What It’s Like to Leave Home for University: 4 Student Experiences

Leaving Edmonton for university can mean a lot of things at once: more freedom, more opportunities, higher rent, new people, and a whole lot of figuring things out as you go. We heard from four students who grew up in Edmonton and are now studying at McMaster, University of Toronto, and NYU, and their answers made one thing really clear: moving away is a big adjustment, but it can also be a really exciting one!

Meet the Students:

• Emma is a 3rd-year Biology & Physiology Research Specialization student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

• Adam is a 2nd-year Honours Economics student also at McMaster University.

• Ethan is a 2nd-year student at the University of Toronto studying physiology with a major in neuroscience.

• Zoe is a 2nd-year Business student at New York University in New York City, USA.

Names in this article have been changed to protect student privacy.

Why leave Edmonton?

For all 4 students, leaving Edmonton was tied to program fit, career goals, and independence. 

At McMaster, both Emma and Adam pointed to a mix of academics and personal growth. Emma said she had spent her whole life in Edmonton and wanted to leave to explore more of life, grow as a person, and experience something new. She also said McMaster felt warm and welcoming, which made a big difference when choosing a university. Adam put it more simply: for him, it came down to the program and the independence. 

Ethan said he was looking for more opportunity, a more recognized school, better research facilities, and a change of location. Zoe mentioned Edmonton did not have the same career opportunities for her interests, and that independence was also a big part of why she chose to leave.

The biggest change: independence

One thing that came up again and again was independence. 

Emma said moving away helped her become more organized and outgoing. Learning skills like time management, while also making time for things she enjoyed, helped her understand herself better. Adam said living in dorms and sharing space with roommates helped him mature and ease into adulthood.

Ethan said the experience taught him how to live more independently and make important decisions on his own, while Zoe said it exposed her to many different types of people and helped her become more social.

The Hardest Adjustment

Of course, none of them made moving away sound effortless. A lot of the hardest parts had less to do with school itself and more to do with everyday life.

Emma mentioned the hardest part was the new environment: making new friends, being away from her parents, and learning how to handle the freedom that comes with moving out. She joked about the kind of freedom that leads to staying up until 4 a.m. and then having an 8 a.m. class the next day. Adam said his biggest adjustment was meeting new people and building new friend groups.

For Ethan and Zoe, the biggest adjustment was managing their own schedules, learning how to fully live on their own, and planning time for daily life tasks.

University itself is already an adjustment, and moving away adds a whole second layer to it.

Is it more expensive than Edmonton?

In pretty much every case, yes. All four students said living away from Edmonton was more expensive, even if the details were a little different depending on the city.

The two McMaster students gave more nuanced answers. Emma said Ontario was definitely more expensive, but that it was possible to find better rental situations depending on where you lived. She talked about moving from dorms to a more expensive house, and then later finding a much cheaper place in a good location. She also mentioned that groceries become a whole new expense when your parents are not buying them anymore. Adam said transit felt about the same, especially because students received bus passes, and that Hamilton itself was not too expensive. However, rent was clearly higher than living with parents, while groceries were manageable if students shopped carefully and used discounts.Zoe was the most direct, saying New York City was “way higher in all means.” She did point out that public transportation is great, and maybe even cheaper than paying for gas in Edmonton. Ethan, now living in Toronto, also said living in Edmonton would have been financially easier for him.

Homesickness: Different for Everyone

Emma said it really hit during the summer after first year, when all her new friends had gone home for the summer and she was still in Ontario because of classes and other commitments. She said calling her mom, staying busy, and spending time with friends’ families helped a lot.

Ethan said homesickness had largely not been an issue because he visits often and keeps in touch with people from Edmonton. Zoe said something similar: it was not really a major problem because she stayed in close contact online with the important people in her life. 

Of course, it is different for everyone, and very dependent on each person's situation!

What are their programs actually like?

The schools are different, but so are the programs themselves. One of the most interesting parts of these responses is how different each student’s day-to-day academic experience sounds

Emma said her McMaster Biology & Physiology program can include several labs depending on the course load each semester. She recalled having three labs during one semester in first year, which made things especially busy, while this semester she has none. She also mentioned lots of course options, and that students can branch into different areas like neurophysiology, field physiology, ecology, and immunology. Her classes are a mix of assignments and exams, although upper-year courses lean more heavily toward exams.

Adam said his McMaster economics program does not leave much room for electives and that all of his courses are graded purely off weekly assignments and exams. Ethan described UofT physiology and neuroscience as very structured, with lots of required courses, around one to three labs per semester, and a more exam-heavy style overall. He said grades are the most important part of getting into the program, and that once you are in, it helps to build connections with professors, clubs, researchers, and peers. He also said good study habits really matter because the workload gets much more punishing if you fall behind after first year.Finally, Zoe said NYU business is exploratory and gives students lots of options. She said there are no labs in business, although her physics minor does include them, and that some classes are more assignment or essay-based while others are more exam-based. 

Transfer Credits: helpful, but you don't always get what you want

Emma mentioned her transfer credits became first-year general elective credits, rather than specific requirements. This limited her number of electives she could take, as her AP credits already filled that space up. Even with statistics, she still had to take a stats course for her program. She also ended up taking more elective courses than expected (many courses out of interest), even though it did not exactly count toward her degree the way she had hoped.

Adam explained how he chose not to use his AP credits because he worried the AP material would not be enough preparation for higher-level university courses that build on it. 

Ethan explained that his transfer credits were automatically applied, and that there was no reason for him to opt out. Zoe noted that she used IB Physics to waive a science requirement, though it became less useful once she decided to pursue a physics minor.

Their advice for students thinking about leaving

Emma emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong high school average and researching both the school and program to make sure they are a good fit. Ethan also highlighted grades, but added that strong study habits and building connections once you arrive are just as important. Zoe encouraged students to shape their applications around the core values of the program.

Adam’s advice focused on the practical side of moving away: choose good roommates, take advantage of deals, join clubs, and make the most of the opportunity to experience a new city and meet new people.

What comes next?

For these four students, future plans vary. Emma said she is aiming for medical school and mentioned interviewing at the University of Toronto MD program as a third-year student. A big reason she moved to Ontario was to increase the opportunities connected to that goal. Adam plans to jump straight into industry, while Ethan is interested in continuing research in his field as well as pursuing medicine. Zoe said she is considering either going straight into work or completing a one-year master’s degree.

Final thoughts

If there is one takeaway from all four responses, it is that moving away from Edmonton for university is not just one thing. It can be expensive, overwhelming, and a little intimidating at first. It can also be exciting, freeing, and full of growth. For Emma, Adam, Ethan, and Zoe, leaving Edmonton meant learning how to manage life on their own, adjusting to new cities and new people, and building a version of themselves.