Ontario Tech University — Attraction in Oshawa

I went to this university for my first year and I was a forensic psychology major. I can't speak too much about other programs, and I'm not sure if everything I'll say can apply to later years. However, I can say a bit about engineering/stem (since I knew a good number of people majoring in those and I can recall what I heard from them) and social science and humanities since that's the faculty forensic psychology is in.

Pros: -Environment: The people here are generally very friendly, including the professors and advisors: This was probably my first school year in a long time where I had no issues with any of my teachers whatsoever. The advisors were very friendly and helpful, along with the other staff such as the registrar office.

-It's a new school: some may see this as a problem but I think the school takes advantage of this well. A smaller school helps them to be more open and understanding of changes and areas of growth, so the school makes important changes rather quickly. They've also manages to develop connections with employers such as Tesla despite how new of an institution it is. I'm not too knowledgeable about their reputation with employers for social science and humanities though.

-leniency: this connects to my last point a bit, but the school is easy to reach and will listen to you. So, if you are a student who's struggling with mental health problems, your needs will be met. The professors are very understanding and willing to help, and you don't need to fight too hard for things like exam deferrals or extensions. I'm not sure if this applies to programs like engineering, but it definitely applies to social science and humanities.

-Quiet environment: If you don't like party schools you'll like this place.

-Campus: The north campus looks very nice and it isn't hard to get around the place. There are many residencies and place to eat nearby.

For engineering/stem: They have developed connections with employers in a short amount of time and there are many opportunities for networking.

Cons: -location: It's in Oshawa, which is one of the ugliest and most boring places in all of Ontario. The north campus is fine and it has some nice places to eat nearby, but good God the downtown campus is awful. I seriously don't know why they chose to build a campus in the most ghetto part of the city. If you are taking anything in the social sciences, you'll have to commute (25 mins by bus) to the downtown campus often.

-leniency: I know I said this was a pro, but there is a downside to it. The school lets you get away with a bit too much. I felt that my classes were way too easy and the professors were lazy at times.

-social life: Most people who complain about this just need to realize that its possible to make friends anywhere; you just need to try. I will agree though that there aren't many events on campus, and there should be more variety in the clubs and societies. It is a commuter school, so most people just go home, and even people who live on campus go home over the weekends. Since it's close to a lot of cities, many people from the same high school go here, so you'll see that a lot of people know each other even on the orientation day. Otherwise, I think the lack of activities just makes living on campus boring. I wouldn't say that it's impossible to meet people, you just won't be given that many opportunities like other schools.

-Social science students get the short end of the stick: I noticed that social science students are more detached. Since a lot of classes are downtown, anyone who lives nearby simply just goes home. There are other things as well, such as how the engineering students have a whole floor in the residence building that is almost completely dedicated to them, and the stem students are overall able to network more easily because they are mostly together. Also, social science students don't have too much freedom when deciding the timings for their courses.

Overall, it isn't too bad of a school and it'll be even better in the future, but other schools are still a...

I am studying mechanical engineering at this school and the applications through the use of technological software are fantastic! However this school has a very high dropout rate and is one of the most expensive institutions in the country. Great co-op and internship opportunities, while the school takes pride in employing incredibly intelligent professors. You are given chances to perform your own projects and collaborate with other students. Many people are not satisfied on the subject of the mandatory laptops. Personally, I find it very convenient to have all of my simulation, MATLAB and NX CAD software, Microsoft office etc. always with me. The course load is very challenging, they want you to excel and absorb the most amount of knowledge by the time you graduate so you are ready for the work place, or academia. I think what is key to note about this University over others, is to keep in mind that it is a STEM school. The term implying, Science - Technology - Engineering - Mathematics. The employment rate for graduated students is impressively high within 6 months after graduation, speaking in terms of the entire school. If you are interested in engineering, I recommend this exponentially growing University, that has ten folded in population since opening. The research being done here is inspiring, and students in their fourth year get to participate in CAPSTONE projects, work that is being supervised under a faculty member. This institution is under rated. Many schools don't take on 6 courses a semester, but here you do at least half your degree. The school is hardly over a decade in age and it has already accomplished so much. One improvement the University needs is an increase in overall school spirit. The campus isn't large and has pretty well two pubs. Not entirely feasible for an engineering student to attend those weekly pub nights with a demanding course load, but if you work hard enough you can participate and have fun. The school is located in North Oshawa, so it's important to understand that walking distances to many places is not the most ideal, and all the bars are downtown Oshawa..but you are here for an...

International students and those moving abroad — please consider this University with some caution. I studied here for 4 years in Game Development as an international honors student, and thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from my education... However... There is a fundamental problem. The university has changed it's name from "UOIT / University of Ontario, Institute of Technology", to "Ontario Tech University" in all it's branding, representation, and correspondence.

This creates a real challenge for graduates, particularly those of us working or studying abroad, where employers and institutions are unfamiliar with it's historical name. The discrepancy is that the parchments (degrees) still have UOIT on it (given that it's the old name registered with the Ontario Board of Collages), but the university identifies as "Ontario Tech University" now. It's like if Brad, identified as Stacy tomorrow, people might never know Stacy was once a man named Brad. The university has been entirely repackaged.

Their solution to have us apply for a "Specialized Letter" stating the two names are one and the same, which us Alumni have to still pay for — which is in very poor taste given that the name change was initiated by the university, and I'm baffled that a generic letter stating the same isn't simply provided for free on the website for all Alumni.

As of now the University has no plans to maintain consistent branding in their Parchments, and given that I've moved and work abroad, my credentials have depreciated recognition. As an international student who paid 3x more, having a degree on the wall with a retired name, that isn't recognized, nor produces any Google results that match the search query is...