University of Ottawa

Location

The University of Ottawa has its main campus in the neighbourhood of Sandy Hill. It is within 10 minutes walk of two major shopping areas and surrounded by brick walled homes, majority of them owned by the university now. There are two major grocery stores (Loblaws and the Metro) having discount days, especially for students. There are many museums and galleries at walking distance. Also, the Parliament of Canada is nearby, of which free tours are recommended. Rideau Canal which is a World Heritage site is also at a walking distance.

Campus

The main campus of uOttawa is 105 acres and said to have a common Canadian architecture. In 2011, average age of the buildings on campus was 63. 30 main buildings, 806 research laboratories, 301 teaching laboratories and 257 classrooms. The University of Ottawa Library has a collection of more than 4.5 million titles. However, the library can be overcrowded during exam times. The University of Ottawa Museum has artifact from the period of 7th BC to 7th century AD. Parking can be a little tough.

Residing Options

Housing options are available for undergraduate students. It has 10 student residencies. Most students live off campus. There are dozens of bus routes but students recommend to live close by from your classes, especially for the cold weather. If you decide to stay away, be sure that you live at a place with a direct bus route to avoid frostbite waiting for multiple buses. Students wish there was a subway or a train to commute to and fro.

Faculty

Professors here are good with a student to faculty ratio being 18:1. They may encourage you to do research work if they see the potential in you. Everything sounds a little more French than English at first. Students should carefully choose English speaking professors if they are not comfortable with French. The professors may challenge you to think critically and discuss alternate perspectives. If lucky, they may even join you for a beer. Law school faculty are said to be the most supportive while Social Sciences faculty might take longer to respond to emails and answer your calls.
Students said that the administration could be a little rude to you if you can’t speak French.