I won’t sugar coat it, I spend a disgusting amount of time in classrooms. I’m trying to finish four majors, spanning two degrees at the same time.
In order to pull this off I spend a lot of time dashing up and down the hill between both the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas.
It’s given me a unique point of view that not every person on the hill gets.
I’m not here to pick sides, as I like each university for what it offers, I’m simply pointing out the differences between the two.
We all know what’s obvious – UNB’s facilities dwarf STU’s, while STU profs can usually list each of their students by name.
I’m well aware that some things can’t compare because they cater to different needs. I go to STU because UNB doesn’t offer journalism. I go to UNB for science because I don’t think there is a microscope at STU.
What I am comparing here are the shared experiences that every student must deal with no matter which end of the hill you’re on.
The Dress Code
The stereotype for each campus goes as follows: STU students tend to get all dressed up even with no place to go, while UNBers are generally rocking the sweatpants and hoodie combo.
Now, I don’t mean to generalize, but you know what? It’s true! I’m not saying one student body is better looking than the other (pauses for joke to settle), but on average STU student dresses like every day is a string of job interviews, while UNB students look ready for a pep rally.
And it makes sense.
STU students don’t have to walk as far between classes so there’s no need to bundled up. At UNB you could freeze to death on your way from the HIL to the gym.
Also, the luggage my UNB classes demand could cripple a camel.
Looking good is hard to do when your back is broken and buried under book bags.
A lot of STU professors opt for posting their readings online, or printing them off and handing them out instead of textbooks. This means the green team can skip to class with a pen and smile.
However, the freedom STU affords has disadvantages. If you want to wear a skirt in mid-January, by all means go right ahead, but I will look at you like you’re soft in the head.
Personally, I love a good UNB high-bun; it means business and dedication. So really the whole ‘who is sexier’ debate is relative. (Not that I use ‘sexier’ and ‘relative’ in the same sentence often.)
The Architecture
Well, here’s the only non-contest of the whole article.
From the classrooms to the hallways to the buildings, the physical argument of which campus presents itself best goes to St. Thomas.
It’s size and age gives it distinct advantage, too. Some classrooms are painted in lime greens and yellows to “stimulate learning.”
Sounds campy, but I prefer it over the craters in some UNB classrooms where it looks like the ceiling took a dump. Entire buildings at the bottom of the hill can feel that way.
I think all of Bailey Hall has been soaked in formaldehyde and a stray match or a strong wind is going to end that place.
The atmosphere in some UNB structures can be downright depressing. While it’s true that some facilities are gorgeous, it highlights the disconnect between the “have’ departments and the “have not’s.” It makes the UNB experience inconsistent.
STU has nailed the concept of community. It’s small and close-knit.
I know some UNB students that go to STU to study for the “homey feel” and so they don’t feel isolated. I also know some UNB students that feel claustrophobic on STU grounds.
They feel like everyone knows that they don’t go there because of the small campus size. I like being part of a community, but I also go out of my way to do my studying at the UNB libraries so I don’t run into people I know.
If only the HIL didn’t feel so old and have an entire floor dedicated to asbestos.
(Also, as an aside, STU’s gym managed to spell ‘Centre’ correctly on the outside of the building. Bonus marks for not selling out the English language for a few thousand bucks and one man’s whim. Go arts!)
Tim Hortons
For years STU boasted the only Tim’s on the hill. Now the SUB has one, and while technically belonging to both campuses, we’ll count it as UNB’s since STU students have to brave the rape trail to get there.
UNB’s Tim’s is nice, it works well and offers more products then STU’s. However, the Tim’s staff at the top of the hill are the best in the city.
With military precision, they can destroy a line that goes out the door in the 10 minute gap between class switch-overs. It’s impressive that they’ve built such a triple-A team over the years. Their excellence does not go unnoticed.
Plus, the STU Tim’s has Robin.
The Online Experience
Everyone needs a computer to keep up in classes these days. While both schools use WebAdvisor to keep track of grades and courses, that’s where the similarities end. Both offer different online companion tools for their students; STU has Moodle, while UNB has Blackboard.
I started out using Moodle a few years ago. It works well and does its job of housing all the things that students need to complement their classes. I used to really like Moodle, until I got to know Blackboard.
In comparison, STU’s tool is your nice, average, sedan that does the job of getting you where you need to go. Blackboard, on the other hand, is your fully loaded Rolls Royce that not only gets you there, but looks good doing it. It’s cleaner, easier and more enjoyable to use.
Students at UNB don’t need a key from their professors to register into their Blackboard classes and then manually pick their courses like STU students do.
If you’re registered in the class, it’s already done for you and chances are you can print out your syllabus days before your first class. This is a godsend when it comes to getting ahead of the lines at the bookstore at the beginning of a semester.
But where UNB really blows STU out of the water is with its ‘myUNB portal.’ It’s this homepage that’s made unique for every student. Logging in once gets you everything at your fingertips. Register or drop classes, check email, see class cancellations.
With Blackboard, everything is under one roof. STU asks students to sign into different sites for each individual task. Why they aren’t combined is beyond me. A peeve of mine comes at the end of a semester when I’m hunting for posted grades.
STU requires you to go through a major hassle with six different screens, all with different menus, putting in passwords as you go, just to see if a grade has been posted. But don’t lounge around because WebAdvisor will log you out after five minutes, making you go through the whole process again.
But the myUNB portal will actually send YOU a notice straight to your homepage saying you’ve got a grade. It also waits a full 30 minutes before logging you out. Genius.
Parking Problems
I used to complain about parking at STU until I tried doing it at UNB.
STU’s worst case scenario sees a person having to park on the far side of the Aitken Centre and hoof it for about five minutes through a cleared parking lot.
UNB’s worst case scenario sees you having to park at the far side of the Aitkin Centre and then skid down the hill along the iced trails, sidewalks, roadways, and deer paths through the snow. In my opinion, UNB’s parking system is borderline criminal, a license to print money, even before they plopped NBCC down on an already limited resource.
To counter this students routinely show up hours before class just so they have the privilege of using the pass they paid for.
Complaining about parking is something everybody does, but in comparison to UNB, STU’s issues here are a delight.
UNB does, however, cater to the motorcycle, something I appreciate.
I usually drive my bike into early December because the campus has designated spots and it means I don’t have to compete for a spot with the cars and trucks. STU is missing out on a chance to free up space by putting up to four vehicles in one spot.
Get on this STU, it’s just paint.
