University of Victoria

[PaperBagger'14]

I have an option to transfer after 2 years here in Calgary to the UVic electrical engineering program and I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on their program. Also if anyone loves in Victoria, what's it like and would you recommend it? What areas should be avoided for purchasing property and the like. All input is welcome and thanks for any help.

[combustiblefuel]

I love Frickin Victoria!!!!!!

After Living on Calgary/Kamloops and Medicine Hat its an Upgrade IMO.


Uvic is top notch in their programs. I have 3 close friends who are taking this exact course there.

Living here is a treat. If you were to move here better make sure you ditch the full winter gear for some thermal rain gear in the winter. Its can rain a day or so but its on and off. Its not near the level of rain the Mainland receives . It can get close to 0° which does not seem that cold but its common for wind gusts of 40km mixed with the high humidity will cut the cold to your bone.

In the spring / summer the city is bloody gorgeous. Non -stop festivals. Average temp around 20°c with usually just a week maybe 2 around 28°c.

[PaperBagger'14]

What are some of the middle of the road communities close to the university called? If I move out there I will be selling my house here to move. Also any idea if there are career opportunities in Victoria for engineering?

[evman150]

Personally, I think the best place to live when attending UVic is the Oak Bay junction area (where Oak Bay Ave meets Pandora and Fort). Technically in the city of Victoria, it's between downtown and the university. It's also super convenient for buses in both directions. It's also only a few kilometres to the beaches (Willows, Gonzales). It also has a million apartment buildings with very reasonable rents (800 for a bachelor, 900-1000 for a 1br) in the area.

Just saw your last post, and that you may be older and more financially stable? If you are interested in buying, that obviously changes things.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by evman150

Personally, I think the best place to live when attending UVic is the Oak Bay junction area (where Oak Bay Ave meets Pandora and Fort). Technically in the city of Victoria, it's between downtown and the university. It's also super convenient for buses in both directions. It's also only a few kilometres to the beaches (Willows, Gonzales). It also has a million apartment buildings with very reasonable rents (800 for a bachelor, 900-1000 for a 1br) in the area.

Just saw your last post, and that you may be older and more financially stable? If you are interested in buying, that obviously changes things.

Haha well I'm not a starving student by any means, however I'll be taking a look at oak bay and the surrounding areas! Thanks

[DOOM]

I love Victoria, im going out next week to visit my brother (he's in his 4th year of business)

He really seems to like it out there. He lived in res for his first year, he lived in a house with some friends in Braefoot his second year.

Year 3 and this year they have lived in a house in Ten Mile Point. Its an awesome house, big back yard, great view of the ocean (the ocean is also a short walk away)

Last year we drove up to Tofino in early November and did some surfing (We didn't do very well though, haha, but it was lots of fun)

Being able to Golf year round is pretty sweet also.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Haha well I'm not a starving student by any means, however I'll be taking a look at oak bay and the surrounding areas! Thanks

Fernwood. Its a nice neighborhood. Oak bay will cost a lot more . Oak bays the rich Municipality higher taxes and the like.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Fernwood. Its a nice neighborhood. Oak bay will cost a lot more . Oak bays the rich Municipality higher taxes and the like.

Yep. Big difference between Oak Bay and Oak Bay junction!

Fernwood is a good call. A little closer to downtown, with a nice community feel.

[rubecube]

If you can find a place you can afford, I'd take Cook St. Village over Fernwood or Oak Bay any day. If you actually want to be close to the university, but like a bit more of a quiet, family vibe, then Gordon Head is your best bet.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by evman150

Yep. Big difference between Oak Bay and Oak Bay junction!

Fernwood is a good call. A little closer to downtown, with a nice community feel.

I took business at uvic. Best place I ever lived. Fernwood recommendation is good. I always thought cadboro bay would be a cool place to live. Very close to uvic, small community feel and nice beach.

I only left because job prospects weren't great. But different industry and a long time ago now. It is definitely worth spending a couple of years there. No real other experience in Canada is close.

[driveway]

Victoria is the Velvet Rut: soft living, easy to get stuck there.

Victoria is a phenomenal, phenomenal place to go to school, I can't speak to the program, but I've got two degrees from UVic and can't say enough good things about my time there.

It's actually hard to find a bad place to live in Victoria. Everything is closer than Calgary, and it's the Island, so everywhere is nice. I'd probably avoid Gordon Head and recommend neighbourhoods like Fernwood, Cook St. and Victoria proper. Also, James Bay is awesome, a little further from the University, but we're seriously talking about the difference between an 8 minute and a 16 minute commute.

You actually start to lose your sense of just how close things actually are. I spent a couple of years living in the High Quadra area, near where Quadra meets the Pat Bay for those of you on the island, and everyone was like "damn, dude you live a long way" when it's seriously 12 minutes in a car to anywhere in town.

I would choose quality of home over location 99 times out of 100 in Victoria, just because of how easy it is to get around.

You'll have a great time in school, and then probably leave because the job prospects are lousy, but you won't want to leave.

[thymebalm]

Beautiful place to live, and amazing campus. I have a degree from there and lived in Gordon head, hillside, fernwood, and James bay. Each has their own charm. The places I would avoid living is on Quadra north of hillside (strictly residential, boring) the cook/pandora intersection and down pandora to Douglas and then up to Bay Street is pretty bad with drugs and homelessness and hookers (for lack of a better term). Also avoid Vic west, esquimalt, and Langford (far from campus and meh).

All told that's a pretty small part of town. Beware getting to deep into Gordon head or Cordova bay if you don't have a vehicle as transit is weak in those areas...

Feel free to PM me for any questions. Spent my formidable years there so I should be able to answer any questions.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by thymebalm

Beautiful place to live, and amazing campus. I have a degree from there and lived in Gordon head, hillside, fernwood, and James bay. Each has their own charm. The places I would avoid living is on Quadra north of hillside (strictly residential, boring) the cook/pandora intersection and down pandora to Douglas and then up to Bay Street is pretty bad with drugs and homelessness and hookers (for lack of a better term). Also avoid Vic west, esquimalt, and Langford (far from campus and meh).

All told that's a pretty small part of town. Beware getting to deep into Gordon head or Cordova bay if you don't have a vehicle as transit is weak in those areas...

Feel free to PM me for any questions. Spent my formidable years there so I should be able to answer any questions.

I live in Langford, boooooooooooooooo!

Langford has been overhauled in the last 5 years I lived here and looks substantially better, and is trying to shake the stigma it seems to have (before my time here). True, it is far from UofV and traffic in to town is somewhat terrible, but it is cheaper out here depending on your needs. I have a small family and find it more affordable out here.

Plus the only bowling alley in town is here in Langford.

[thymebalm]

For families Langford and Colwood are great and yeah, they have continued to develop since I moved in 2010. I'm not a Langford 'hater' but wouldn't recommend it to anyone attending uvic or anyone without a car. Langford is booming, it's got everything you need, but you need a car, and if you commute, you have to suffer the 'colwood crawl' so there's that

[rubecube]

Langford blows.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

With job prospects abysmal for EE grads on the island, why would you contemplate buying a place there? Just rent.

Unless your catering to the elderly, job opportunities are far and few out there.

[Wormius]

Depends on the EE path he's going towards. Victoria has about a dozen-ish tech companies that I can think of off-hand. Probably more opportunities if he goes for a less high-tech area like power or control systems type stuff with a utility company.

[ExiledFlamesFan]

Is Victoria still dumping raw untreated sewage into the ocean? Don't live around there

[evman150]

Originally Posted by ExiledFlamesFan

Is Victoria still dumping raw untreated sewage into the ocean? Don't live around there

LOL. Science is tough, eh?

"Ewwwww....poo!!" vs "All of the scientific evidence".

It's kind of like Jenny McCarthy: "AUTISM!!!" vs "All of the scientific evidence".

Better go and clean up all the blue whale feces in the water, imagine the damage it's doing to the ecosystem! And they poo A LOT!

But never mind, let's pay a billion dollars for something that pumps the air full of (Alberta-made) pollution, and has ten times the environmental impact - sounds like a plan!

[crazy_eoj]

Great place to go to school, tough place to live afterwards if you are looking for a career.