catwoman_80

I suppose that varies by university. At my current school, your student card is good for libraries, gym, etc. all year. I just graduated, so I can use the library (and I presume the gym) with my card until the end of August. On the gym front, I don't know. Clearly I'm not an expert!

Don't think you'd find any decent local gym for that price.

$500 is less than what it would cost per year to join a gym. Although yes, it is $500 I probably wouldn't otherwise spend, and I suspect there are additional fees on top of that - nominal ones for group classes and that kind of thing. Gotta love Quebec tuition.

Just read back. Sorry. Apparently that is now the case. Good to know, I guess.

Do you mean that it is now included in our tuition fees? I'm unclear. At my current university that is the case, but I remember thinking that it was not like that when I attended McGill.

What is the deal with the gym? During my undergrad (long enough ago that I won't specify), students still had to pay to use it.

A friend of mine used to live in Ste. Famille and Milton and we used to spend a lot of time on his balcony. I don't remember it being particularly noisy. In terms of drunk people, it's certainly less noisy than the ghetto. In the summer, you can probably hear the Jazz Fest, depending how far south, but that's the case pretty much everywhere around there. That said, I can't promise anything, obviously. If it were me, I would look around Mont Royal and Laurier metro stops. They're higher in the Plateau, where any new Montrealer wants to be, further from crowds and noise, Laurier especially, and still convenient. But that's just my personal choice, and I don't know you, so you may prefer somewhere else! It's nice around there though. Not as crazy in terms of St. Laurent and Prince Arthur, but still lots of great bars and shops and restos around. And close to metro which is key. I wouldn't completely rule out Ste. Famille though. Thing is, I don't live there so I can't give you anything too concrete in terms of the noise. No worries, by the way, ask away. I'm currently "working from home."

Well, they've done a major overhaul of the system recently, and I don't think it's worth it to buy single tickets, but yes, still possible. There's no time limit; you could buy 10 in one day to use in the future (but wouldn't, as it's cheaper to buy several rides). I think once used, you can get a transfer up to 90 minutes later, which means the ride is 90 minutes plus any subsequent transfers. They have these magnetic cards now though, instead of single tickets. You buy the card once and you can buy a number of rides, or a month or a week, kind of deal. I guess in the end, if you only buy single rides on the card, the timing / amounts work out the same, but who knows. Bottom line, it works and its cost effective. Montreal also has Bixie bikes for rent. I have no idea what the rates are. I'm sure the information is available online. People either love them or hate them. (Drivers definitely hate them.) Not an option in the winter, of course. As far as cities go, I agree completely.

Parc is great, but a bit of a walk from the bus to campus, without switching buses or taking a metro. Not so fun in the winter. Metro is better (in my humble and lazy opinion). But yes, northeast of campus is likely where you want to be in order to enjoy the city at its best. Also due east off Sherbrooke is pretty great for a couple of km anyway, at least until de Lorimier. More French there, but I suppose that's what adds to the charm. A great city indeed. I don't actually live there anymore, but am looking forward to being back for the year. And one of the best things about where I do live is proximity to Montreal. It's one of the few world-class cosmopolitan cities where normal people can still afford to live and just about everything anyone could want is available somewhere.

Transit in Montreal is much cheaper than most Canadian cities and yes, unlimited metro and bus. But not train; different system and more expensive. Where you thinking now? The metro is pretty reliable - I would really live anywhere that does not involve a bus, but it's of course crowded in the morning and can get quite hot in the summer - not air conditioned. But definitely convenient. You mentioned something yesterday about waiting until Mid-August? I don't see the post here now, which is strange. I think that's cutting it close but doable. There's plenty out there, but your options will be way more limited and you may have to settle for something you wouldn't otherwise take.

Ah. Well I'm sure your faculty can let you know about that. I'm at masters level now, so no office space for me yet. But a reserved spot in the new law library is welcome.

Nope. I'm in law and I can reserve myself a space at the library as a grad student. That's all I know in terms of grad student privileges. I know that the main library (Redpath-McLellan), which is used by everyone, is open 24 hours during exam periods. Likely the kind of information hiding online somewhere. Good luck!

Ste. Famille is MUCH better. In my opinion, anyway. The ghetto is not just filled with daytime noise. It's constant, even during exams. And probably less noisy during the day than at midnight to 2 am, believe it or not. I lived on Aylmer for several years and the only time it was quiet was July and August. Ste. Famille is a little more mature than the ghetto. Less undergrads, more professionals, actually closer to groceries and nightlife. Nicer looking too, although I'll admit I haven't spent too much time on Lorne. As for the building, I don't even know what ECE stands for.

Noisy, overpriced. Then again, the whole ghetto is. You could likely find not a basement for the same amount a couple blocks east, still in walking distance.

SSHRC MA notifications have arrived!! I am in the National Capital Region, which explains why I got it so fast.