Hi!
I got in to UTSG’s physical and mathematical sciences program along with Victoria College, but I’m not so sure about whether I want to stay at Vic or switch to UC. according to this —, uc is more diverse than Vic, and its residence is definitely newer. So my questions are:
1. Does choosing a college really matter if I commute? What changes if I don’t commute?
2. If I live in residence, which one is better? (so for example food, rooms, people, parties, environment etc)
3. Is it still possible to switch colleges after being accepted?
Thanks!
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hey there,
ahh, the college question. i’d almost forgotten about it by this point. almost. until you brought it up again.
not to fear though, my friend, you have levelled up from the most vile college question – “wot college is da best 1” – to a tolerable college question! are you proud? you should be proud.
ok, so if you tried to link to something in those three dash marks after “according to this,” i didn’t get the link, so…i’m just gonna ignore it. onto the questions!
1. choosing a college does matter if you commute! apart from those abstract notions of college pride, there are a few concrete ways i’d say college choice matters for the commuter. first, the size of the college’s student base determines how busy the registrar’s office will be. do you want to avoid waiting eons for an appointment at the registrar’s office? then maybe pick a small college. on the other hand, colleges with larger student bases may have more resources.
second, if you think you’ll ever be interested in applying for scholarships, it’s worth it to take a look at the different scholarships each college offers.
third, different colleges have subtle differences in the kinds of extra- and co-curricular programs they offer, so maybe do some digging and see if any offer things you especially like.
if you DON’T commute, then you have to factor in what you want out of residence into your college decision. that includes whether or not you prefer co-ed buildings/floors/rooms, whether you want a suite-style or dormitory-style room, the location of the college’s different residences, and the price. nothing else changes, practically or formally speaking. you just live on campus.
2. i haven’t lived in residence at vic or uc, so i can’t say for sure. what i’d recommend is that you take a residence tour and make decisions based on your own impressions. only you know what you want!
3. it is possible, but it’s difficult. usually you need a pretty good reason to switch colleges, and it involves a bit of hassle, what with going to your college registrar and having to talk with them about it and stuff. you can read what vic (the only college that even mentions the possibility of switching, to my knowledge) has to say about it here. tbh, i doubt there’ll be reason to make a switch. you’ll see once you come here that you’ll have more important things to focus on than college affiliation, and that colleges don’t figure as much into your student life as you might think.
i hope you have a grand-slamming end of high school, and that you enjoy first year!
cheers,
aska