On- or off-campus housing?

franz

Hey all together,

I will be an exchange student at SFU starting fall '15 and I'm currently about to complete my registration via the SFU online application system. SFU now wants to know if I'd like to live on-campus or off-campus and that's quite a difficult decission for me. There are so many advantages along with both options :/ I guess on-campus housing might be very easy, since there is nearly nothing to organize for me I see that most lectures, seminars and other events take place on-campus anyway, so traveling time is 0, means I could fall out of bed and directly fall into lectures. I have the impression that there is a strong community feeling on campus which might make integration easier when also living at that place.
However, I never lived on-campus for my entire studies and I appreciate having a "second life" beneath my studies having contact to people that are not at university. When coming to Vancouver/Burnaby, I want to discover many things and although Burnaby campus' location is wonderful I think it might be easier to see things after class when I don't live directly there. I currently tend to look for an appartment myself, e.g. in North Burnaby with about 30min to university by bus. Maps, TransLink and other websites imply that that should possible..
 
So my questions are now: What do you think about living in Noth Burnaby? Is it a good area to live? Where do you live? Is it on or off-campus? Is that for a particular reason? Do you agree with me that bus services from campus are quite good so that living off-campus is possible in general? Is it easy to find student shared appartments off-campus? What other areas could you imagine for an exchange student living off-campus?
For me, that is an important decision to make and I still found reasons and first answers for some of the questions, but I'd like to hear your insider-view opinion :)

Thank you a lot for your help and sorry if some sentences seem strange to you, I'm not an english native speaker.
Franz

MXC

How does one have contact with people that are not at university?

Well, for me I hate traveling. One of the reasons I don't live on campus is that that it is more expensive than finding an off-campus one

Annie

Living on top of the mountain can be on the isolating side.  Most students commute, and campus housing is often for first year students. It might be a little difficult to find a place in the Vancouver area if you're from away, though.  Not very familiar with North Burnaby -- maybe it's a bit on the rough side?  Other people can probably tell you more.

franz

Thank you both of you! As far as I understood, public transport is included in the term fees, is that right? What do you mean with "on the rough side"? :)

Annie

Yes, U-Pass part of SFU student fees:
https://www.sfu.ca/students/upass/general.html

Vancouver is not a violent city, and the suburbs, e.g. Burnaby, are generally not bad either.  My impression of North Burnaby is that it's fairly working class, less gentrified than much of the Lower Mainland, and therefore cheaper.   Here's a booster-ish page about it:

http://www.burnabyheights.com/

P.S. A fast bus will get you to downtown Vancouver within 1/2 hour.

TalkUBC

North Burnaby is a good place, lots of small businesses to check out ranging from restaurants, boutiques etc. 

135 SFU bus runs along Hastings in North Burnaby.

Apsalar

Hi,

I lived downtown Vancouver for my first 2 years at SFU (including 8 months of co-op). It was nice, but overpriced and just too far away. I didn't get to meet very many people...

I now live in the Univercity complex, very close to SFU, but still technically off-campus. It's quiet, apartments are spacious, etc.. Being able to walk to school is awesome.

North Burnaby's pretty neat, and probably closer to more amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.).

TalkUBC

^You lived in downtown Vancouver and didn't meet many people??

Apsalar

Nope, didn't really meet anyone. I spent most of my time at SFU or at work. Where do you meet people? In the streets? At grocery stores? :p

Annie

Vancouver is a chilly city, despite the mild climate. People don't even make eye contact on the street.

Definitely look into clubs, sports, etc. organized activities in general, or even study groups to make sure the time at SFU is not a lonely one.

TalkUBC

I've met people on the streets of Granville and at the McDonald's before haha

Apsalar

Really, on the streets? Was there some event going on? I worked on Granville for a while and never really met anyone..

Maybe you're just way more sociable than me ^^

TalkUBC

You just gotta be like sup, then talk a bit, grab a number and you got it.

TalkUBC

I met one person on a Saturday night like this in the McDonald's just out of pure boredom standing in line lol.

Apsalar

Ahah well, you must be a lot more sociable than I am... I can't imagine myself asking for people's numbers ^^

When I go out, it's usually to sit-down restaurants rather than fast foods or coffee shops, so it doesn't help.. I've never really gone out at bars/clubs on Granville either..

TalkUBC

No I'm actually naturally introverted but it's spectral so I guess I do lean to extroverted side too but innately introverted. You just gotta do you and you'll be surprised at how receptive people actually are when you just do you and be friendly and nice in a "normal" way.

I don't really go to bars or clubs either as I don't drink but I do go to shows. I just don't think too much of things and act on impulse and be spontaneous. No planning, just do.