I’m now in my fourth year at Bishop’s. After having spent three years in Abbott Residence, I moved off-campus in April 2022. The two experiences have been incredibly different. 

Living on campus was extremely convenient. I didn’t have to worry about cooking since I had a meal plan at Dewies. All-you-can-eat food was only a two minute walk from my bed. No prep, no dishes to clean – it sounded perfect. However, after a while, eating at Dewies got repetitive. There are only so many ways to make the stir-fry station different, and only so many stations. My biggest problem with Dewies was that, as a Muslim, I couldn’t eat any food that had pork. They only started prominently posting whether a food had pork or other allergens partway into my second year, and only did so reliably in my third year. Before then, I either had to assume food was unsafe for me, or ask a staff member. I put in a lot of complaints to the Dining Committee. Once COVID hit, the Dewies experience changed quite a bit. Clarity around ingredients in dishes was the best change that happened. 

I also loved how close residence was to the Gait because I never checked a coat for my entire first year, no matter how snowy it got. 

As COVID hit, residence felt too isolating. The community and ease-of-access that had made it so appealing was gone. Living on the ground floor made it easier for me to self-isolate – friends would come up to my window to chat while I stayed inside. In the end, I moved off campus because my life in residence felt too confined and small, never leaving the campus where I lived, worked, ate, studied, and partied. I needed more variety.

Living off campus has been entirely different. I am still fairly close to classes, just on the other side of the bridge. I do find it more tempting to skip classes living off campus – even though the walk may be the same distance, the distinction of walking “to campus” instead of “to class” has changed the way I view it. 

The biggest difference is living without a Dewies meal plan. I pay for groceries, rent, hydro and it all comes to approximately the same amount as it was living on campus paying rent and meal plan. However, now I have to decide what I’ll eat, buy groceries for it, cook the food, and do all the dishes. While it’s more work, I appreciate having more control over my diet. I don’t have to worry about whether I’ll be served something I can eat or not, since I’m the one deciding what I’m eating, and I can cater to my cravings easily. I also find it easier to see my friends as an upper-year living off campus. I have more space in my apartment for having people over than I ever did in my dorm. It’s easier to see my friends at cafes, but I do miss running into people at Dewies. 

On- and off-campus life offer different benefits. I enjoyed my time in residence, especially as a first year, but find now that I need my life off-campus as a fourth year. Regardless of where I live, accessing classes, food, and friends are priorities for my wellness.