U of A vs UVic

[Wmel]

Have to make a decision in a week and can't go with the "choose where you want to work" decision strategy because I've never actually been to BC so I don't know how I feel about it (Alberta undergrad). I'm aiming for family law and very concerned with cost of living. Which is better?

[allrise1]

12 minutes ago, Wmel said:

Have to make a decision in a week and can't go with the "choose where you want to work" decision strategy because I've never actually been to BC so I don't know how I feel about it (Alberta undergrad). I'm aiming for family law and very concerned with cost of living. Which is better?

Would it be more beneficial to compare tuition costs and then look into which school is also more targeted towards your career goals? (Correct me if I’m wrong but UVic is cheaper which may balance out the cost of living) 

I noticed UVic has a Law Centre for pro bono advicd in criminal matters, divorce, family disputes etc that allows students hands on experience (if that helps). Good luck with whatever you choose both are good opportunities.  

 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by allrise1

[Patient0L]

I wouldn’t think of Victoria as a place with a high cost of living. What attracted you to those schools in the first place? 

[Renerik]

1 hour ago, Patient0L said:

I wouldn’t think of Victoria as a place with a high cost of living

To Vancouverites and Torontonians it's inexpensive. To the rest of Canadians, it's expensive.

[Bachtowork]

2 hours ago, Patient0L said:

I wouldn’t think of Victoria as a place with a high cost of living. What attracted you to those schools in the first place? 

It depends on how things will turn out this year. Last year, the housing market was terrible, I had to pay Vancouver prices in order to secure a place in Victoria. 

[Patient0L]

8 hours ago, Bachtowork said:

It depends on how things will turn out this year. Last year, the housing market was terrible, I had to pay Vancouver prices in order to secure a place in Victoria. 

I know 3 families who just moved to Victoria in the past few months because the real estate market in was a lot more affordable than Vancouver. For detached houses at least, not sure how it goes for other types of properties. Granted, @Bachtowork, I have no idea what constitutes being in “Victoria” as opposed to “the island” and the impact that has on prices.
 

On 3/18/2022 at 7:28 PM, Wmel said:

Have to make a decision in a week and can't go with the "choose where you want to work" decision strategy because I've never actually been to BC so I don't know how I feel about it (Alberta undergrad). I'm aiming for family law and very concerned with cost of living. Which is better?

Anyhoo, it’s all relative. But if one is studying to enter a well paid profession, what does an extra $200 a month on a student living scenario (rental apartment, roommates, indoor Christmas lights up all year) make?

Tuition is also a bargain.

A campus/city visit would probably allow you to make more of a gut decision of where you want to be. I imagine the cultures are a bit different in each place. Could be a bit late for that… but you could also ask for an extension on making your decision.

[Bachtowork]

33 minutes ago, Patient0L said:

I know 3 families who just moved to Victoria in the past few months because the real estate market in was a lot more affordable than Vancouver. For detached houses at least, not sure how it goes for other types of properties. Granted, @Bachtowork, I have no idea what constitutes being in “Victoria” as opposed to “the island” and the impact that has on prices.
 

Anyhoo, it’s all relative. But if one is studying to enter a well paid profession, what does an extra $200 a month on a student living scenario (rental apartment, roommates, indoor Christmas lights up all year) make?

Tuition is also a bargain.

A campus/city visit would probably allow you to make more of a gut decision of where you want to be. I imagine the cultures are a bit different in each place. Could be a bit late for that… but you could also ask for an extension on making your decision.

Yeah, instead of housing market, what I actually meant was rental market. Last year, particularly last summer, it was really bad - many students were unable to find a place and planned on living in their car or in tents or just deferring, many said the only places they could secure were over 2 thousand dollars a month (that was my situation - whenever there was a more affordable place, someone else would snatch it up quickly and/or the landlord would never reply because they already had so many inquiries). People said they couldn't even find a place outside of the city, like in Langford. 

[Whist]

1 hour ago, Patient0L said:

Anyhoo, it’s all relative. But if one is studying to enter a well paid profession, what does an extra $200 a month on a student living scenario (rental apartment, roommates, indoor Christmas lights up all year) make?

I'm not intentionally trying to pick on you, but you keep giving bad advice. $200 a month can absolutely make a difference in someone's budget. "Lawyers are well paid so don't be super concerned about money" is the exact opposite of what people need to hear. Moreover, assuming $200 a month is the extent of the cost of living difference between Victoria and Edmonton is short-sighted. A one bedroom in Victoria can run you $1650+ even if you're nowhere near the school and the vacancy is worryingly low. You can get a one bedroom in Edmonton within walking distance of the school for about $1000 (although you'll get a nicer place for a little more money, there is no shortage of supply in different price brackets). The average cost of buying a house is just over a million dollars in Victoria, which might be cheaper than its neighbour Vancouver, but is by no means reasonable. People flooding into adjacent areas from being priced out of the GVA will only continue to raise the housing prices across the Island, with Victoria hit the hardest. For someone who allegedly currently lives or has lived in the GVA I don't know why you seem to not know much about it or the Island.

To OP - UofA has raised its tuition, but I'll leave it to you to work out the cost difference given your own research and the advice given here. If you're "very concerned with the cost of living," UofA is the natural choice. If you're leaning more towards working in BC, UVic will position you better, although it won't be impossible from UofA. Moving to a new place for a fresh start can be a very valuable experience, but there are many other factors you should consider. 

[Patient0L]

6 hours ago, Bachtowork said:

Yeah, instead of housing market, what I actually meant was rental market. Last year, particularly last summer, it was really bad - many students were unable to find a place and planned on living in their car or in tents or just deferring, many said the only places they could secure were over 2 thousand dollars a month (that was my situation - whenever there was a more affordable place, someone else would snatch it up quickly and/or the landlord would never reply because they already had so many inquiries). People said they couldn't even find a place outside of the city, like in Langford. 

That sucks. It seems like inventory is an issue everywhere. I’m glad you found something… with a roommate I hope on a student budget!

 

5 hours ago, Whist said:

I'm not intentionally trying to pick on you, but you keep giving bad advice. $200 a month can absolutely make a difference in someone's budget. "Lawyers are well paid so don't be super concerned about money" is the exact opposite of what people need to hear. Moreover, assuming $200 a month is the extent of the cost of living difference between Victoria and Edmonton is short-sighted. A one bedroom in Victoria can run you $1650+ even if you're nowhere near the school and the vacancy is worryingly low. You can get a one bedroom in Edmonton within walking distance of the school for about $1000 (although you'll get a nicer place for a little more money, there is no shortage of supply in different price brackets). The average cost of buying a house is just over a million dollars in Victoria, which might be cheaper than its neighbour Vancouver, but is by no means reasonable. People flooding into adjacent areas from being priced out of the GVA will only continue to raise the housing prices across the Island, with Victoria hit the hardest. For someone who allegedly currently lives or has lived in the GVA I don't know why you seem to not know much about it or the Island.

To OP - UofA has raised its tuition, but I'll leave it to you to work out the cost difference given your own research and the advice given here. If you're "very concerned with the cost of living," UofA is the natural choice. If you're leaning more towards working in BC, UVic will position you better, although it won't be impossible from UofA. Moving to a new place for a fresh start can be a very valuable experience, but there are many other factors you should consider. 

Ummm… I feel like this is a response to several points I did not make… so… ya.

With the caveat that affordability is relative, all I was trying to say is—in my opinion, based on experience—that the cost of living between two small Canadian cities, for me, would not be a factor significant enough to become a deciding factor in a life decision. I’ve lived or done stints in several major metropolitan areas where, not only is housing insane, but one doesn’t have the luxury of cheap (yes, cheap) healthcare, tuition, and utilities. 

 

This is why I was asking OP about what interests them academically about each school and to think about the contrasts between the two cultures, whether those are draws or drawbacks. Choosing whether or not to make a life in BC when you’ve never been here seems a bigger risk than the financial ones. 

 

I do think that UVic’s Law Centre looks great for someone interested in family law.

 

Sheesh… why do I get pounced on every time I mention anything about Victoria? Should I be preemptively wringing my hands? I guess I’ll find out next year.

[Lilbb19]

the rental market in vic  is a nightmare for sure. Ive been bouncing between AIr bnb's

[CleanHands]

1 hour ago, Patient0L said:

Sheesh… why do I get pounced on every time I mention anything about Victoria? Should I be preemptively wringing my hands? I guess I’ll find out next year.

Your first post was "Victoria doesn't have a high cost of living" and your second was "Victoria is cheaper than Vancouver," when the OP was explicitly asking for a comparison between Victoria and Edmonton.

You got pounced on because your posts were bad and non-responsive to the OP.

Edited March 21, 2022 by CleanHands

[Whist]

45 minutes ago, Patient0L said:

Ummm… I feel like this is a response to several points I did not make… so… ya.

With the caveat that affordability is relative, all I was trying to say is—in my opinion, based on experience—that the cost of living between two small Canadian cities, for me, would not be a factor significant enough to become a deciding factor in a life decision. I’ve lived or done stints in several major metropolitan areas where, not only is housing insane, but one doesn’t have the luxury of cheap (yes, cheap) healthcare, tuition, and utilities. 

Affordability is always relative. You didn't say "the cost of living between cities is something people should consider, but it's not relevant for me." You directly quoted OP's original question expressing concern for cost of living, and were dismissive by indicating because people should expect to earn well in their legal career, cost of living isn't a big deal. Your first post on this thread was you not being aware how expensive Victoria is. And then you went to comment on how cost of living isn't that big of a deal. Also, not sure what you mean by "two small cities." Victoria isn't very big, but Edmonton is one of the biggest cities in Canada.

[Renerik]

1 hour ago, Patient0L said:

Sheesh… why do I get pounced on every time I mention anything about Victoria? Should I be preemptively wringing my hands? I guess I’ll find out next year.

In the other thread you were trying to justify a day-long commute multiple times a week between UVic and your home in Vancouver. Now, you're telling OP that "that the cost of living between two small Canadian cities, for me (But actually for OP otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up), would not be a factor significant enough to become a deciding factor in a life decision". 
Either you're giving disingenuous advice, or you're detached from reality.

OP, this bit is for you. I had to make the exact same decision in December. I chose UofA. While they gave me more $$ than UVic, the real killer wasn't tuition but housing. You can get a 900-1100$ 1 bedroom 15-5 minutes walk from UofA, it goes down to ~800/month if I'm willing to get a bit stabby and take the LRT. You won't come near those prices in Victoria if you can find anything at all. Browse the UVic subreddit and you'll find students with budgets of 1500-1600 unable to find anything anywhere. Everyone is telling you this except for some guy in Vancouver. 

[Patient0L]

31 minutes ago, Whist said:

Affordability is always relative. You didn't say "the cost of living between cities is something people should consider, but it's not relevant for me." You directly quoted OP's original question expressing concern for cost of living, and were dismissive by indicating because people should expect to earn well in their legal career, cost of living isn't a big deal. Your first post on this thread was you not being aware how expensive Victoria is. And then you went to comment on how cost of living isn't that big of a deal. Also, not sure what you mean by "two small cities." Victoria isn't very big, but Edmonton is one of the biggest cities in Canada.

I mean… if your frame of reference is Edmonton as “the big city,” yes it’s totally plausible that you aren’t getting my perspective…

[Patient0L]

15 minutes ago, Renerik said:

In the other thread you were trying to justify a day-long commute multiple times a week between UVic and your home in Vancouver. Now, you're telling OP that "that the cost of living between two small Canadian cities, for me (But actually for OP otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up), would not be a factor significant enough to become a deciding factor in a life decision". 
Either you're giving disingenuous advice, or you're detached from reality.

OP, this bit is for you. I had to make the exact same decision in December. I chose UofA. While they gave me more $$ than UVic, the real killer wasn't tuition but housing. You can get a 900-1100$ 1 bedroom 15-5 minutes walk from UofA, it goes down to ~800/month if I'm willing to get a bit stabby and take the LRT. You won't come near those prices in Victoria if you can find anything at all. Browse the UVic subreddit and you'll find students with budgets of 1500-1600 unable to find anything anywhere. Everyone is telling you this except for some guy in Vancouver. 

I’m in the UVic off-campus housing FB group. I see rooms within a variety of price ranges posted daily, starting from $500-ish. Lots are more than that but there are plenty under 1k/month. Idk what up with the Reddit group but maybe they should check out FB.

[Whist]

44 minutes ago, Patient0L said:

I mean… if your frame of reference is Edmonton as “the big city,” yes it’s totally plausible that you aren’t getting my perspective…

What? "A" big city in Canada is Edmonton. 1,400,000 people live in it. Nobody would refer to it as small in the context of Canada, a context you indicated. 

38 minutes ago, Patient0L said:

I’m in the UVic off-campus housing FB group. I see rooms within a variety of price ranges posted daily, starting from $500-ish. Lots are more than that but there are plenty under 1k/month. Idk what up with the Reddit group but maybe they should check out FB.

Not only are you ignoring that multiple current UVic law students in this thread have told you they're struggling with housing, under $1k gets you a room with multiple housemates and a shared bathroom or kitchen. Renerik specifically stated he is talking about the cost of a one bedroom to yourself. I have no idea why you're denigrating the intelligence of these Reddit users, as if the only reason they haven't found a place to live is because they haven't checked fucking Facebook.