Seneca SIA (Markham) VS Humber Lakeshore ??

[zurich90]

Hello Everyone!

I applied for postgraduate certificates in both colleges and I am expecting a reply from one of them or both within the next few weeks. So I decided to ask for help in order to plan accordingly in regard to comparisons between the campuses. So I am seeking a comparison irrelevant to the programs I am applying to. The factors that I would like to know are:

1) Area (Markham or Lakeshore)
2) Affordable Accommodation
3) Part-time Job opportunities
4) On-campus job opportunities
4) College experience and diversity exposure

Please if you have an idea for any of them, just share your opinion about it with me! That will also be so appreciable!

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[RamSatt]

Hey there! I was going to suggest posting on Reddit, but I noticed you already did, and got little response (if any at all). So I'm posting it here, .

I haven't studied at Humber Lakeshore or Seneca Markham. So I can't tell you if the colleges are good. I'd suggest you read some google reviews or reach out to Alumni specific to your program on LinkedIn (Most alumni, like myself, are happy to tell you about their experiences). Fortunately or unfortunately, I believe Seneca and Humber both have a lot of immigrant students. A lot of students in your course may be from Asia. If you're looking for a lot of diversity, then these colleges aren't for you. Universities may have a larger diversity, but that isn't certain (I studied in a smaller university, where 80% of the class were from South/West Asia). But that doesn't mean you can't interact with people from other cultures outside your course, class, college, and neighbourhood. So, don't let that be the only factor.

Part-time jobs depend on your ability to find them, your ability to commute, and your ability to communicate. Seneca College is near the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 404. I'm not entirely familiar with the area, but I'm pretty sure there are good transit options. Humber at Lakeshore is between two Go Stations (Long Branch and Mimico) and isn't too far away from Kipling/Islington Subway Stations (Just a bus ride away) in Southern Etobicoke. While both of them aren't downtown Toronto, I'm sure opportunities exist.

Don't depend on colleges and universities for job opportunities after graduating. I'm sure both colleges have career portals and dedicated staff to guide students, but that could be it. Attend job fairs, reach out to Alumni over LinkedIn, network, and apply to jobs on your own. Be proactive. Professors are amazing resources. Reach out to them, interact with them in and outside class, and they can give you amazing information and open doors for you.

Accommodation is almost the same everywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. You generalized most of your questions. Will you be staying alone? In a one-bedroom apartment? Be prepared to pay anywhere between $2500-3000, dollars per month. If you're going to get a bedroom in a 3-bedroom apartment in the suburbs, or a private bedroom in a 5 bedroom townhouse, you may get it in the $700-1000 bracket (I currently pay $800 for a private bedroom in a townhouse). Rents are high, cost of living is high, so be prepared for that. Check Facebook marketplace and kijiji.ca in the neighbourhood you want to live in, for accurate rental prices.

Good luck.