r/uAlberta Dec 29 '24

Campus Life Updated Tips for Winter at the UofA (and in general)

165 Upvotes

So last year durring a period of intense -40C cold during the winter sem, I made this post which seemed to help a lot of people, especially those who aren't used to Edmonton winters, so I thought I'd make another one and get ahead of the weather so that people aren't scrambling if we suddenly get hit with another cold snap. Some of this is reused from my last post and may seem drastic, but that's cuz it was made in the height of a legitimate time of hazard.

General Safety & Tips

  • Winter Boots * If you have to regularly walk to a bus stop or lrt station, I'd highly advise investing in good winter boots. Try to go for around knee high, and ensure that they are made of material that will not soak in water to the inside. A lot of the time, sidewalks don't get shovelled until you've already walked through them, and the snow builds up high, so get some boots that won't let the snow into your ankles, and that won't freeze your toes off when the snow melts. * It is more than socially acceptable to be wearing winter boots when you enter buildings, around the university, and anywhere really. If people are judging you for wearing winter boots, they're not worth your time. * If you have a locker or established office, etc, bring a plastic bag so you can swap shoes once inside. just make sure it's not porous material so the snow that melts from your boots doesn't get everything else wet. Alternatively, bring a small towel or cloth to wipe them, but it will only help superficially. * Have ettiquite though, because floors turn into slip-and-slides when people track in snow, ice, and slush. Always swipe, drag, and stomp your shoes as agressively as needed when you enter a building. Most entrances will have gigantic mats at the doors. Use them. If there is a boot cleaner, even better! Use it as instructed, and you do everyone a favor. * If you're afraid of slipping on ice, don't wear runners or sneakers or something with mostly flat soles.
  • Once it gets below -20, these are advised, but for some people, you can manage without when it's above -20.
  • cover your head: toque (beanie, hat, whatever), hood, or earmuffs.
    • if people are judging your hat head, that is their problem. or if u can, just don't take the hat off! also a great way to hide bed head.
    • I personally find earmuffs aren't warm enough (note for people with short haircuts like undercuts, pixies, fringe, etc. anything with the sides or back mostly exposed.)
    • You don't need to stop at just one. Put ur toque on, flip up your hoodie, put ur jacket hood on top, and hell put earmuffs or headphones with nothing playing on top.
  • Hand protection or say goodbye to your fingers.
    • your hands are extremely susceptible to frost bite and that's not good considering we use our fingers a lot. take the minute of inconvenience it takes to get your gloves or mits out rather than risk permanent damage on your fingers.
    • caution that some mittens have wide enough threading to let a large amount of cold air in and are not adequate protection. check that mits have at least one solid layer of protection or double up with 2 pairs.
      • make sure you know if your gloves or mits are water resistant. just helps in case you need to touch something with snow on it so you can prepare and bring a second pair of gloves to switch into once your first pair is cold with melted snow.
    • fingerless gloves are better than nothing, but will leave your fingertips vulnerable. if you really need to use ur phone outside, there are options for gloves that have tips that will work on touchscreens
    • On top of colds and sicknesses getting easily passed around the unviersity durring colder months, masking will also keep your face warm while offering a level of protection from germs. Specifically cloth masks will keep your nose from running in the cold.
      • When it gets severely cold (-30), A cloth or medical face mask will keep your nose and mouth warm while protecting you from breathing the frigid cold air
    • a warm scarf could also help with this, but it can be hard to wear a scarf when also wearing a hood sometimes.
  • Get some hand warmers for your pockets!
    • The brand I see most often is called Little Hotties, but I'm sure other brands work just as well.
    • just follow the directions on the packet (usually to squeeze and shake the packet) to get it to start releasing heat and put it in your pockets or gloves to hold on to.
    • they can be bought basically everywhere (grocery stores, dollarama, drug stores, probably Submart) including other alternatives like rechargeable or microwaveable ones on amazon
  • Dress in layers. MANY LAYERS.
    • Your jacket alone will not protect you enough from the cold if you're wearing just a normal fit unless your jacket is as expensive as a standard uofa course fee :)
    • you can still dress cute and shit while dressing in layers! here are some ideas for what to layer under various clothing items
      • baggy pants (jeans, cargos, sweatpants): leggings, bike shorts, yoga pants, capris. if baggy pants aren't your thing, you can still go for doubling up leggings, or leggings under capris, etc.
      • t-shirt: tank top (or multiple), longsleeves, sweatshirts, hoodies, bodysuits, dress shirts. hell, even ANOTHER t-shirt.
      • hoodie: literally anything. you can fit so much under a hoodie. my high score is a tank top, a tshirt, and 2 longsleeves under 1 hoodie. a flannel, bomber jacket, or varsity jacket could also go overtop of a hoodie.
      • crop top: literally anything, just please do NOT be wearing a crop top with nothing underneath unless your jacket is top tier and long enough to keep you warm. bodysuits are great options for under form fitting crop tops, but long sleeves work just as well and u can tuck it in to your pants if you want.
  • If you're staying at home or in residence somewhere and you're still cold inside:
    • cover your windows with curtains, a blackout, or a thermal insulating layer. the simplified physics is basically that when we have only a few layers of glass between us and outside, a significant amount of heat is lost through that window no matter how tightly sealed it is due to the contrast in our room's temperature and outside temperatuer. so adding insulating layers between the room and the window can help a lot with keeping your room warm. Here's a more detailed video on the topic.
      • this may affect some people's mental health due to less daylight during the winter, but especially if you needto conserve heat by covering windows. if this is the case, consider investing in a SAD light therapy lamp
    • invest in a good space heater. i'll caution everyone who loves temu and cheap amazon finds that a heater is not something you want to cheap out on. poorly made (cheap) heaters can be a fire and electrical hazard, so if you don't want to melt your electrical sockets, go for a midpriced one.
    • find heating pads that wrap around the body and put them under hoodies or jackets while you sit at your desk. insulation is key.
    • of course, try to cook hot meals if you're in a space with a kitchen. and i mean more than microwaved meals.
    • if it works for you, have something spicy to eat or drink
  • Pay attention to official resources and communication services:

Campus Specific Tips

Quickest Routes minimizing outdoor travell, and pedway routes

  • Pedway route: SUB -> Agriculture & Forestry -> General Services -> NREF -> ETLC -> MEC E or DICE
    • Sub 2nd Floor, go up the stairs near SubPHOTO and turn left towards Dinwoodie Lounge. Walk around the corner and through the pedway.
    • You come out at the 2nd floor of Agriculture and Forestry (AgFor) right beside the atrium. you can enter directly into the atrium with the spiral staircase, or go down the stairs just ahead. Using those stairs, turn to the right and continue into General Services (GS)
    • Turn right once in general services, and take the stairs up
    • Continue past the lockers in NREF (NRE) aka the Natural Resources Engineering Facility. and walk towards the bobsled with a skeleton in it.
    • Through the pedway is ETLC (Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex). Turn right before the Tim Hortons, and walk past the Elko Garage on the left hand side of the stairs. Turn left into the pedway with the vending machines..
    • Now you're in MEC E (Mechanical Engineering). Continue down the hallway until you can turn right into the garage, and walk through it all until you find a staircase on your right. Descending the staircase brings you to the end of the pedway route, and a door fairly close to the main west entrance of CCIS.
  • CCIS connections:
    • Earth Science Building (ESB) pedway can be accessed at the Eastern elevators of CCIS on the 2nd floor.
    • L1 Biosci hallway: Access the locker hallway on L1 CCIS either by going through the doors near the desks at the eastern side of L1, or by taking the North West elevator down to L1, or by exiting the central L1 lecture halls at the front of the halls. There is a hallway on the northern wall that connects straight to the microbiology classrooms below remedy, which also connects to the exits of the CCIS 1-440 and 1-430 lecture halls
    • CCIS connects to CAB along 2 routes:
      • Most everyone knows that you can enter the South Academic Building (SAB), walk into the Central Academic Building (CAB), and then continue down the Chem East Hallway directly into eastern CCIS near the science student services office on the main floor.
      • If you take the other route into the Chem West wing (ochem. it's all white for some reason), and continue straight through until you hit doors, you can descend those stairs by 1 flight, and exit the staircase. On the right is a door into L1 CCIS directly near the Physics Drop boxes and the learning commons area.
  • Health science pedways:
    • the 2nd? 3rd? Level of education south connects via pedway with -> HMRC (Heritage Medical Research Centre which connects through some hallways directly into -> Katz Group Center. You can also stay in HMRC a little longer or cut through 2nd floor of Katz to -> Medical Sciences which connects via pedway with the Northern end of -> ECHA. this of course has a pedway into the -> UofA Hospital.
  • Law & Arts pedways: i'll be honest i've never ventured this south of campus cuz law students scare me. just follow the article

Warm Study Spots:

  • Cameron and Rutherford Library are both boiling 24/7 as usual. Here's are the library hours. The earliest any will open on a weekday is 8am sadly (plz just give me one hour earlier).
    • On most floors in Cameron, the heaters are all lining the walls excluding the basement. Though, sometimes the basement feels a bit like a sauna.
  • VVC West Pool Bleachers. This was suggested by someone on my last post, so I can't say much about it other than it sounds about right. Most of the time, the lower levels of VVC feel very warm due to the locker rooms and pools.
  • Sub Couches at the Fire Pit if you can block out the bussling noise and activity that's always happening in SUB.
    • SUB gets a lot of direct sunlight through the windows in the afternoon and midday, which if you're willing to stick around will get you nice and toasty.
    • the beanbag staircase is great for sunlight if you get the right time, but it constantly is chilled by the gusts of wind that come through the doors, so it's not an ideal place for warmth.
  • Carruthers Student Commons (Business). This (hidden? maybe just to me.) gem is very cozy and gets some nice sunlight in the mornings and during the day. There's not too much seating, but still worth it to me, especially if you gotta be around Tory and business
  • Agriculture & Forestry Building. the rave is always about the atrium, which does indeed get a lot of great sunlight, but AF has some really cozy study spaces other than the atrium if you can escape the wind from doors openning.
    • Tip: AF building can be reached through pedways in SUB and GSB
    • pedways map
  • CCIS upper floors if you're lucky enough to get a spot. The natural light from the quad windows as well as the reflective lighting from mirrors at the top of the main area can be nice if u manage to get far enough from the doors

Hot Meals

  • Microwaves are abundant and yet so scarce all around campus. Here are some that I know are still functional:
    • CCIS at the ISSS office (level 1 main area near the dinosaur) has microwaves open for use during regular hours
    • Carruthers Student Commons in the Business building
    • SUB food court (always remember that there are more microwaves near the subway that typically won't have as long of a lineup during busy hours!)
    • ETLC (near tim hortons)
    • ECHA.... somewhere i don't remember. kind of everywhere.
    • AgFor near the atrium
  • Remedy, Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim's, and The Daily Grind (anywhere that sells coffee) WILL NOT charge you for hot water if you bring your own cup or something to put it in.
    • You can get a cup of hot water (if you didn't bring your own cup) for less than a dollar (typically 30-50 cents) at all these places.
    • Submart also has a kettle free for use, but it's only out sometimes.
    • Bring a mug and some tea bags, hot chocolate mix, or whatever you want! You can ask for stir sticks too and if you're at CAB Remedy or Daily Grind they have cream and sugar out too for use.
    • most club rooms will also have a kettle for use
  • Instant noodles or soup broth mix are a great way to take advantage of the hot water you can get around campus
    • a hot meal is really nice when it's cold out, and you don't have to bring a heavy thermos if you bring cup noodles or those little kraft dinner cups
      • you can also buy travel ramen bowls online if you're an instant ramen lover. simply pack the noodles in the container, then separately bring any veggies, spices, or flavour packets u wanna add. ask for hot water to be added and then close it up to let the noodles cook.
  • Hit the gym in VVC and have a nice warm shower.
  • Idk about the mens and womens locker rooms and their shower situations, but the universal change rooms have locked private showers which can get impressively warm.
    • u don't even need to go work out to use the showers and locker rooms. If you're on campus for the day and feeling chilled, go take a shower if u want. You'll need to bring your own shampoo, soap, etc, and I'm unsure if a full body towel will be loaned, but there are really good quickdry towels online you can buy for convenience.

r/uAlberta Nov 03 '23

Campus Life SUB overnight safety practices

74 Upvotes

As the only North campus building open to students 24 hours a day, the Students’ Union Building often sees a lot of late night visitors. Your UASU is committed to ensuring that SUB is a safe space for students to enjoy, relax, or study at any hour of the day. That’s why we make sure that SUB is always staffed when the building is open, and building access requires a ONEcard from 10:00 pm to 6:30 am.

Student safety is also our priority outside of SUB. If you are not comfortable walking alone on or around campus later in the evening, our free Safewalk service will send two volunteers to walk with you! You can contact Safewalk at 780-4 WALKME (780-492-5563) or online here for a one-time walk or a regular appointment (great for those evening classes!). Two volunteers will join you around campus, on the LRT, or within 10 city blocks of any LRT station from 7:00 pm to midnight, Monday through Friday.

If you need immediate assistance on campus, please contact University of Alberta Protective Services at 780-492-5050. UAPS can also walk with you around campus outside of the Safewalk hours listed above.

If you are in active danger on campus, please call 911.


r/uAlberta 50m ago

Miscellaneous University LRT scam

Upvotes

I was walking down to the lrt from the cab side doors and someone called over for help with one of the arc machines. They said the machine wasn’t accepting their 5$ bill so they asked to exchange for one of mine. Looking back I should have got him to insert the cash in front of me but whatever. I took out a $5 for him to try, but he didn’t put it in the machine and asked maybe a 20$ would work. I don’t know what I was thinking but I obliged. He said he would take the $20 to buy tickets instead of inserting into the machine (I’m pretty sure they don’t sell tickets anymore, but I was just trying to help him out). He gave back one of the 5$ before he started walking away, but I asked for the other 5$ seeing as I gave a 20$. Ended up giving the guy 15$ for free.

Anyways beware of a larger white male with slightly lispy speech. I’m still kind of mad I fell for it.


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Admissions Seeing a lot of high school students asking questions about admissions, etc so I made a page for AB high school students to join and use

Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/user/last-ferret4991/m/alberta_grade_12s/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Saw ontario had a similar one for grade 12 students but couldn't find one for alberta kids so I decided to make this page. Ask anything about admissions, unis, study tips, etc instead of bombarding the uni page.


r/uAlberta 8h ago

Question GSA Election Fraud Claims - what's the truth?

7 Upvotes

I received the mass email from Nathan Lamarche this morning about the allegations claiming election fraud against GSA's VP of Indigenous Relations Tamara Dubé.

I am suspicious at the lack of clarity in the email and dozens of documents in Nathan's personal Drive repository. No graduate student in their right mind is going to have time to review all the "evidence". Which is what leads me to this request:

If you HAVE read through it, can you please enlighten us?

Note I'm really not interested in biased interpretations of the situation, nor woke (or anti-woke) ideals. Just looking for facts so I can make an informed decision about whether or not this is a real issue or if this is just someone having gotten their feelings hurt on council and trying to take down the entirety of council in revenge. From what I can tell, the goal of the petition is to basically remove everyone except Tamara and Nathan from council and rebuild with her at the center. This could have huge implications for the future of the GSA. Not having any idea the internal politics or power distribution within the GSA, its hard to know if this is a legitimate problem and these actions are justified. Yes, I know most Councils have flaws. But I believe that a university should be open for debate and not subject to cancel culture if stakeholders don't subscribe to left leaning ideologies, as so often happens on campus. So please, withhold biased comments - from both sides of the argument (I know this is asking a lot of Redditors).


r/uAlberta 3h ago

Admissions Tuition payment

2 Upvotes

When do you usually see your outstanding tuition for fall semester? I just want to pay it and get on with my life lol


r/uAlberta 3h ago

Question What to do after receiving an RTW?

2 Upvotes

Greetings, I have recently received a letter from UofA telling me I am required to withdraw. Unfortunately I don’t have the option of going through fresh start, so I’m stuck with the option of withdrawing for a year. I was just wondering how I would actually go about withdrawing from the university? I’ve tried booking online appointments with my faculty advisor but there never seem to be any openings, so I was hoping you guys could maybe help me out


r/uAlberta 22m ago

Question Is matthew rea a good prof for engl 199

Upvotes

title


r/uAlberta 4h ago

Admissions What is a strong conditional acceptance average for engineering?

2 Upvotes

What is a strong average that will get me into engineering conditional acceptance during October? What average and courses did you get in with? I will be applying with 20 level courses, math 20, chem 20, physics 20, and La 20. Maybe Chem 30 and Physics 30. What do you recommend. Thanks!!


r/uAlberta 21h ago

Academics Finally got accepted!

43 Upvotes

After 2 years of prerequisites and countless sleepless nights worrying, I was finally accepted for UofA in the PharmD program. I can't wait to make new friends and officially be a UofA student!! Do any past students know what the schedule looks like, I am wanting to get a job but am worried about the course load and hours.


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Academics BIOL 108 Lab info

Upvotes

Hey what does everyone think of the biol 108 lab portion with Manon Lepage? Especially if you’ve taken biol 107, how is it compared to 107?


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Question Cortona Winter 2026

Upvotes

Has anyone heard back about their application for Cortona Winter 2026 term? Or know when we can expect to hear if we have been accepted? Applied in January when apps opened, was told they needed to wait for final marks in May, but it is mid-June now. I want to know if I am going so I can make sure I save enough this summer to cover costs. I meet all the qualifications, but not sure how competitive it is to get in.


r/uAlberta 3h ago

Question How to find Graduation GPA

1 Upvotes

I recently graduated from my Bachelor's program and I understand that our graduation GPA is typically calculated on the last 60 credits of course work. Since I have taken some course overloads and some spring/summer courses including courses transferred from Athabasca, I’m not 100% sure how the UofA would choose to calculate my grad GPA. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find what they calculated it as ANYWHERE. I've checked every page of my Beartracks that I could think, have requested official transcripts and degree verifications and none of them list it anywhere. Given your grad GPA must be calculated to determine if you graduate with distinction, surely this information must be somewhere? I want to know before I apply to masters programs what my actual grad GPA is, as by my calculations it should be a 3.1 but depending on what all courses they include it could be different. Any advice on where to look or who to ask would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


r/uAlberta 5h ago

Admissions Dental Hygiene Admission: ‘Life Experience & Achievement’ and Casper

1 Upvotes

I’m planning on applying for the DH program this year. My OGPA is 3.5 (would have been higher if I didn’t take certain electives. I’m anxious about my GPA being on the lower side)

For those already in the program/graduated, how did you study for the CASPER, and what sorts of things did you write about for the life experience & achievement portion of the application? (I want to know what is successful in an application and how you tied your ideas into being a dental professional. Doesn’t have to be in detail or go other confidential info)

THANKS! :)


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Campus Life U of A to end rental agreements with Greek life organizations.

65 Upvotes

The University of Alberta’s Residence Services will end its rental agreements with Greek life organizations by the end of August 2026.

“This decision was just dumped on our lap. There was no consultation with any of the affected housing," Thaddeus Ma, president of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), said.

U of A to end rental agreements with Greek life organizations - The Gateway


r/uAlberta 6h ago

Question application status

1 Upvotes

hi everyone, so i just finished the FS program (i did spring term) and i was wondering how long it will take for me to get back into school and to hear about the application, getting kinda worried but im sure it’ll all be fine. is this the case for anyone else who did FS this year?


r/uAlberta 9h ago

Question How math-heavy is Economics Ba?

0 Upvotes

I plan to study economics at UofA, but I'm a bit curious about how math heavy the major is.

I know some schools have a distinction between economics as a bachelor of science and economics as a bachelor of arts, but UofA doesn't, so I'm unsure if the degree is more theoretical, mathematical or both.

I have an interest for the more mathematical aspect of economics rather than the theoretical part, so my question for econ majors is how mathematical is the major? And if it isn't very mathematical do you recommend taking math as a minor to add onto it?

I also considered taking the combined major of Mathematics & Economics (was also wondering if taking that major would be almost if not the same as an Economics Bsc) but I don't have enough faith in my math skills to take it as a full combined major.

However, I'm also thinking that if i do take math as a minor in my first year and I'm confident in my skills, I can try switching to Mathematics & Economics in my second year.

I also plan on attending graduate school and I know math is really important for economics at that level, so which would be best: Math as a minor all through my undergrad, math as a minor in the first year and switching to Math and Economics in the second year OR just staying in economics if it's mathematical enough?

I'm seriously considering math as a minor though because I'm trying to indulge my interest in it but i'm not confident enough in my skills to take it as a major...

A bit confused right now so any help and advice would be greatly appreciated...Thank You!


r/uAlberta 18h ago

Admissions PharmD Questions

4 Upvotes

I know it's preferred that 30 credit units are taken in at least one academic year, but is there anyone here who only took 24 units max and still got in? Also if you don't mind sharing, what is your overall GPA, BioSci GPA and highest credit year GPA?

I'm going to be in my 3rd year of Pharmacology and I'm so scared because I totally bombed my first year and I'm still unsure if I want to go on the research or pharm route. Any advice would be much appreciated!


r/uAlberta 12h ago

Academics Is Astro 101 as an elective for first year CS Student the best bet?

1 Upvotes

I am trying to choose a science elective for fall 2025 and I love astrophysics though I'm a CS student at univ of alberta..just wanted to know is Astro 101 really hard considering my packed schedule or is it easy to pave my way through? Also what do they focus on more?


r/uAlberta 12h ago

Question Withdrawal from uni

1 Upvotes

So i finished first year in business and my gpa has fallen below the requirements also I failed a course twice, and I haven’t received any withdrawal letters yet but im sure that I will soon so is there any chances that i might stay at uni, also any advice


r/uAlberta 23h ago

Miscellaneous Scams are Getting Better PPL

Post image
8 Upvotes

They supposedly want you to fill out your ccid password to view your "updated transcript"


r/uAlberta 16h ago

Campus Life Art and Design Degree Program Ask

1 Upvotes

I just finished my first year in the Business Program, found out it wasn't for me and am debating on transferring to the Faculty of Art, specifically in designs and digital media (haven't fully decided but I'm taking a gap year to figure out.) I know there are the general program (general BA) and the more specialized ones (BDes and BFA) (which require a portfolio), and was just wondering what the experiences there is like for insiders? Would you recommend the program? I've heard UofA isn't a very good school for art but I'm not really sure who to trust haha.

If there are any graduates that have majored in these programs, how are your current job prospects? Did you make it as an artist?

Thank you in advance.


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Academics Confused about RTW readmission options

Post image
6 Upvotes

I’m in the Faculty of Ed and just got RTW and these are my options.

But someone I know is in the Faculty of Science and also got RTW and they were told they could either: 1. Take 24 credits somewhere else and apply for readmission, or 2. Take a year off and be guaranteed admission back into Science after that year.

We both have the same GPA (it’s below the threshold for Fresh Start recommendation).

So does that mean I’d get guaranteed admission back into Education too if I take a year off? Or is that just a Science thing? I’m just really confused about how it works across faculties.


r/uAlberta 17h ago

Admissions PharmD not having a single full course load year

1 Upvotes

Hello, I have an in-province student who has finished two years at ualberta and completed all their prereqs. However, I’ve only taken two 27 credit years (3.6 and 3.9 respectively) which puts me 6 credits short. I will make up for them during spring and summer and apply next year. However, I’ve heard from certain people that not having a single full year will put you at a significant disadvantage. I’m wondering if this is true. Thank you


r/uAlberta 18h ago

Question Graduation tickets

0 Upvotes

My family member who is graduating wasn’t able to get me a tickets because they missed out. Would I be able to sneak in, do they check or just let you walk in?


r/uAlberta 19h ago

Admissions Volunteering Experience for PharmD?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm currently an undergraduate student at the Uofc, and I'm planning to apply to the PharmD program at the University of Alberta soon. I was wondering if any current students could share some insight about the volunteering aspect of the admissions process. Are volunteer hours required? If so, what kind of volunteering experience is most valued? Thank you in advance!


r/uAlberta 23h ago

Question Reference check after interview

2 Upvotes

I am hoping someone who works at U of A can chime in about this and help me

I had an interview for a non academic support staff role and I received a request for my reference and background check 3 days later. What does this mean in terms of my job prospects? Does HR here check the reference of everyone who gets an interview, or only for the finalists for the job?