Any Uoft Ot Students Willing To Share Advice?

[wilsonwb]

I was hoping to speak to someone about their experiences as an occupational therapy student in Toronto as I will be headed there in September. Currently trying to decide between commuting or renting an apartment and looking for any words of wisdom. Thanks!

[otbea]

I can speak to the commuting experience, as I have been commuting since September!

 

Pros:

- cheaper rent (especially if you're not currently paying rent - I still am, but it is less rent for a nicer place than you'd find downtown)

- fewer expenses if living with parents or relatives

- no moving stress

- potentially higher chance of getting a placement near where you live, as most students don't want to commute outside of Toronto (this is especially true if you're from Whitby, but also for Scarborough, Mississauga, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, etc.)

- no roommate scramble/adjustment to new roommates

- being closer to your job (if you currently have one and want to keep working)

 

Cons:

- LONG commute, depending on where you live (I live north of Toronto, and my commute is an hour and thirty minutes one way, on average)

- difficult to attend early morning or late night social events

- potentially less time to study (I studied and even did assignments on my commute, which actually made it weirdly useful)

- a fair amount of VERY long days (required IPEs and group meetings are often after class/in the evening, so I would get up around 6:20, leave home around 6:40-7:00, and potentially not arrive home until 11:20 p.m. on the very worst of these days)

- having to get up super early even for 9 a.m. classes (thanks to the frequent delays on the TTC as you reach 9 a.m.) and especially for 8:30 a.m. placements (I now get up at 5:30 a.m. . . .)

 

Commuting can definitely be a pain on the TTC, but even though commuting is sometimes very difficult, you get used to it. For me, commuting is something that works well given my individual situation, but can be very tiring given my involvement in extracurriculars and work on top of the program itself. Keep in mind, though, that you can always start off by commuting and move downtown if it doesn't work well for you! (Or vice-versa . . .)