Mcmaster Commute

[marinaOT]

Not sure if anyone will have input on this one:

 

I've been accepted to Mac for OT. I live in Toronto with my partner and he can't leave the city because he works here. 

 

I'm trying do decide whether I should:

 

1. Commute to Mac via GO transit daily.

2. Buy a car and drive every day.

3. Rent a crappy cheap room and live there during the week, coming back on weekends.

 

My main concerns are:

- Making the most of my time in the program

- Healthy school/life balance

- Cost

 

I am also worried about what will happen during placements, since they could end up being even further from Toronto than Hamilton is. 

 

Has anyone braved a commute to PT or OT school? Pros/Cons?

 

Thanks!

[MDwannabe02]

Hey there. I'm currently finishing up PT at Mac right now. Although I lived in Hamilton for the entire program, there were several commuters in my class from the GTA and other regions.

 

My understanding of the commute is, it can be a pain, but is doable. If you're driving, at least you'll be going against the bulk of traffic going to Toronto in the morning and away from Toronto in the afternoon/evening. I think Mac's programs with the PBL approach makes the commute a little bit more palatable as you don't have as many classes/lectures as the other programs. Plus, you'll come to realize you don't have to attend every event in your schedule.

 

I only know of one person in my class that commutes with GO every day, and he seems to manage, but barely. He's coming from Scarborough and is often late or absent for classes. With a small sample size like this though, I don't know if it's just him or having to take GO every day...

 

Renting another place could be feasible, depending on your finances. Student housing and apartments downtown can be $500/month or less with roommates. You just probably can't be too picky.

 

I honestly don't know what I would do, if I were you. I wouldn't want to spend lots of money renting a second place, but the idea of commuting every day makes me sick to my stomach with all the wasted time spent in traffic/waiting for trains, etc. It's going to depend on your weighing of the pros and cons of each and seeing what works for you. Maybe try one option for one year, then something else for second year?

 

Anyhoo, those are my two cents. Best of luck in OT school and enjoy your time at Mac!

[marinaOT]

Thanks MDwannabe02!

It seems there is no way to make the "right" decision on this one... I'm also especially worried about the placements. It's one thing to know how long it takes to commute from Toronto to campus on transit, but once placements starts I might be even further away and it seems it could get unmanageable really fast. 

[crystal93]

Not sure if anyone will have input on this one:

 

I've been accepted to Mac for OT. I live in Toronto with my partner and he can't leave the city because he works here. 

 

I'm trying do decide whether I should:

 

1. Commute to Mac via GO transit daily.

2. Buy a car and drive every day.

3. Rent a crappy cheap room and live there during the week, coming back on weekends.

 

My main concerns are:

- Making the most of my time in the program

- Healthy school/life balance

- Cost

 

I am also worried about what will happen during placements, since they could end up being even further from Toronto than Hamilton is. 

 

Has anyone braved a commute to PT or OT school? Pros/Cons?

 

Thanks!

I'm only starting PT school in the Fall, but I commuted 2-4 hours each day throughout my undergrad. Whether or not you're happy in whichever option you choose will depend on your preferences and on you as a person.

 

Did you have a long commute during undergrad, and if so, how did you find it? Are you able to be productive on a bus or train, find uses for your times such as studying or eating breakfast? Will having to get up early and get home late negatively affect your experience at classes and/or your life at home?

 

Look into the GO schedule and see how it will align with your classes. Try and find out if it runs late often, takes longer or runs late more often in the winter, and so on. If you were to drive, would you find it extremely tiring to drive in the ice and snow during the winter?

 

If you were to stay in Hamilton during the week, you'd have to buy groceries, cook meals, clean your apartment, etc. Would this time apart put a strain on your relationship? If you were to stay home would your partner be able to help you out with cooking, cleaning, and so on? 

 

If you choose to stay in Toronto that doesn't mean you'll never be able to go out with friends. I know many people who would attend social events and just stay the night at a friend's place. I realize this may sound as though I'm pushing you to stay in Toronto, but I'm just trying to get you to think about how life would be with each option. I guess my experiences are coming through a bit too much here 

 

In terms of placements, you could always rent a place close to your placements when the time comes. For many of the PT/OT schools it seems that most people have to move for at least one placement. If you're ranking the placements closest to Toronto highly, you could end up spending a lot of time near your home - especially if many other students don't want to travel to Toronto and the surrounding area. Check out how many weeks you'll be doing placements - overall it's quite a few months!

[marinaOT]

Hey Crystal93,

 

Thanks for your perspective. It made me a bit more hopeful! 

 

I didn't commute in my undergrad, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I have a very short commute now - I can get to work in 20 mins and in the summer often bike. So jumping to what's likely to be a 3-hour a day commute on average seems really daunting and soul sucking. I also don't have a good understanding of what kind of homework we'll have... will it lend itself to work on the train? That being said - there is always reading, and reading is pretty doable. Just need to invest in good noise-cancelling headphones

 

I will see if I can figure out how reliable the GO route is in terms of timing. I think that would be quite stressful (being afraid to be late for classes, etc.). 

 

Solid point re: how much time is spent in placement. I hope to do a placement in Northern Ontario so that would be a chunk of time not needed in Hamilton. There's the summer break, and as you said, I might be able to swing a placement closer to Toronto. And of course, decisions aren't permanent. If it's unbearable I could stay renting some place... 

 

Still much to consider! Thanks for the input. 

[crystal93]

Hey Crystal93,

 

Thanks for your perspective. It made me a bit more hopeful! 

 

I didn't commute in my undergrad, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I have a very short commute now - I can get to work in 20 mins and in the summer often bike. So jumping to what's likely to be a 3-hour a day commute on average seems really daunting and soul sucking. I also don't have a good understanding of what kind of homework we'll have... will it lend itself to work on the train? That being said - there is always reading, and reading is pretty doable. Just need to invest in good noise-cancelling headphones

 

I will see if I can figure out how reliable the GO route is in terms of timing. I think that would be quite stressful (being afraid to be late for classes, etc.). 

 

Solid point re: how much time is spent in placement. I hope to do a placement in Northern Ontario so that would be a chunk of time not needed in Hamilton. There's the summer break, and as you said, I might be able to swing a placement closer to Toronto. And of course, decisions aren't permanent. If it's unbearable I could stay renting some place... 

 

Still much to consider! Thanks for the input. 

Don't know if this helps, but some of the things I'd do on the bus/train were:

- Respond to e-mails

- Read the news

- Eat breakfast, snacks, or dinner

- Readings (although reading on public transportation makes me sleepy)

- Sleep!

- Rearrange or read my notes from that day to refresh my memory (I took notes on my laptop)

- Catch up with friends who took the bus/train at the same time

- Call friends or family on my cell phone (while trying to keep quiet so I wouldn't be that annoying loud person)

 

Noise-cancelling headphones were key for me - super helpful when trying to study or sleep without distractions.

 

Best of luck with your decision! And as you said, you can always start with one option and adjust your situation as needed