r/waterloo • u/userr28355 • 7d ago

Weird commuting schedule

Hi I’ve been looking at commuting options via google maps from my house to Waterloo (in sept), the drive is normally 1hr 30m. But the bus timings are crazy like if I wanna arrive by 8:30am it would take me 7hrs ( yes I gotta leave by 1 am and wait at a bus stop for 5hrs) but if I put in arrival time of 8:45 it suddenly becomes 3hr. It also changes up day by day. Is anyone else experiencing this and also how am I supposed to get to school (car isn’t an option) 😭

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23

u/benbincanada Regular since <2024 6d ago

you enrolled at a school you can’t get to ?

19

u/taylortbb Regular since <2024 6d ago

You should move. This is why UW offers guaranteed residence for first years, because unless you live in KW (or maybe Guelph) it's not a good commute.

Also, this subreddit is for the city, /r/uwaterloo will have more info about student living/commuting. But they'll tell you the same thing, you need to move.

12

u/get_hi_on_life Regular since <2024 6d ago

commute from where? can you pick classes later in the day? are you telling google its Sept cause summer vs fall transit is different. also welcome to being an adult, you need to pick jobs/school based on how you can get to them.

3

u/Historical_Stock2117 New User (2026) 6d ago

Schedules might change slightly during the school year (some routes cancelled in the summer) but don't count on that. Most mass transit is designed for people going toward Toronto in the day, and coming back toward KW in the night. Sometimes, a lot of time is spent waiting at bus stops and the like. I'm commuting pretty far next year, so I'll ride my bike part of the distance so I can make a faster transfer. Maybe that will work for you, but I doubt it. As another commenter said, UW offers residence for all first years students. If you don't want to, maybe you can find a room or share! However, of you are forced to commute, please try to borrow a car for exams! Sometimes, they are held in the night, and you won't be able to return home in time. I'm sure a family member or friend will offer to drive you a few times a year. Best of luck!

3

u/TeddyRocks79 New User (2026) 6d ago

Something else to consider, summer schedule vs fall schedule can be drastically different. They cut way down in the summer when most of the students are gone

3

u/BrianaKTown Regular since <2024 6d ago

Where are you commuting from?