Your first week at university is supposed to be about pinning up photos in your dorm room, getting lost on the way to class, and taking drunken selfies with your future BFFs.
But instead, a bunch of Toronto froshies started university stuck in limbo at hotels on the outskirts of town.
some cute pics of the luxury accommodations provided by @Parkside111 😊😊😊😊😊😊#BedbugsFerDays
A new private student residence called Parkside was scheduled to open on August 18 in downtown Toronto. However, delays have left first year students shacked up at hotels while they wait for word that their floors are ready.
Venus Wang was supposed to move in last month but instead, she commuted to her first class at the University of Toronto this week from a hotel near Pearson Airport — almost an hour's drive from campus.
Parkside was formerly a downtown Toronto hotel but was converted to a student residence over the summer.
Though not affiliated with any schools, it's been marketed to students at Ryerson University, George Brown College, University of Toronto, and OCAD University.
Features like 24-hour security, pre-furnished rooms and a meal plan may give worried parents peace of mind, but they also come with a hefty price tag. Rent at Parkside starts at $990 for a shared room with twin beds and goes up to $1,985 for a private room.
Parkside has not responded to BuzzFeed Canada's requests for comment but told CBC News the delays have been "caused by city building inspectors and by the fire marshal's office."
The company is covering the cost of the hotel stays and bus service, but residents say there's been poor communication about room changes and move-in updates.
Nicholas Geremia moved from Guelph, Ontario to start at OCAD and while he's been placed at a downtown hotel, he's missed out on Frosh week activities.
Wang was finally able to move in to her suite late Tuesday after scrambling to arrange transportation from her hotel.
Upon arrival, she said many of the elevators still weren't functional, the bathroom was dirty and the room had no lighting.
She thought she'd be relieved by now "but now I'm dreading spending the year here."
"Even though I've moved in nothing is actually ready for us...just the bare necessities. And that's 100% not what I paid for or what was advertised."