Western Vs. Ut Ot

[MacJK]

Anyone know the pros & cons of Western vs. UT's OT? Besides the fact that UT has more placements available. Thanks!

[otbea]

I can speak to potential U of T pros and cons . . .

 

Pros:

- as you mentioned, more placement opportunities (tons of settings, age groups, locations, etc.)

- UTAPS (if you apply for OSAP, you are automatically considered for a grant from U of T)

- OT Welcome Week for meeting fellow classmates

- great location for things to do (as you're right downtown)

- previous grads/current OTs give presentations/lectures/join the program as mentors for students

- lots of opportunities to get involved in the program (councils, committees, volunteering, etc.)

- anatomy lab

- great class cooperation; classmates always willing to help you out

- opportunity to work in groups 

- second years run anatomy tutorials for first years

- potential international placements

- potential placements in Northern Ontario (few, though, in comparison to Mac)

- building is right next to St. Patrick's Station (convenient for commuting)

- lots of places to study/exercise on campus

- lots of events, between U of T and program

- opportunity to be involved in large research project or even do your own

- nice campus (beautiful buildings and good athletic spaces etc. on campus)

 

Cons:

- expensive to live downtown

- program can feel/be disorganized

- a lot of group work, as group work can take a lot of time (really depends on the rapport of your group; group work can also be a pro)

- no windows in classrooms

- large class size (depends on how you feel about large classes . . .)

- large study groups (depends on how you feel about large groups - usually 9 students/group)

- TTC has a lot of delays in the morning 

 

I can also speak to some general pros and cons of Western, as I went there for undergrad/grad school (not OT):

 

Pros:

- nice campus (again, has some very pretty buildings and a nice athletic centre)

- cheaper rent for potentially nicer places than downtown (depending where you rent)

- much cheaper transit fare (when I was there, bus pass was around $130-ish, full year, included in tuition, vs. $125/mo TTC pass)

- school spirit (FYI, though, grad students tend to be more reserved and don't have the time for all-out partying like undergrads)

- good profs that tend to have good availability

- plenty of clubs/committees on campus, fair amount of events

 

Cons:

- school spirit combined with party culture of undergrads (depending on how you feel about partying, I guess); occasions like St. Patrick's Day can get VERY loud

- local transit (buses) crowded, comes less frequently than in Toronto (but Toronto transit can be just as crowded, depending on when you travel)

- relatively uneventful town; when I was last there, a lot of places downtown had closed down - not sure what it's like now)

 

I loved going to Western, despite the fact that it is located in a relatively uneventful town and the fact that I was the opposite of a party person, and I also love going to U of T for various reasons, including the huge number of things to do on and off campus. I think that no matter which one you choose, you'll have a great time - there really is no wrong choice, as they're both great schools!