan to have one or two thousand to spend once you get there, just to make yourself feel stable. This probably didn't help much because I haven't really experienced college expenses, but it's more of an issue of coming to terms that it's not a big deal for most people.</p>

<p>As far as phone plans, ask your current provider about it. They often have deals that they don't post online... Like I think at&t has a plan that is an additional $6 a month or something. If it turns out to be worthless, the phoneplans up in Montreal have student discounts that would probably work out well.</p>

3

<p>i've been looking around housing in quebec for a while now (not planning to dorm), and there are a LOT of ads on the site i'm looking at. during the summer it should be fairly easy to find housing because some people may be going on vacation and only renting for the summer months because they still have a lease on the apartment. If you split a two-bedroom apartment with someone, the rent's like 400-500 bucks downtown. A bachelor's is like 600-700ish.
Furnished? like with beds, pots and pans? er... duh, of course not :P. unless you share with someone, in which case they may be able to help you out. But that's not a big deal, just go buy some utensils and sleep on the floor/inflatable mattress, ha. You can definitely talk to people in english when you look for an apartment -.-".
For jobs, i've talked to several people and got different responses. One guy said that without french, there is no way you will find a job (but then he's pretty cynical). A friend said that i don't need to worry about it at all because tons of her friends who lack french-speaking skills find jobs, provided it's slightly harder to do so.
So far, no one has warned me that montreal is a hard place to make it on your own, so I think we're good.</p>

4

<p>^yeah, people may visit montreal and you can find renters...i think the real concern is that there are thousands of undergrad/grad students trying to get rid of these apartments that if you charge even a reasonable amount, theyll know they can find something else cheaper, and do. haha i really didnt expect a perfect apartment waiting for me...actually i didnt really think about it, i guess i assumed there would at least be a bed and a desk. that;s more my parents' concern, having to manage too much other stuff like the pots and pans and whatever else. mattress on the floor/cereal and pb& j is fine by me, thats pretty much what i do now :)</p>

<p>and my sentences are too long haha...but no, i know most people do speak english and that wont be a problem with apartment hunting; i speak slow and labored yet passable french anyway. the real thing is the job market, if need arises for me to stay there in the summer. </p>

<p>as for the money thing...i think my parents are looking at it a bit out of perspective. although i really dont want to be rude or put it too bluntly, their source's financial situation is not on the same level as we are, making it a more significant problem in her case...yes, i have to work and earn my spending money (something ive been prepared to do whereever i attend), but wont have to labor over tuition/boarding/food fees very much if at all. </p>

<p>thanks guys:) if anyone else wants to contribute/add, it's much appreciated</p>

5

<p>I have some of the same concerns as well pb, but thanks everyone for posting!</p>

<p>I especially am afraid of settling into Montreal without being able to speak a word of French, and I know it'll make it hard to find a job which is why I'm bouncing between McGill and Toronto. Does anyone know what on campus jobs McGill offers to American students that don't know any French? Are there internship opportunities for students working towards a science major or a computer science major either in the city or on campus?
Also, how is the safety in Montreal, especially in the area around McGill? When I visited the school, the tour guide said that it was a very safe area, but I come from basically a suburban bubble with like a zero crime rate so I'm not sure how to compare.</p>

6

<p>An american considering U of T...what are the odds. Montreal is one of the safest cities in N. America (I'm a guy though, so I've never really worried about crime...). Your from IL, do you ever go down-town? If so, you know that the city dwelling in most places isn't advertently dangerous, you just need to act smart depending on where you are. </p>

<p>I've never heard of anyone in our year getting mugged yet. I girl got ruffy'd, but that was at a Rez party, and is the first time this year/that's probably happened at a Rez party in a while. You just don't here much about bad things happening (except in the beginning of the year a few girls got hit by cars, but I attribute that to the synergy of their drunkenness, and mediocre quebecois driving).</p>

<p>If you contact the right professors early, you can get a lab job somewhere cleaning dishes or doing unskilled work. I got a job for this term no problem. I posted a thread about the relative ease of it. I saw an assistant opening in this professor's lab, called him up, went and talked to him in person, and had a job for the winter term. You can always get jobs doing other things, like at the library, or cafs, etc.</p>

<p>p.s. to OP and everyone. The only jobs you'll get with ease here are tele-costumer service/telemarketing jobs. All other jobs require fluent or competent french, and most employers adamantly follow that regulation. This city can be navigated purely with english, you'll just find there are times when speaking french will get you a more enthusiastic response. I have plenty of friends here who can't speak french at all, and have no problem getting around. A lack of french won't inhibit, it won't hurt you to know either, though.</p>

7

<p>Thanks! - and yes, I go downtown all the time. True that it's not dangerous during the day but at night it's a bit shadier. I'm in the northern suburbs too :)</p>

8

<p>drmambo, is there an abundance of telemarketing jobs? i'm going there for the summer with no work experience (NAFTA agreement doesnt allow me to work in US)... wow this is like a chance question, lol.</p>

9

<p>I don't know about telemarketing jobs in Montreal but I have seen a few ads from market research companies that say "Anglophones accepted". How very kind of them.</p>

10

<p>I'm sure phone-a-thon at mcgill is always hiring, so that's probably your best bet. I don't know about the abundance of telemarketing jobs, personally, though.</p>

11

<p>also, about OP's point #3. Budgeting your money isn't hard if your smart (the people you surround yourself with has little to do with how your spend your money). I have a decent mix of friends who have pocket money, and I don't find it hard to make sure I don't spend frivolously. Realistically, you can't hit the clubs every weekend; there comes a certain point in the semester where you get so swamped with work you might go out only to eat (at least that's how it is for me). </p>

<p>If you play it smart, there are plenty of ways to go out, and not spend a fortune (e.g. going out with friends and splitting pitchers, walking places, going to clubs/bars with no cover, NOT going to the casino, etc.). </p>

<p>If you want to get drunk on the "cheap" buy 40's. Booze will most likely eat the majority of your budget, and there's no cheap way to get drunk here (even the rubbing alcohol's expensive). You are in a city, and this is canada, so taxes run high (think, the tag said 20$ but you gave them a 20 and a five, and still were short...well that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point). </p>

<p>Cell phone planes aren't that hard to navigate. The common thread is that all plans here suck (for the most part, equally), so you just need to find the lesser of the evils. GET A MONTREAL NUMBER. Don't make your friends pay long distance to call you, and don't make your parents pay long distance to call your friends. Even if you set up a long distance plan with your current provider, it'll probably figure the same cost or cheaper, for you to just get a minimal package here. I pay about 45$ a month for a plan that gives me free nights and weekends, 150 anytime minutes, free incoming and 50 text messages (I've never run out of anytime minutes). I decided not to spend the extra money on caller ID (that's right, they make you pay for that here). My plan would've been cheaper or come with more crap for the cost if I signed up for a 1/2/3 year agreement, but I didn't want to be tied down any way. The beauty of not going with a contractual agreement, means you can put your phone service on hold for the months you aren't using it (e.g. summer), and not have to continue paying the bill. I had t-mobile (my US carrier) unlock my phone, so when I travel between the states and Montreal, I just switch SIM cards, and don't have to worry about another phone. </p>

<p>I have two friends in Arts Legacy, and they both like it a lot. I don't know much about the content of the program, but it definitely gives its students the most attention here. My friends have had SEVERAL wine and cheese's with their Arts Legacy professors. It's a fairly small class thats meets frequently so the professors and TA's all know you, and all that jazz. I know it's heavily "classics" focused, so they read a lot of different literature (I recall my friends having to read both Hamlet and Frankenstein). I don't know what your tour guide means when she says "too rigorous", but that just sounds bitter to me. In the arts, you get graded relative to your peers. If it was too rigorous, your tour guide was probably outclassed. </p>

<p>Getting your "dream apartment" is tough, and I can't really comment on a successful way to do it, as I'm currently attempting to and failing. It's easy to find a crummy place in the ghetto, but finding a place with class, and the right bedroom size is tough. I don't suggest living on your own first year. Let the rez experience ease you into taking care of yourself (by rez, I mean upper and new rez experience...though I highly encourage upper over new). </p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

12

<p>Living on a budget isn't very difficult. As drmambo said you have to be smart about it. I am a student on a budget and have many friends whose parents are filthy rich. It's usually never been a problem with me. Obviously I don't go to 2 concerts every month, nor do I drink till I pass out every weekend. The good thing about Montreal is that it's relatively cheap. You can catch a movie, go to the comedy nest, go skating, go clubbing for cheap. Clubs cost about 10- 20 bucks, just pre drink and you'll be fine. If you earn about 4-5 grand in a summer you should be ok. Buy your books second hand on the McGill Classifieds, at the McGill bookstore,at The Word, or at Haven Bookstore. Books are quite expensive and if you can avoid spending a grand on books it's all the better. Transportation is cheap. It only cost 37 some bucks to get a monthly pass. I've lived downtown my entire life and have usually walked most places which is very convenient.</p>

<p>IMO, the apartment situation is quite annoying. You have to actively search for an apartment but there is no dearth of good housing downtown or elsewhere. For 600 bucks you can get a pretty decent one bedroom apt. You'll have to be organised about it. Start searching in reading week if your dorm is going to kick you out on April 30th and if you won't be here in the summer. Once you get a nice apartment with friends it can be a nice experience.The way I look at it, McGill forces you to grow up. I've enjoyed living in an urban campus and am not too thrilled about my move to Baltimore for grad school.</p>

<p>The phone plans suck. However once you get here during orientation week you'll get to know of many plans. I have an awesome plan for 55 bucks (tax included). I get unlimited outgoing/incoming, caller id. I have a normal Fido plan like drmambo's but then I also have a service that gives me unlimited incoming for an additional 10 bucks.</p>

<p>There are many on-campus jobs that do not require French. Since you're intl. you're more likely to get work study and that should help a lot. The phone-a-thon is always hiring. Also there are many telemarketing jobs that hire anglophones. Just look in the local english weeklies. It's a predominantly Francophone city but you'll be fine even if you do not know french. I am living proof. People will usually break into English when they see you struggle with your French.However the STM (the local transit authority) folks can be major ******** when it comes to the language issue.</p>

<p>McGill has been a very good fit for me. I like the cosmopolitan feel of the very compact New England-esque campus. The city is great and safe. You should definitely experience one summer in Montreal. I am supposed to do reserach at Yale this summer but am going to spend it here instead!</p>

<p>Goodluck!</p>

13

<p>thank you all for taking the time to write all that, all of the responses were helpful :)</p>

14

<p>Hi, </p>

<p>I’m an International Student, and I really want my own room and also a private bathroom. I was leaning toward C4 but the Single rooms apparently don’t show up as an option. :confused: </p>

<p>Does anyone know anything about La Citadell ? </p>

<p>Also, about Greenbrair Apartments? Doesn’t it get real annoying cooking all the time ?
Can you “subscribe” to the regualar meal plans ? </p>

<p>Also this is propbably the first time I’m going to be exposed to harsh winters, so something close would be most fitting, I supposse, still HELP HELP HELP PLEASE :frowning: </p>

<p>Thankyou :)</p>