So it’s your first year at university and let’s just say there has been a lot to get used to. Not only do you have to balance your new, heavier workload, but you also have to decide how many times you can afford to go out per week and you’ve quickly learned just how expensive ramen noodles can get when you buy packages by the dozen. There are a few key experiences that most first years go through. Not to say that these experiences won’t repeat themselves (because they will), but they do serve as sort of initiation into the McGill University community.
1. Midnight Chef On Call(s)
Oh yes, if there is one thing every first year will experience it is the immediate pang of hunger when you get home after a night out. You scrounge your room for food but you know deep down in your heart that none of your half-eaten bags of chips will suffice the ever-growing hunger that is building in your stomach. Enter: Chef On Call. Located very conveniently on Sherbrooke St., Chef On Call is a scrumptious food spot that will fulfill all of your midnight cravings. With foods ranging from grilled cheese and fries to the classic poutine, Chef On Call will literally be your savior on numerous occasions. Best of all, they deliver right to your dorm (until 3am), which definitely comes in handy during the freezing cold winter months.
2. Almost Getting Hit By A Car
You always run the risk of getting hit by a car when you jaywalk; that’s just a given. But, lucky for you, in Montreal you also run the risk of getting hit by a car when you cross the street completely legally. I don’t know what it is about drivers but they always seem to be in a rush. This has led to various instances when I have been halfway across the street with the walk sign, but drivers still close in on me at a dangerously close range. It’s definitely something to be aware of in order to ensure your safety. So, as a piece of advice, continue to look both ways even while you’re crossing the street.
3. The Indecisive Weather
Montreal is known for its bitterly cold winters, but leading up to those cold winter months, the weather doesn’t seem to be able to make up its mind. You’ll start your cold mornings with a heavy jacket on the way to your 8:30 am class, only to be pouring sweat by noon when the sun decides to come out and the temperature bumps up fifteen degrees. Don’t question it, just plan accordingly.
4. Sangria Wednesdays and Tokyo Thursdays
There are a lot of good-deal nights in Montreal and the two most well known nights by McGill students are on Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Sangria Wednesdays, make your way down to Gerts, located right on campus, and enjoy an $11 pitcher of Sangria. On Thursdays at Tokyo, a club located on St. Laurent, you’ll receive 2-for-1 drink specials accompanied by a rowdy night of fun dancing. Both of these nights are huge bargains for a broke college student.
5. The Annoying Blare of the Ambulance
Every. Single. Night. It’s not a complete night in Montreal without the ear-shattering scream of the ambulance siren on its way to who knows where. There you are, peacefully tucked into bed, dreaming good dreams, when suddenly you jolt up because an ambulance just screeched by your dorm. You’ve definitely been there, done that.
Images obtained from:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Montreal_skyline.jpg
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/22/29/9c/22299ca53cf21125396077fdcb7ca8a1.jpg
http://www.westerngazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/sarnia-western2_nyssa.jpg