nugget

People tend to advertise rooms/apartments late in Montreal. Usually anywhere between 2 months to 2 weeks in advance. Most people won't rent anything to you unless they meet you in person (although there are always exceptions). I'd recommend arriving early and staying in a hotel or hostel until you find something. Lots of undergrad students take on a 12 month lease with the hopes of subletting their place during the summer. Unfortunately many do not find a subletter. If you can find someone in a situation like this (look for sublet ads for May-August or June-August that keep on getting reposted every week) ask to rent their place for the month of August or for the last 2-3 weeks in August. Most people in this situation are willing to negotiate the price and you will be able to stay in Montreal for a lot less than in a hotel while you look for a more permanent place to live. You will find most of these sublets in the McGill ghetto area (which is a really nice area, don't get put off by the name) which is about a 15 minute walk from Concordia if you will be at the main campus (St.George). The Loyola campus is a lot further away, though. Probably a 45 minute commute more or less from McGill (using public transportation).

Did you have an interview for this program? If you attended an interview that would have been a good opportunity to inquire about such things. In that case, I would probably wait until April 15. If an interview isn't required, I see no harm in politely asking these questions in a brief phone conversation.

Let's patiently wait and see if the OP is willing to offer an explanation. Maybe there are some extenuating circumstances in this situation that aren't known to us. Just one of many possible scenarios I can think of... ie: family pressuring OP to attend a program and OP wants to show them a rejection letter so they stop pressuring her. Too little is know about the situation for us to jump to conclusions, in my opinion.

Congratulations! Do you plan to work in Canada after you graduate? If not, I'd look more closely at U of T as I believe U of T has a great international reputation and it's the most recognized university of the two. I can't speak specifically to your field, but it terms of general name recognition it's definitely U of T.

Are you able to defer for a year? I think it's worth considering. Then apply to more schools next year and see if you get something better next time around or have a change of heart about this program.

I also don't know about computer science programs, but I do know that business programs (even at the bachelor level) are very competitive to get into at U of Waterloo. McGill and McMaster have very good reputations in general (again, don't know about your field of study) so they would be tougher to get into than some other schools.

It's called a lab monkey position? lol.. While scrolling to the bottom of this thread I saw caught sight of the word lab monkey and assumed someone was being facetious. hahaha

If you're looking for some free or low-cost ideas to practice improv speaking, look for a local Toastmasters group in your area. I've heard some great things about it from other people.

All is not lost. There is still a chance that you were waitlisted. Best of luck to you!

I think it's important to determine what you want to get out of your trip, do some research and pick something that will match your expectations. Do you want to see tourist attractions? Hang out at the beach every day? Volunteer? Learn another language? There is a such a wide range of options available. Do you want to stay at a posh hotel, hostel for backpackers, or get a homestay with a family to learn about a new language and culture? If you're traveling alone, I find it's much easier to meet people in hostels because there are lots of common areas and hangouts in hostels and generally more opportunities to meet people your age. I took two solo trips in my life. The first one was the best experience of my lifetime. It far surpassed my expectations. I put a lot of research into it and chose something that would give me the sort of experience I wanted. Because of this awesome experience I was a bit hastier when planning my second trip. There's no such thing as a bad vacation, right? Wrong. It didn't take long for me to realize that my second vacation destination was not going to give me the experience I was seeking. I didn't have the option of changing my plane ticket otherwise I would have returned home 2 weeks earlier. I encourage you to give it a try. It sounds like something you want to do. Vacations can be tons of fun, and sometimes even eye-opening or life changing. Just do your research first and plan a trip that's suitable for you. Browse the travel section of your local bookstore, if you get the chance, and check out travel guides like Lonely Planet, Let's Go, Fodors, Rough Guides, etc and pick the destination you like best. Have a great trip!

I only read the first few posts on this thread... If you're reluctant to try an antidepressant perhaps you could see if a natural product like St.John's Wort would help. There's a list of recommendations on this link for people with mild to moderate levels of depression written by Dr.Weil who is an MD and a naturopath. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400678/Integrative-Approach-to-Depression.html

Perhaps if you write out the pros and cons of each of your choices, people will be able to provide you with better advice or recommendations.

I have no experience with this sort of situation, but what about saying that that you were pleased to have been accepted to such a great program and it was your first pick. But you have recently been offered generous funding at another school and due to your financial circumstances you will need to take the least expensive option and attend the other school. If you're writing an email I'd tweak up the wording, of course, and make it sound more professional.

I would finish the semester so that you don't have failing grades. You never know if you'll want to go back to school in 10 or 15 years. Maybe not for a PhD, but perhaps you'll go for a certificate or something else and will need to provide all of your transcripts.

Thanks for the great info, everyone. Calgary seems to come out ahead based on my preferences. I'll be keeping this stuff in mind when I plan for my next move.

Last year a couple of people were accepted to Laurier while most on this forum (which was a lot bigger last year) hadn't heard anything. One week later, a whole bunch of people heard back, both acceptances and rejections. Perhaps the same thing will happen this year. I think you could still get an offer. It's not over 'til it's over. Good luck!

Do you like working with kids? Kids like to have fun and I see room for creativity there. Not sure how much time you're willing to devote to your studies but therapuetic recreation has a strong creative component and I wonder if you could somehow combine the two fields (perhaps with a certificate in therapeutic recreation), if that interests you.

I love animals. I'm of the opinion that you can't have too many pictures of your pets (especially if they're dogs). Post away.

I'm considering moving to either one of these cities after graduation. I'm hoping to get some feedback from people who know both cities fairly well. What is the overall "vibe", feel or impression you get from each of these cities? I'm trying to get a sense of what it might be like to live in these cities, apart from demographics, which I can find online. Here are some examples of descriptors that might apply to either or both cities (but feel free to add your own)... ie: lots of highly ambitious/work-oriented people, family-oriented, college/university-town atmosphere, friendly people, open-minded/closed-minded attitudes, safe/unsafe at night, good night life, high stress lifestlye, lots of traffic, sleepy city and everything closes early, easy access to nature/great outdoors.... I'm also wondering: How convenient is it to rely on public transportation in these cities? Feel free to make comparisions to Toronto or Montreal if you wish as I am quite familiar with both cities. Thanks in advance!

You've received some good advice here. Try not to lose your sense of perspective in the midst of all of this. This is one chapter of your life; it is not your entire life. You are bright and have a lot of potential in life. I encourage you to continue talking to your therapist and other people in your life, like family and/or friends, who can help you figure out what it is you want to do. Whether you decide to continue, find a new advisor, or quit, remember that you always have options in this situation and it is temporary. There are many different paths you can choose from to be happy and successful. I wish you well in choosing the right path to achieve your dreams.

Yes, unfortunately "invisible disabilities" don't receive the same kind of recognition that physical disabilities receive. Sometimes it's a good thing as people are less likely to be discriminated against if their disability isn't obvious and this gives people the freedom to decide who they want to share this information with. However, when someone needs extra time to meet a deadline or needs to stay at home for a few days for health reasons, sometimes colleagues, friends or family members can be judgmental or think that nothing is wrong with the person because they can't physically see that there is a problem. This can make it hard for people to speak up about their difficulties because they don't want to be perceived as weak or lazy, not to mention many people don't want to be associated with most stigmas surrounding mental illness. Fortunately these services protect students' privacy and you can still be registered and benefit without having to share your medical condition with faculty.

Quebec will offer you a more affordable experience than France, but the accent you will hear is quite different from european French. Here is a list of summer programs you can attend: http://www.myexplore.ca/en/where/ It's nearly free for Canadians to attend as it is subsidized by the government but you should be able to attend if you pay the full cost. It should be about $2000 for 5 weeks including full room, board and university tuition fees. Unfortunately, the classes will be full of undergrads. You could spend less time with them and learn a lot more French though if you attend a program that offers a homestay with a family. During free time and breaks, most of these schools have a French only policy (if you get caught speaking another language 3 times then you get kicked out of the program - no exceptions) so everyone comes back speaking the language to a certain degree, even complete beginners.

If you don't mind walking anywhere between 5-15 minutes I'm sure you'll be able to find something you like in that price range. Good luck!

Well the location is great but the rent is a rip off. If you are able to afford it, it might be worth your while if you want to live in a dorm to meet new friends easily. But for $800-900 you should be able to find a one bedroom apartment (called a 3 1/2 apartment) with your own bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom. For about $600-650 you could get your own bachelor apartment (called a 1 1/2) which is basically one room as your living space (with a built-in kitchen) plus a bathroom.

If they said you'll hear back at the end of February then try to be patient until then. If people heard back early February in previous years then clearly their timeline has changed this year. Best of luck to you!