BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi guys & gals,

I am final year law student from Sydney and I'll be going to the University of Ottawa for an exchange program. I picked Canada coz I wanted a common law country (as opposed to the civil law system in most European countries) and I could only study law subjects in English. Anyways, I'm going at the end of next month (Aug 2005) and spending a semester there until the end of December. Then I plan to do a mini Round the World trip on the way home through South America, Europe and Asia. I can't wait actually!

I just wanted to ask the BnA students population about life as students in North America (particularly the Canadians in the group!). I'll be living in a dorm on campus for the first time in my life so I like to know what to expect. And oh yeh, how to cope with the cold! Being from sunny Sydney, cold snowny winters are foreign to me! Recommendations on the type of things you wear/do/eat to survive the winter and studying in that sort of environment? Any tips or hints will be great actually. Thanks heaps in advance!

ive stayed in university dorms before, but I'm not in University yet. One dorm I stayed in was great, it was suite style, four rooms branching off a main kitchen and living room area, really good. The other was a double room with bunk beds, about the size of a closet, all metal furniture, kind of looked like it had been outfitted by an army surplus store.

As for staying warm in the cold weather, you won't be too bad in Ottawa, you'll be better off than if you were doing an exchange to nipissing or lakehead. Just wear sweatshirts throughout the winter, pants, long johns are ok but not a must. gloves, big winter jacket, a toque and make a timmys stop a couple times a day. Also, if your ever in the middle of hte city in the winter, it can get alot colder than you'd expect because the wind is worse there. The cold wind can get kinda trapped in the buildings as it were and itll be worse sometimes than if you wer eout in the open. My advice would be to find a nice bar, warm up, and then make sure u have a good beer jacket on before heading home.

Hey,

University of Ottawa? Depending on the dorms you'll be fine - Ottawa has really nice ones. One of the main problems of the school is that if you have any administrative problems that need solving their primary language for that sort of stuff appears to be French.

Ottawa is a nice city - you'll love it. It's small for a city, but has some really neat neighbourhoods. It also has some fantastic, world class museums - the Museum of Civilization which is just across the water in Hull, Quebec is my favourite.

What to expect in terms of social life, etc? The drinking age in Ontario is 19 years old, but across in Quebec it's only 18. There are a few casinos nearby, and tons of different types of bars - clubs, pubs, you name it. Ottawa feels like a real student city - there's Carleton University and Algonquin College there as well. U of O has the best location for bar hopping, if you ask me.

Ottawa can be one of the coldest cities in the winter - it's a bit North, but KanadianKid's right - it's not as bad as heading to Thunder Bay. Still, you have to look at it in perspective. Compared to the other major cities, and the other universities in the area? Ottawa is cold. December isn't that bad, however. The coldest months are January-early March up there, at least in my experience. I don't even think the Canal will be frozen by December (although I could be completely wrong - one of the reasons we Canadians talk about the weather so much is because it's so unpredictable). I would hold off on buying anything and pick it up in Canada if you're concerned about the weather. I've seen what Australians have picked up for "winter wear"!

What will you need? I would come with some long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweaters... going out to buy long johns or anything would be unnecessary right now (but if you have them, feel free to bring them). You might be able to avoid long johns completely... I usually never pull them out until the new year when it gets really cold.

If you're wondering what clothes to bring that you already have, let me know and I can offer suggestions. Wait until you get to Canada to pick up winter stuff - aside from Australian surfer brands like Billabong and whatever I'm under the impression that prices are somewhat similar.

My friend was just here from Australia and she definitely noted the huge difference in weather, even though its summer here..it was still a bit chilly for her. Anyways, embrace the winter, it should be fine! Some jeans, hoodies, long sleeve tee's, a vest and a winter jacket will do. I love the winter season here, and it really only gets bone chilling cold in January-March like Meagicano noted. I live just outside of Toronto but have been to Ottawa a number of times. I hope you will love it, the people are pretty friendly, and shopping is good. The only thing to warn you about, and I dont know if its just me, but driving there is tough and thats if you even plan on driving. Good luck!

Thanks for your advise guys. I won't take my winter coats from Sydney with me coz it'll be way too bulky and probably not warm enough for Ottawa. I'm planning to take my wool tops but buying a winter coat there.

When you say winter coat - are there any types in particular I should look out for? Do they have to be water-proof, with a hood, knee length etc? Do you recommend any brands & stores? Price-range? What about shoes? Do u need special snow shoes? Will my casual shoes be ok or do they have to be water proof as well?

Thanks!

Hey meltt..

Welcome to Canada and Ontario! Both are great places to go to university. I can't say that I've experienced winters in Ottawa fully, but I've been to Ottawa for a fencing tournement (at Carleton, the other university in Ottawa) during February and it was COLD. But its not all bad...just think of skating on the canal during the winter...or enjoying a good pitcher of beer in a pub with friends!

In terms of a winter coat, I don't think you would necessarily need to buy a knee-length one, unless that's the style you like. A hood would definately help, especially if you aren't a big toque-wearer. For footwear, a good pair of waterproof boots will do, but they don't necessarily need to look like you just came off the mountain! You can buy casual or dressy boots in any mall in Canada when the winter season starts (usually mid-november).

If you're arriving in September, I wouldn't worry about winter clothing yet. You'll have plenty of time to go out a buy stuff in Canada at quite reasonable prices. September in Canada is still fairly warm 15-25 degrees C...like I said, it doesn't start to really cool down until november.

Hope this helps!

I agree with brighteyed about the coats. There are so many different styles and kinds to choose from. As early as mid september some stores start stocking them, by october their everywhere. Just go to any mall and you'll find lots of different options for styles and warmth. You'll also find a huge range for prices, depending on name brands and so on.

As far as boots are concerned, if your going to be sticking to sidewalks and indoors stuff for the most part you'll be fine with just regular shoes, these get shoveled after every snowfall and so on. If you are going to be shoveling yourself or if your going to be in areas where there are less people or less snow clearance happening, then a pair of hiking boots should be fine, just put the waterproofing stuff. Only if your going to be hiking or walking through fields or trekking in the snow will you need the heavy duty snow boots.

My advice on winter coats would be to go for the brand Columbia. Their winter coats are incredible. I'm an athletic outdoorsy type and my Columbia jacket never failed. They're not that expensive and most come with a fleece inner lining that is removable in case you're too hot/cold.

I've been told that outdoor gear is less expensive in Canada, and so should the jackets. When you get there, you can order one from mail order or get one from a good outdoor outfitter.

Any three season jacket should do. I have a Columbia three season with a waterproof shell and an inner liner which can serve as a sweater/vest in the spring/fall.

Its not cheap here. It will cost far more in Europe what with the VAT and tickup in Euros. So, bring some cheap warm sweaters and a cheap rain-proof, suffer a few days, and save up to 50%