<p>Hey guys, </p>
<p>I was accepted at McGill (I'm an International student from Italy) and will probably go there next year! :)</p>
<p>I was wondering: in the first year, do you advise me to go in Rez or find my own apartment? Both have pros and cons and I'm not sure which one to choose. </p>
<p>Help! </p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I’m an International (Indian) student too and have been accepted into McGill for this Fall.</p>
<p>McGill highly recommends that freshman students stay in the University Residences. That way it is easier to make the transition into university life as food and laundry is more easily taken care of. Also, it is important to note that most of Montreal is francophone so if you don’t speak french, it might be better to stay in the residence in the first year, get more accustomed to the city and then move into your own apartment.</p>
<p>The residence and its meal-plan is a little overpriced but from what I’ve read on blogs of other McGill students and advisors, its still better than staying in a rented apartment in the freshman year.</p>
<p>Which residences are you considering? I’ll probably choose the Pres Rez or the Douglas Hall. Hope to see you next year :)</p>
<p>Hi upapilot,</p>
<p>Sorry for the late reply, I hadn’t seen your response!</p>
<p>Yes you are right, I think I will apply for Rez! </p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptance! What are you gonna study there? :)</p>
<p>I think I’ll choose Solin Hall and then Douglas Hall! So maybe I will see you next year! :D</p>
<p>Congrats on the acceptance!</p>
<p>Lots of factors but if you are young, new to the city, want to make friends fast, go to Rez. Everyone will be in the same boat as you and once you get to know the city, you’ll soon know which places are good to live in once you leave Rez. </p>
<p>At the same time though, considering the rental prices (and cost of food/groceries/etc.) here, Rez is ridiculously expensive. If you are independent and not afraid to explore the city on your own and willing to work, you’ll find way cheaper options, way bigger and way nicer apartments if you go off-campus. </p>
<p>For a first year student though, you’re only going to be a first-year once (and everyone mostly does the off-campus thing after first-year) so why not experience Rez at least once. I know I wish I did.</p>
<p>Same here, newly accepted international student planning on renting an apartment with my girlfriend in August/September when the semester starts. </p>
<p>Just wondering how I’m supposed to do that? Do I just head straight to the apartment I plan to rent (assuming I’ve struck a deal online?) from the airport upon landing and move straight in, or…? I don’t really know how it works :/</p>
<p>McGill keeps a listing of rental apartments around the university. The selection is quite wide and most likely you won’t have to look anywhere else 
Here’s the link:</p>
<p><a href=“https://offcampuslistings.ca/home.html”>https://offcampuslistings.ca/home.html</a></p>
<p>If you are considering Solin hall you probably want to look at the map below (check “residences”) and zoom out to see how far off campus that residence is.
<a href=“http://www.mcgill.ca/maps/”>http://www.mcgill.ca/maps/</a>
I am helping my D choose a residence and initially we did not realize how far it would be, so I doubt (someone feel free to correct me) it is the typical Rez experience (no dining plan required, not walkable to campus, etc.). However, if you want an early start on apartment life, it is probably for you.</p>
<p>If you have already put in your selections, you can go back and reorder them on the survey prior to the cutoff date.</p>
<p>@wueelednayr</p>
<p>Pretty much it as long as you have signed all the paperwork/lease. You can usually arrange how/when you’ll get your keys, etc. with your landlord once the lease is agreed upon. </p>
<p>Thanks @rougetardis 
But how would I be able to sign any legal agreements if I live 9000 miles away and will only arrive in Montreal on the day I need to move in? I’m just really worried I might end up having a very unforgettable (in a bad way) first day in town with my girlfriend struggling to settle down (if say the landlord screws me over)… My parents would be concerned too.</p>
<p>@wueelednayr Your landlord can probably arrange a way to do this, perhaps by making you fax/emailing a pdf of the signed documents/lease. Again though, you’ll have to talk with the landlord to explain your situation. </p>
<p>When are you getting to Montreal? If you’re able to come sooner (early-mid August), I highly recommend just staying in a hotel (maybe through listings in Airbnb) for a few days and looking around in-person. While there’s always the option of subletting/transferring the lease if you don’t like the place, once you commit, you commit for the entire duration of that lease (generally a year). Pictures are deceiving and you have to take into account the surrounding area, how close it really is to all the necessities, etc. </p>
<p>If that’s not possible though, try choosing buildings that are professionally managed (like LCN Management - <a href=“http://www.lcnmanagement.com”>http://www.lcnmanagement.com</a>). I’ve been in a few of these buildings and you can get a sense whether the building is well-maintained and the area is decent. </p>
<p>@wueelednayr Your landlord can probably arrange a way to do this, perhaps by making you fax/emailing a pdf of the signed documents/lease. Again though, you’ll have to talk with the landlord to explain your situation. </p>
<p>When are you getting to Montreal? If you’re able to come sooner (early-mid August), I highly recommend just staying in a hotel (maybe through listings in Airbnb) for a few days and looking around in-person. While there’s always the option of subletting/transferring the lease if you don’t like the place, once you commit, you commit for the entire duration of that lease (generally a year). Pictures are deceiving and you have to take into account the surrounding area, how close it really is to all the necessities, etc. </p>
<p>If that’s not possible though, try choosing buildings that are professionally managed (like LCN Management - <a href=“http://www.lcnmanagement.com”>http://www.lcnmanagement.com</a>). I’ve been in a few of these buildings and you can get a sense whether the building is well-maintained and the area is decent. </p>