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This checklist will help you ensure that you have everything you need for your first apartment. Adulting can be hard, so we’re here to make sure you’re fully stocked up and ready to make the most of your experience as a uni student.
This checklist tells you what items are not included in your University Apartments student apartment, so make sure to stock up on these before you move in! We’ve included items that’ll help you make your place as cozy as possible, as well as some more functional stuff that often goes forgotten.
The excitement that builds up during frosh week always sets the stage for the upcoming school year. Like all events in 2020, Frosh was canceled and a whole cohort of first years didn’t get on campus at all, raising the stakes for Frosh 2021. Of course, it also looked and felt a bit different from past Frosh weeks due to safeguards for COVID-19.
Orientation events weren’t permitted on campus, and McGill itself didn’t do their usual coordinated Frosh. Instead, smaller individual Frosh Faculty groups organized COVID-19 compliant events and some of them banded together for coalition events.
In this light, it was more grass roots, organic, and oddly chaotic than Frosh in years past – and the spirits were higher for all the efforts students went to to celebrate a return to campus and initiate their new peers. University Apartment took to the streets with Frosh groups and local venues to welcome Froshies to Montreal and McGill, and we had a great time connecting with new and returning students. After a year of remote learning, quiet lecture halls and virtual events, the excitement amongst McGill Froshies was palpable and the atmosphere was positive and upbeat.
As a sponsor of Frosh Week, we hosted multiple activations to welcome first year students to McGill and introduce ourselves. Through interactive events, our team was able to hear from students directly, helping us in our mission to develop beautiful spaces tailored specifically to McGill students.
Management Montreal Crawl
On day 1 of Frosh week, 500 McGill Management students participated in the Management Crawl and spent their Friday afternoon running around the city from one pub to the next. We offered a rest-stop at Jeanne Mance Park during the event for students to relax and grab a bite to eat before hitting the town once again.
Entertainment consisted of some super intense games of beer pong and drunken debate; froshies faced off and argued about some ridiculous hypotheticals like who would make a better omelette, Justin Bieber or Justin Trudeau? As you can imagine, we were not disappointed in their hot takes!
Arts & Sci Movie Night
Later that night, we welcomed Arts & Sci Froshies to Cinema Du Parc for movie night, complete with popcorn and, of course, bingo! We played a few fast-paced games of Surviving McGill bingo and Froshies got a taste of what’s to come in their upcoming uni experience. Stumbled down St Laurent Drunk? Running for a SSMU position? Went to class hungover? Well, if those were on your bingo card, you were that much closer to claiming a DoorDash or Amazon gift card!
Arts Frosh Crawl @ Muzique
Arguably the best stop on Arts Frosh Pub Crawl was at Muzique, it had a real party vibe. Our team had a blast singing the night away under disco balls and strobe lights while hosting wild dance-offs. We even had two groups (17 & 24) battle it out right in front of us! Arts Frosh brought their A-game and showed off their go-to moves on the dance floor. Of course the best dancers of the night didn’t walk away empty handed… Don’t forget to check out our TikTok to catch the killer dance moves! 🕺💃
Arts Frosh Crawl @ Jeanne Mance Park
As much as we wish we could dance the WHOLE day away, it never hurts to take a bit of a break. As part of Arts Frosh Crawl, we set up a chill rest station at Jeanne Mance Park where Froshies had a chance to relax, grab a bite to eat and chat with our team about our exciting new LeMILDORÉ building going up right on Peel, and our #SurvivingMcGill Contest. We loved chatting with students about their first few days on campus, everyone was stoked!
Arts & Sci Treasure Hunt
At the last stop of the Arts & Sci Treasure Hunt, Froshies made their way to 2025 Peel St., the location of our forthcoming LeMILDORÉ student apartments (apply now to rent for May 1, 2022!)
Here, we gave froshies the final clues to solve their scavenger hunt riddle… What were our clues you may ask? The oh-so-secret Krusty Krab Krabby Patty recipe of course! What else?! The Arts & Sci Froshies proved to be dedicated Spongebob fans and blew our team away with their childhood TV show memories. As they gathered that final clue to solve the treasure hunt, we had great conversations with Froshies right by the LeMILDORÉ worksite.
Coalition Crawl
For our final day at McGill Frosh, a coalition of faculties banded together to put on one of the biggest events in all of frosh week. More than 800 students including Arts & Sci, Education, Music, Arts, Management, Physical Therapy, Engineering, and Mac Campus bar hopped in small groups across the city.
Students visited University Apartments at Majesthé for a rowdy and entertaining event filled with everything from bingo, impromptu karaoke, faculty chant competitions, trivia games and hilarious drunken debates! Coalition Crawl was the perfect event to wrap up our team’s time at McGill Frosh 2021.
Our Purpose
It was invigorating to be at the centre of the action as we know from our current tenants how difficult the last year has been for students at a crucial time in their lives. Seeing vibrant first years, frosh leaders and coordinators full of hope, joy and curiosity reminded us all why we do what we do.
LeMILDORÉ is Montreal’s first building that is built from the ground up specifically for students. Just steps from McGill University, we hope it to be the first stepping stone in demonstrating that the solution to the student housing crisis can be homegrown, affordable, and sustainable, while supporting local innovation (Tomesco).
Cheers to all the frosh organizers, leaders, coordinators and McGill Froshies for a great return to campus! You can head to our full McGill Frosh 2021 gallery on Facebook for more photos!
References:
Tomesco, F. (2021, June 22). $48.2M real-estate project targets students in downtown Montreal. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/48-2m-downtown-montreal-property-project-targets-students.
If you’re looking to move out but aren’t ready to live on your own, finding roommates can turn into an incredibly daunting task. Where can I find someone who would want to live with me? 🤷♂️ Or, more importantly, who would I want to live with? How can I be sure we have similar living styles and needs? How do I find someone who’s looking for the same kind of living situation as I am?
The fact of the matter is, there’s really no need to stress over this! There are so many great resources online to help you find the perfect roomie, and so many opportunities to meet new people when you’re at university. Here are 10 places you could meet your future roommate(s)…
1. Social media
Social media is an amazing way to connect with people with similar interests. You can use it in endless ways to find a potential roomie:
- See someone that looks cool and lives in your city? Maybe send them a follow request and slide in their DM’s
- Make a wanted ad on TikTok – chances are other users who have a ton in common with you will come across your video on their FYP (thanks TikTok algorithm), so why not give it a shot!
2. Student housing & roommate finding groups
There are loads of housing groups on Facebook and run through universities that are meant to facilitate your search for roommates and apartments. Just type in [Your city] Housing in the Facebook group search bar and you’re bound to find a group. Here are just a few of the Facebook housing groups out there for both Montreal and Hali students…
Montreal housing groups:
- Chez Queer Montreal
- McGill Off-Campus Housing
- Appartement à Louer Montreal – Apartment For Rent Montreal
Halifax housing groups:
- Homes for Queers Halifax
- For Rent in HRM
- Newcomers Halifax
Pro tip: always make sure to join your uni graduating class Facebook group to connect with other students in your year.
3. In class
See someone who matches your vibe and seems approachable? Strike up a conversation and see what happens. The possibilities are endless; they might end up being a study buddy, a friend you can hang with during breaks, or even a potential roommate!
4. Part-time jobs
There’s nothing that brings two people together more than a crazy shift at work. Tons of part-time jobs are available on campus or across the city that could connect you to some great future roommates.
5. Residence
Residence is the ideal place to meet future roommates. Typically everyone moves in solo and is eager to meet new friends. Once lease signing time comes around, they’ll be the first people you reach out to since you’ve basically lived together already!
6. School clubs and societies
School clubs are a great way to meet new people with the same interests and hobbies as you. Harry Potter Fan? Join the Quidditch team! Passionate about charity work? Join a society that volunteers on weekends! Living with people who you share interests with is a great way to make sure your apartment is a fun space as well as a safe one.
7. University athletics and intramurals
Early morning practices and games are so much more bearable when your roommate is getting up at the same time as you. Whether it’s varsity athletics or casual volleyball intramurals, someone that’s passionate about the same sport as you will probably make a great roommate.
8. Working out
Friends who sweat together stay together, right? Once those endorphins start flowing, strike up a conversation with someone in your workout class or at the gym. Having a roommate who has the same workout routine as you or who is just as passionate about going to the gym as you are is a surefire way to keep yourself consistent and accountable.
9. General interest Facebook groups
Love plants? Pets? Geology? Ghost hunting? Whatever it is, there is likely a local facebook group for it. Join the conversations and you may meet some awesome people!
10. Bars, clubs, and events
Alcohol really gets the conversation going, so if you’re in need of new friends who could be your future roommates, heading out to a favourite pub or club could be a great place to start! Plus if it’s your favourite bar, maybe it’s theirs too and you can claim that corner booth for the rest of the school year.
No matter where you choose to go to find your future roommates, make sure to look for someone whose lifestyle is compatible with yours and who has similar living expectations as you do.
Above all, it’s crucial that you live with someone with whom you feel comfortable having potentially difficult or uncomfortable conversations, since conflict will inevitably arise when living with another person. Living with roommates who will listen to you, support you, and establish mutual respect is something we can all achieve and something that you should really strive for.
Now that you know *where* to search, check out our article “5 Things to Look for in a Great Roommate” for some tips that’ll help you select the perfect roomie!