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abcd_grad

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Everything posted by abcd_grad

  1. It looks like I'll be heading to Edmonton this year. I was wondering, with the new LRT stations opening soon, should I consider living somewhere close to Southgate? Or would somewhere close to Whyte Av or McKernan/Belgravia (or even downtown) be better? How about the cost of living? I do have some funding (TA/RA), but I'm not sure if it's enough to live on - especially since I'll have to pay taxes on that. Anybody living there already or else heading there this fall?
  2. I normally prefer using the Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/. They have free worldwide delivery, which is great for me when considering that deliveries to my country are usually costly. However, that might not be relevant to you since you'll be in the states but if you have some time, I'd suggest you check it out.
  3. I am heading to U of A as well. However, I'm looking into the possibility of deferring for a year, if it is permitted (1 semester would be enough to get some rest, but I can't imagine landing in Edmonton in the middle of winter, given that it rarely goes below +10C where I live)
  4. My MSc program is 2 yrs long so I expect to go home only once, if at all. Hopefully my sister and/or parents will come visit.
  5. Thanks for your replies Izimbra You mentioned that you usually take a cab when you go out with your friends. How much would a typical ride cost, approx $/km, $/min or I don't know, say, from White Avenue to somewhere south of U of A (near the South Campus)? When do you think would be a better time to look for accommodation? The international office suggests arriving at least 2 weeks before classes start. Would that really be enough? Or should I aim to arrive even earlier? Anybody else planning to go to U of A?
  6. Have you tried http://www.amsrentsline.com/? I haven't read the rest of the thread, sorry, but if you're looking for places near UBC/downtown and perhaps some of the surrounding parts, this website has quite a few listed. Good Luck
  7. Thanks fuzzylogician, you made some very good points. Both schools have good success rates, so this wouldn't be a decising factor for me. With regards to the distance from home, if I attend school Y, I probably won't visit home more than once. If I attend school X, I probably won't be visiting home in those 2 years as I don't think I'd be able to afford it. This wouldn't be a problem in normal circumstances. The only thing where distance might be a problem is if something happens at home (God forbid) and it takes me forever to get there (assuming I could afford the flight). Then again, this is just hypothetical. So I guess it's not the major issue upon which I should base my decision either. My major concern is that since the field I'm entering is relatively new for me, my research interests are not well-defined yet. Program Y would give me an overview of many areas within the general field before I make a choice (and the program is specifically targeted towards students with a background similar to mine), whilst program X might require me to restrict my choices right from the beginning. I contacted a Prof. at school X about this and I'm waiting to hear from her. So I think this might be the decisive factor for me. That said, I have to admit that for various reasons, I'm more excited at the prospect of starting program X rather than Y.
  8. Hi everyone, I have this dilemma and I would really appreciate your thoughts on the following. So far, I've been admitted to a Canadian university (X) as well as a British one (Y). I still need to hear from another two so I'm not yet making the final decision. However, I noticed that during the waiting period, my preferences have been shifting continuously (I'd have attended any of them, that's why I applied in the first place) but when I heard from X (which originally was my second/third choice), I really liked the idea of going there and after reading more about it, it became my first choice. I just heard from Y, and although it was definitely not my first choice in the beginning, I'm really thinking it might really be a good option for me. Now I'm really confused :? ... What do you think? Here's a brief description of my problem : X - 3 connecting flights (>20 hrs and very expensive) - 2 yrs thesis based MSc (so it
  9. Thanks for the detailed reply Izimbra_ Normally I wouldn't mind walking but since the winter in Edmonton seems to be very long and cold, I want to make sure I won't have to spend more time than necessary outside in the cold. I've always lived in places where transport was very unreliable - buses not showing up, waiting for more than 20-30 minutes on a bus stop...you get the idea. So what I'm looking for is somewhere with a higher bus frequency and decent night service for those times I need to stay at uni until late. As for the cost of living, the university does offer some guidelines ($10 000 - $13000 CAD) but I wanted to see how realistic that is.
  10. Hi guys I have been accepted at UofA and so I'm seriously thinking about moving to Edmonton for grad school this fall. Has any of you ever lived there? I would appreciate any info and/or personal views you may want to share about the city I should also probably say that where I come from rarely sees temperatures below +10C so I do realize the weather might be the biggest challenge for me (although I'm kinda looking forward to it) so any tips on adjusting to the weather would also be helpful. Here are a few other things that come to mind: Cost of living? In general, how's the public transport system across the city? I think I'd prefer to live off-campus so what neighbourhoods are safe (i.e. safe enough to walk home from the nearest bus stop at night), close to uni and/or well served by public transport? Anything particularly interesting/important you think I should know? Cheers, european
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