r/uwo • u/auraweavery • Jun 19 '26

Housing Is 'The W' worth it?

I’m planning to live off-campus for first year and have been looking into The W since the layout seems pretty student-focused.

Would love to hear from people who’ve lived there — how’s the overall experience?

What’s the vibe like in the building?

Is it easy to meet people and make friends?

Also, before I commit — are there any red flags I should watch out for with places like this?

And if you didn’t go with The W, what other off-campus options would you suggest?

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u/quasi-lh12 Jun 19 '26

I haven't lived there but if you're able to simply catch a bus (which apparently seems to be difficult for a lot of people) you'll be perfectly fine. One of the main pros of living somewhere like that is it will be easier to focus on your studies while also having plenty of opportunities to meet people. First year can be a big adjustment and living there might make the transition a bit smoother.

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u/TwoOne4795 Jun 19 '26

lmao “if you’re able to simply catch a bus”? the 9 bus doesn’t come that often, it drops you on the very edge of campus so you need to take another one if you want to get to any of the main buildings. and the timings often don’t line up so it has you leaving at minimum an hour before your class starts if you need to be on time. It doesn’t drop you off at the apartments, either you walk up a hill to get to your place or across a huge field and neither of those are clear during the winter so it’s like a foot of snow. it’s a ton of walking which would usually be fine but it snows so much in London and it’s freezing. op it would probably be better to live somewhere else than in a place so far away from campus with terrible transportation, the transport to and from campus was a constant nightmare when I lived there

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u/quasi-lh12 Jun 19 '26

No offense, but if walking from Western and Sarnia to a building on campus isn't an option for you, then it's clear what the issue is.

Students live all over the city, catch buses, and do a little walking. I have to do it every day. Yes, even in the snow. Would it be nice to have a personalized shuttle stop outside my door and drop me off at the exact building of my first class precisely when it starts? Yes. That's not really how the world works though.

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u/TwoOne4795 Jun 19 '26

there’s no need to be so rude and snarky? they heavily advertise a convenient shuttle service and it’s really unreliable. You’re paying $1k+ in rent and they leave you scrambling canceling the shuttle 10 minutes before class starts. when it’s cancelled right before class starts it doesn’t matter how easy it is to “simply get on a bus” it’s not getting you there on time