Hello everyone. I just had a question about upper year residence applications. It said we had to have a 9.5 to be guaranteed a spot in residence the following year. Is this before or after the exams? It also said we had to keep a 5.0 average to remain on the guaranteed list, so I was a little confused. If I were to apply for an apartment style, would I still be able to request a roommate, given that he also wants to be in an apartment? Thanks for the help!

You need a 5.0 cumulative average at the end of the year(after exams) to be guaranteed a spot in residence (assuming you submitted your application and paid the deposit on time). Also, you can request a roommate as well for apartment style, you write their name on your application and you pick identical choices and they try to accommodate you as much as possible. Let me know if you have any other questions !

Originally Posted by ~*Sara*~

You need a 5.0 cumulative average at the end of the year(after exams) to be guaranteed a spot in residence (assuming you submitted your application and paid the deposit on time). Also, you can request a roommate as well for apartment style, you write their name on your application and you pick identical choices and they try to accommodate you as much as possible. Let me know if you have any other questions !

so when it says 9.5 average what does this mean?
im also confused

I believe a 9.5 guarantees you a spot in residence (given that you meet application deadlines). If you do not have a 9.5 and are offered a spot, (its not guaranteed that you will be offered a spot), then you must maintain the 5.0 to retain your spot.

20% of the spaces are reserved for upper years, and I haven't had a problem ever getting a spot. At the end of 1st year i didnt have a 9.5 but still got a single room. But essentially if you don't have the 9.5 it's by lottery whether or not you will get a spot.

Originally Posted by SciMania

I believe a 9.5 guarantees you a spot in residence (given that you meet application deadlines). If you do not have a 9.5 and are offered a spot, (its not guaranteed that you will be offered a spot), then you must maintain the 5.0 to retain your spot.

20% of the spaces are reserved for upper years, and I haven't had a problem ever getting a spot. At the end of 1st year i didnt have a 9.5 but still got a single room. But essentially if you don't have the 9.5 it's by lottery whether or not you will get a spot.

Oooh, thanks a lot for the clarification. Just wondering, why didn't you decide to move out like everyone else . I'm also thinking of residence, and wanted some more opinions >: O.

Originally Posted by Angoose

Oooh, thanks a lot for the clarification. Just wondering, why didn't you decide to move out like everyone else . I'm also thinking of residence, and wanted some more opinions >: O.

I really liked the convenience of being on res and especially being able to sleep in. Also I saw some friends who chose to live off campus first year really slack off and often not go to class, especially in the winter, and off campus housing can be a hit and miss too. Many of the houses are old and so you might run into problems (again, this is from what I saw with others).

Another reason was that I honestly didn't think I would have the time to cook my own food if I lived off campus and I would probably get really lazy and just skip meals, which obviously would not be a good idea.

Also, I took a few night classes, so in that respect it kinda sucks having to wait for a bus at 10 pm. Buses are another reason. As you've probably seen, the bus stops can get crowded and sometimes the buses will leave you behind (this is more so for on the way to school).

Also, living off campus you have a lot more responsibilities. You actually have to take care of the garbage, clean the house and this can obviously take time out of your day. So I found it most convenient to live on res.

Finally, a few other points to consider:

-if you're off campus you need to bring in your own bed/furniture (though not always), but this can make moving a lot harder
-the cost PROBABLY ends up being approximately equal, if not then res costs a bit more but to me it was worth it for the convenience
-also you avoid the hassle of dealing with landlords, paying monthly rent etc.

Originally Posted by SciMania

I really liked the convenience of being on res and especially being able to sleep in. Also I saw some friends who chose to live off campus first year really slack off and often not go to class, especially in the winter, and off campus housing can be a hit and miss too. Many of the houses are old and so you might run into problems (again, this is from what I saw with others).

Another reason was that I honestly didn't think I would have the time to cook my own food if I lived off campus and I would probably get really lazy and just skip meals, which obviously would not be a good idea.

Also, I took a few night classes, so in that respect it kinda sucks having to wait for a bus at 10 pm. Buses are another reason. As you've probably seen, the bus stops can get crowded and sometimes the buses will leave you behind (this is more so for on the way to school).

Also, living off campus you have a lot more responsibilities. You actually have to take care of the garbage, clean the house and this can obviously take time out of your day. So I found it most convenient to live on res.

Finally, a few other points to consider:

-if you're off campus you need to bring in your own bed/furniture (though not always), but this can make moving a lot harder
-the cost PROBABLY ends up being approximately equal, if not then res costs a bit more but to me it was worth it for the convenience
-also you avoid the hassle of dealing with landlords, paying monthly rent etc.

Not to mention the surplus of orgy parties that res gets. At least according to those CollegeGoneWild video I've been watching.

If only I could afford it, for now it will only be a dream I fantasize about each night.

The only benefit I could possibly see to residence is removing wasted time you would be spending cooking food or taking out the trash.. although the food cooking point could be taken care of by just buying prepared food every day. The meal plan is like... 2500$+, right? I would think just buying food made for you is just as expensive?

I'm curious though, what are the price comparisons between the two living situations? Anyone feel like sharing their expenses for: a)residence housing + meal plan and b) off campus + food expenses?

Originally Posted by cjdzl

so when it says 9.5 average what does this mean?
im also confused

Like SciMania mentioned, you need a 5.0 average to be eligible for residence and to be able to apply. But any upper year with a 9.5 and up is guaranteed a spot in residence (not just eligible), assuming that they apply before the deadline and pay the deposit.

Originally Posted by SciMania

I really liked the convenience of being on res and especially being able to sleep in. Also I saw some friends who chose to live off campus first year really slack off and often not go to class, especially in the winter, and off campus housing can be a hit and miss too. Many of the houses are old and so you might run into problems (again, this is from what I saw with others).

Definitely true. My landlord is really great and there have been very few problems with our house. We had a bat for a while, but that was more or less entertaining, and it got taken care of. I have friends who have had pretty bad experiences, although I know more people who are happy with their houses. My friend signed a lease for a house that seemed really great last January when their group signed their lease - the landlord was nice, house was big and clean, and the tenants had really good feedback regarding both - and when they got into it in May there were cockroaches. It eventually got fixed, but the house had to be treated several times over the course of the summer and early fall months before they were finally gone.

I don't even live that far from campus, and I'll admit that it's sometimes difficult convincing myself that the 10-minute walk to a class is worth it (especially if it isn't directly followed by another class).

Residence is really convenient in that it's close to classes, you don't run the risk of a crappy landlord/surprises in your house that weren't apparent at lease signing, and everything is essentially taken care of for you. I sometimes wonder about applying for residence again.

Originally Posted by alh24

Definitely true. My landlord is really great and there have been very few problems with our house. We had a bat for a while, but that was more or less entertaining, and it got taken care of. I have friends who have had pretty bad experiences, although I know more people who are happy with their houses. My friend signed a lease for a house that seemed really great last January when their group signed their lease - the landlord was nice, house was big and clean, and the tenants had really good feedback regarding both - and when they got into it in May there were cockroaches. It eventually got fixed, but the house had to be treated several times over the course of the summer and early fall months before they were finally gone.

I don't even live that far from campus, and I'll admit that it's sometimes difficult convincing myself that the 10-minute walk to a class is worth it (especially if it isn't directly followed by another class).

Residence is really convenient in that it's close to classes, you don't run the risk of a crappy landlord/surprises in your house that weren't apparent at lease signing, and everything is essentially taken care of for you. I sometimes wonder about applying for residence again.

Well, everyone tells me how much cheaper it will be to live off campus because we don't have to buy a mealplan...but I'm just wondering, if we have to go out and buy groceries all the time and cook doesn't that take an immense amount of time out of our schedules? I don't think the cost will differ by THAT great a margin. However, I'm thinking about the apartment style, which was around 6400 iirc. How much can we save off the mealplan if we get the reduced A?!

Originally Posted by Angoose

Well, everyone tells me how much cheaper it will be to live off campus because we don't have to buy a mealplan...but I'm just wondering, if we have to go out and buy groceries all the time and cook doesn't that take an immense amount of time out of our schedules? I don't think the cost will differ by THAT great a margin. However, I'm thinking about the apartment style, which was around 6400 iirc. How much can we save off the mealplan if we get the reduced A?!

I eat an insane amount (if my metabolism ever slows, I'm going to be a walrus), so in terms of cost I'm not a good person to ask. I bought the biggest meal plan, and I had to put more money on early on in the second term when I was in first year...

I grocery shop bi-weekly (if not weekly) now that I'm off campus, so I do spend a lot of time on that. I suppose in that sense, residence was a lot more convenient because there was relatively little shopping/cooking time needed.

I lived in Les Prince Hall in my 1st year at Mac. Second year, moved in an off-campus house. Ever since having moved into an off-campus house, I have kept details of how much I spend on groceries/rent/internet etc so that I know by the end of second year whether or not I want to stay off campus or move back on campus.

In my opinion, these are the pros and cons for both:

On Campus:

Pros:

1) Closer to the core campus, therefore I feel like going to classes.
2) Time saved from taking out garbage, cleaning the house, cooking, grocery shopping, shoveling snow during winter, etc.
3) Wired Internet in rez, DC++
4) Games room
5) Quiet hours (for studious kids)
6) No bugs

Cons:

1) EXPENSIVE
2) Might not get a room that is desired
3) Don't get to live with your friends

Off Campus:

Pros:

1) Cheaper
2) No quiet hours (for non studious kids)
3) Living with friends
4) "Homely" atmosphere

Cons:

1) Bugs
2) Internet
3) No DC++ (Technically)
4) Taking out garbage, etc
5) Have to buy your own furniture

Cost:

On Campus:

Rez(Single room-Traditional) + Meal Plan(Regular) = approx $8400 for 8 Months
Occasional off-campus dining = approx $600 for 8 Months
Total = approx $9000

Off-Campus:

Housing Rent (Single Room-Non-Basement) = approx $3600 for 8 Months($450x8) - with util
Groceries/ Meal cost = approx $2800 for 8 Months($350x8)
Furniture-One Time Expenditure = approx $500-$1000 usually
Internet = approx $120 for 8 Months
Total = approx $6520 + (500-1000 one time)

You end up saving about $2500 or less. For me this is the cost for CONVENIENCE.

Above expenditures will obviously vary widely among people but I think the estimate I have given is pretty average.

Just to add to the above breakdown, I don't think off-campus dining = $600 especially considering you get a certain allowance for off-campus spending on your meal plan. I think $600 is a more than generous amount.

I also forgot about the bugs, I am so terrified of spiders (and centipedes alike which seem to be very popular in hamilton homes), that I would pay the $2500 extra just to avoid the hassle of dealing with nasty creepy crawlies

Just Remembered: Laundry costs quite a bit too...