Education/training
A 'real' student's life unveiled onlineAll-nighters, breakups and the dreaded "freshman 15" -- you likely won't find these things mentioned on any university's website. MELANIE PATTEN |
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 [ 2008-01-16 ] |
Dalhousie University student Jeff Toth enjoys a relaxing afternoon away from studying. University grad David Diamond has created UTours, a web-based company dedicated to showing future students what Canada's campuses are all about, without reading university-sponsored pamphlets that trumpet ivy-covered buildings and school spirit. (Tim Krochak, CP, Halifax Chronicle Herald)
But one university grad has created his own company dedicated to showing future students what Canada's campuses are all about, without reading hackneyed brochures that trumpet ivy-covered buildings and school spirit.
"There's university-sponsored information, which is great, but it comes from the university and it feels slightly contrived," says David Diamond, 24, founder of UTours, a web-based company with headquarters in Toronto.
"When I was going through the process (of choosing a university), I was thinking, 'There has to be an easier way to get relevant information, and to see the campus that doesn't involve packing into a minivan, spending the whole day, and going to find out how old a statue is."'
Last year, Diamond -- who studied film at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. -- and a small crew visited a number of universities from coast-to-coast armed with a video camera.
They interviewed students on everything from campus traditions to class sizes, and packaged the footage into short films featuring fast-moving camera shots, pop-up facts and music -- more MTV than academe.
Visitors to the UTours website, which launched last fall, can access free, short videos featuring snippets of university life.
"Rez ain't your mama's house," warns the narrator in the three-minute video on campus life and housing.
"Budget in more money for food than you would alcohol," cautions one girl. "A lot of people do it the opposite way, and they live on ramen noodles and stuff, and that's just not a good way to go about your learning."
The bulk of UTours' content, including full-length tours of 20 featured universities, is found on a DVD that can be bought online.
Diamond, a Toronto native, says he hopes to tour more universities if the DVD is well received.
While the tours discuss the schools' programs and facilities, there's also plenty of information on nightlife and the surrounding communities.
The University of Victoria is applauded for its regimented academic program, while the city is admired for its manageable size and mild British Columbia weather.
"The environment of UVic is really conducive to studying," says one student. "It's sort of the laid-back West Coast vibe as well."
Justin Kohlman, a university spokesman, says the videos are a good alternative for future students who can't make it to the campus for an in-person tour.
"I like the fact they talk to real students for opinions," he says.
Some students use their 15 seconds of fame to dispel rumours, including an international business major in Ottawa who dismisses Carleton University's reputation for accepting anyone and everyone who applies.
"People didn't really feel that Carleton was that hard to get into, so they just assumed that people who went here weren't really academically inclined," says the girl, named Mattie. "And that's entirely untrue."
Other students share favourite traditions that make their school unique.
McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., is noted for its annual kissing parade, where pyjama-clad freshmen kiss strangers on the cheek.
Halifax's Dalhousie University is described by students as having a relaxed atmosphere, while the city is praised for the high number of bars downtown.
"Students don't have too many complaints about the quality of their education, except maybe one -- the cost of tuition," the tour's host says.
Charles Crosby, a Dalhousie spokesman, says he's impressed by the artistic quality of the videos, but he's concerned over some statements, including one from a student griping over an apparent lack of engineering jobs in the city.
"When you're speaking so anecdotally to students ... you're going to run into a few cases where you have things that aren't accurate," Crosby says.
"I think anyone watching this can learn a lot, but they also have to look at it for really what it is, which is one source."
Universities have been invited to make suggestions about the way their schools are portrayed in the videos, but Diamond says the tours are meant to represent campus life from a student's point of view.
"We're trying to raise awareness, and sometimes the honesty coming from students is the best way to do it," he says.
And most students seem to think that Canada has a lot to offer when it comes to post-secondary education.
"I do believe there are some unbelievable institutions," Diamond says.
"Every university has its strong points, and finding that right university can really make you thrive."
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