Many people think I chose the University of Windsor simply because my boyfriend also attends the school. That’s not entirely true. Here is the full story of why I chose to study at the University of Windsor.
In my original hunt for universities, before I was in grade 12 (I know, a little proactive), I was considering Ryerson University. Once I saw the cost of tuition and living I ruled that out. I also toured the school and was not impressed that the campus is right in the city square; it was very open to the public. I had never lived in a city before and I imagined that going from a small town to a big city like Toronto would be quite a shock. It was too far from home and too expensive.
After that, I thought my only option was Western, but when my boyfriend chose to go to university in Windsor, it made me look into the programs UWindsor offered. Until him, I had never even considered looking into Windsor.
Now I was stuck between Western and UWindsor. Western has a beautiful campus, beautiful residences, and it’s close to home. However, Western’s tuition was higher than UWindsor’s and they offered less scholarships than UWindsor did. UWindsor started offering entrance scholarships at a lower grade range than Western did, so their higher grade range scholarships offered more money. And even though Western’s campus is beautiful, it’s huge! Way too big for my preferences. I liked the small and contained campus of UWindsor. The overall feel of Western turned me off too; it was way too preppy. After considering these factors, I couldn’t envision myself feeling comfortable at Western.
When the time came, I still applied to Western along with UWindsor, and I was accepted to both. I was pretty much set on going to UWindsor and nothing would change my mind. To top things off, I was offered an entrance scholarship to UWindsor.
Windsor is not a glamorous city, but I don’t regret my decision. I didn’t come to university for the experience. I came to university to get a degree, and that’s what I’m doing. I wouldn’t be able to live alone in the city and be surrounded by a bunch of people I don’t know. Here, I am surrounded by awesome roommates and I have the comfort and security of living with my boyfriend as well.
Where I get the degree doesn’t matter, as long as I get it. In all honesty, UWindsor has one of the most unique English programs. And it’s still close to home. It is the only university in North America that offers undergrads the opportunity to intern at an editing and publishing company through their editing and publishing practicum. They also hold a book launch every year which takes place this Wednesday April 4th, 2018!
So I didn’t choose UWin just because my boyfriend did. He introduced me to what Windsor has to offer. I could have gone to Western if I wanted to, but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I considered living costs, comfort, tuition, and location. UWindsor stood out for me in all of those categories. It is a huge bonus that this was a great choice for my relationship, but I chose what was best for myself first.