There is no such thing as perfection. Sure, some things come close, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt or the mint Girl Guide Cookies, but there are always little flaws that stand in the way. At Carleton, the campus is gorgeous, the dining hall has tons of options, there are a ton of places to grab a coffee, we have tunnels to avoid the winter, you can always find a quiet place to study… and the list goes on.
But, there are just a few little things that stand between the university and pure awesomeness.
The Bus Situation
If you live on campus, this may not be as much of a problem, but for those coming from apartments and houses outside of Carleton, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that Carleton could use a few extra busses or cars on the O-Train. In the morning, the O-Train is so packed, that it can be difficult to breathe and by the time some of the busses reach stations such as Billings Bridge, only four people or so can squeeze their way onto the very front of the bus. Trying to make it to an 8:30am class is more stressful than half of my assignments.
The Library Construction
If you have an hour in between classes, one way to kill time is to grab a coffee and a bench in the quad. You can enjoy the beautiful fall weather before the snow hits and we all head underground to the tunnels until spring (let’s face it… you know it will happen). I for one, sit out in the quad almost every day. I love it there. However, what I don’t love is the grating sound of steel being pounded with hammers. That booming noise echoes throughout the whole campus and totally ruins the peaceful atmosphere. In addition to that, the inside of the library is practically a maze right now. I don’t know about you, but if I’m headed to the library, I want to get what I need and get out as soon as possible. I can’t say I’m usually in the mood to ‘follow the yellow tape road’ around the building trying to find my way.
The Stairs in the University Centre
Now I know it may seem ridiculous, but I cannot be the only one that dreads the stairs in the University Centre. I know it’s only four flights to Roosters or a hopefully-shorter-than-the-first-floor Tim Horton’s line, but those stairs seem never-ending sometimes. Yes, the elevator is there, and the stairs are good exercise. But by the time you reach the top, your legs hurt, you’re out of breath, and it’s just another reminder that you haven’t gone to the gym in a while. And who wants to think about that?
No Fall Reading Week
If OttawaU has a fall reading week, Carleton should too! Carleton is clearly the superior school, but U of O does win in the reading week category. It really does not make sense for one school in Ottawa to have two reading weeks while the other only has one. Work builds up so quickly. Everyone could use a few days off to catch up on readings and all of the tv shows that were missed while working on assignments until the early hours of the morning.
Yes, Carleton has a few things for us to complain about, but which would you rather? Attend Carleton and accept its minor flaws, or be a Gee-Gee?
Exactly.
Photo sources:
http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/08/29/city-to-sign-new-lease-for-o-train-f…
http://www.pro.rcip-chin.gc.ca/GetMember.do?id=guaesg&lang=fr&ens=cnRsTG…
http://southerncottages.blogspot.ca/2010/05/endless-stairs.html
http://www.ontarioscholarships.ca/university/55/carleton_university.php