The number of responses is far too low to share exact numbers but the relative breakdown can be shown.
In terms of demographics, generally speaking, the vast majority of users are undergrads with a relatively new account. However, we still have representation from nearly every cohort.
Opinions on the subreddit and the rules are generally positive pointing to no pressing reason for change in most cases. Based on the results, rules 6 and 7 might be the only ones ready for review.
Rules changes
While r/uwo is generally an open subreddit, some content still needs to be restricted. Here is a reminder and an overview of the multi-layered approach to restricting content that is not suited for this community. Content restrictions are handled in the following order:
Reddit-wide rules. There are 8 rules that usually cover spam and offensive content. This is managed by Reddit administrators and cannot be managed by the moderators.
Subreddit rules that violate the community norms. There are 7 rules that help ensure a healthy community. Content that violates these rules are forcibly removed but can be restored upon appeal. These are enforced by Automod and moderators.
Automations. This is a recent feature. Live suggestions that flag words as you type them to remind users to keep content within certain norms. These are created by moderators. The intent is to discourage certain kinds of content that does not necessarily violate the rules but are not ideal content. This is just a soft nudge and does not restrict you from posting the content.
Upvote/Downvote. After successfully posting the content, the user base can choose to make the content more or less visible. We all have a collective responsibly to report content that should be more heavily regulated.
Ideally, content moderation should occur in reverse order. That is,
Most content is handled by users upvoting/downvoting content.
Often, users will self-moderate their content with some guidance.
Occasionally, moderators will remove content that violates the rules.
Rarely the Reddit admins explicitly block content.
The focus of the remainder of this section is layers 2 (Subreddit rules) and 3 (Automations).
Rules guiding the subreddit have been added and removed organically, over time, and upon the whims of previous moderators (occasionally) without any specific reasoning given. The existing rules settled on the existing 7 around 2022 and have been kept stable ever since. This is actually not ideal. Rules should be fluid and adaptable to changing situations.
In response to the survey, changing dynamics of the state of the Internet in 2026, a review of other Canadian University subreddits, and in the spirit of full transparency, we are openly sharing minor changes that will be made to the rules. These changes will be made over the next few weeks.
Rule
Staying?
What's changing
Rule 1 - Be civil
Yes with rewording
The rule will be further expanded to add additional clarification that entire threads engaging with trolls and uncivil comments are liable to be removed as well - even if those comments are not themselves uncivil.
Rule 2 - Use the search bar
Yes with rewording
The rule will be relaxed to to focus on the issue of repetition and will serve as a fail-safe only. Given the cyclical nature of the school year, repetition should be expected. Repeated posts are now accepted but can be removed and/or combined when necessary into a megathread.
Rule 3 - Only posts that concern UWO
Yes with rewording
The rule will be relaxed to allow for topics that are not directly UWO related but would be of interest to Western students (eg. recommendations for services, housing in London, etc.)
Rule 4 - No advertising
Yes with rewording
We get more than enough unsolicited advertising in our lives already. This subreddit should not be yet another source. r/uwo is a broad audience and should not be used to bootstrap niche communities with a narrow interest. The rule will be expanded to also include links to surveys (research or otherwise), social media, and class/program specific group chats, and hyperspecific one to one chats. Lost & Found posts will also be removed but automations will help point users in the right direction.
Rule 5 - No soliciting
No
Combining with Rule 4. Some parts are covered by a new rule.
Rule 6 - Better Suited for Other Social Media
No. Some parts will be covered by a new rule. Other parts will use gentle nudging with automations instead
Some existing restricted content will be captured by a new rule. Direct discussion of "bird courses" or "GPA boosters" are low-effort and contentious but are no longer restricted. Automations will be used instead.
Rule 7 - No requesting to be DM'd
No. This will be covered by gentle nudging with automations instead
Most other University subreddits do not have this restriction. User safety continues to be your own responsibility. Closed, single interest, one-to-one posts feel like eavesdropping on private conversations and are not ideal and are usually be subject to Rule 4 anyway, but more general asks do not always need to be explicitly removed. Automations will be used instead to encourage more open discussion.
New rules
Private data must remain private
r/uwo should not be a source of any illegal or unethical content. Content is often kept private to protect intellectual property or for public safety. If the content is restricted from the public (eg. through paywalls or credentials), this subreddit will respect that. This includes test banks, slides, recordings, paywalled content, photos, license plates, class locations and teaching assignments. This is a non-exhaustive list. Users should not ask for such content and users should not provide it either via direct links or via instructions that circumvent the restriction.
New automations
References to bird courses and GPA boosting will bring a message with links to resources
References to direct messages will bring a safety warning and a recommendation to avoid it
References to lost & found will bring a message explaining the lost and found process
Final point: All rules and automations are, at no point, permanent and immune from scrutiny. At any time, rules and automations are open for discussion with the moderators over DMs only.
Request for moderators
This subreddit is in need of more moderators. After surveying other Canadian university subreddits and other subreddits of a similar size, we have an unusually small number of moderators. Ideally, we should be at a minimum of 4. Given the high turnover rate of r/uwo users, it is challenging to get and maintain moderators.
Therefore, this is your request to consider volunteering to become a moderator. A successful moderator will have as many of the following qualities as possible (this is not exhaustive):
Positive karma and a demonstration of activity in this subreddit that would be considered supportive and constructive.
A reasonable expectation to be an integral part of the r/uwo community for at least two more years
Technically adept and able to work with the changing software on this platform.
A design skillset for instances where the look and feel may need to be modified
Any association with Western is acceptable. Not just undergrad students. The moderator team should consist of a variety of students, staff, faculty, alumni, etc to ensure a holistic and balanced view.
The following are hard requirements (this is not exhaustive):
Able and willing to check their personal "ego at the door". Moderators can be targeted by upset users and need to be able to respond in a mature manner.
Able and willing to treat moderator abilities as a privilege and use them lightly and responsibly.
Able and willing to take a mature attitude to any content you continue to post in the subreddit. Your posts and comments are now, also, representations of the subreddit itself.
Able and willing to demonstrate attitudes that align with the University attitudes.
Desire for the success of the subreddit and the subreddit's users
If you think you fit the above criteria, send a message to the moderators to get the discussion started.
What a horror show. Beginning in 2027, they will rip up half of Middlesex Drive and we will all have to suffer the inconvenience of them building this cheap, ugly, gigantic Starbucks for the next 4 years. By the way, if they say 4 years expect 5 or 6.
God only knows where they'll reroute those busses too.
I'm not saying NatSci was a great building, but why does its replacement have to be this? It is so out of place with the beautiful collegiate gothic architecture that makes so much of central campus appealing.
No heritage; no distinctiveness; just cold, unfeeling corporate glass. This is worse than brutalism.
Eventually, campus will just be UC surrounded by these buildings which are all home to ever-expanding byzantine subdepartments of Ivey. There is no sustainability in any of this.
I’d like to ask those of you living in dorms: what is your threshold for tolerating roommates who slam the door shut or open it very loudly? I honestly feel like he’s doing it on purpose—you can hear a distinct, sharp *bang* every single time. It’s hard to believe he’s unaware of it; surely, the noise must bother him too, yet he still chooses to open and close the door with such force. I have no idea what his deal is. He often does this late at night—sometimes around 1:00 AM, just as I’m about to fall asleep—coming in and out while making a huge racket with the door. Is this kind of behavior even normal? It’s as if turning the doorknob gently is just too difficult for him.
is it just me or does no one know how to drive? cars are always stopping in the middle of intersections and on crosswalks. I thought this was a case of students not knowing how to drive but the drivers usually look middle aged so is it just a london thing
I'm a grad student, and I'm planning my trip due to some family issues. However, some people told me that it's possible for me to proctor the final exam for CHEM 2213 despite not being a TA for the course. Can anyone tell me when the date is? TYSM!!
My roommate sets about six really loud alarms every morning, each about 10 minutes apart. They wake me up every single day, and I can’t fall back asleep afterward. Is my roommate being inconsiderate, or am I just being too sensitive? My roommate is also on the phone multiple times a day, and she talks really loudly even when I’m studying or trying to take a nap in our room.
I’m currently living in a basement that is not up to code after signing the lease whilst in Europe. Pretty much half of the rental listings I visit are either slums, run by sketchy management, or just grossly overpriced. Even living at luxe a few years back, we were told to pay a $250 fine for allegedly “switching the tv in the living room” (we didn’t and we managed to prove them wrong). Aside from the fact that London is a genuine shithole, I don’t understand how so many students navigate through all of this whilst also pursuing full-time studies. Coming from a very progressive province with stringent rental laws and many housing co-op. Living here feels so disgusting and is genuinely a nightmare. So yeah here’s my 3am rant, good luck on your midterms. Hail Doug Ford and Progressive Conservatives, In love with the progress😍😍😍
I just wanted to start a discussion post because I’m really hoping that other people are feeling this way too.
I came from 3 hours away (def not bad as compared to other people) without knowing anyone from my high school. I hated everyone from my high school, and ended it friends with only 1 person so I thought moving far here was great, but I can’t help but feel so lonely. As someone who’s always been independent and couldn’t wait to leave the house, and my hometown I’m so homesick.
In my experience, my residence isn’t social at all and it’s been really hard making friends. The girls here are very cliquey and rude. I’ve made a couple friends outside of residence but I don’t really feel that confident about my connections. It doesn’t seem like they’re MY people, or people who are interested in me or care about me. Feeling very much floater friend. I would say I’m a pretty social person, but I feel very judged or awkward, out of place here.
Maybe it’s the residence I’m in, maybe it’s western as a whole that’s not really compatible with me? Maybe I haven’t gone to enough social events. Idk what it is but either way it’s been really difficult. I feel whenever my bf comes to visit me, or whenever I get a call from my only friend back home I just cling onto them. It’s really hard to feel like you’ve got no one or that you’re not really understood here, especially when the 2 only people u got are so far away.
Hey! I'm preparing for the BIO 2601 midterm and was wondering if there are any recommended practice resources beyond our lecture slides and quizzes.
I've checked the usual places but haven't found much, so I'd appreciate any suggestions for additional practice questions or resources available to students.
also for people who took it previously, how was it :)
can anyone who’s done their second lab tell me exactly what the pre lab is, cuz if it’s just downloading the simu text software i did that in september, so do i still have to do anything ?
Hello, to those that have seen those guys working, digging what seems to be a water well, that machine with the loud hum, they been at it for a few days... does anyone have any information about it? my friend suspects it's a rain drainage thing.
who is dressing up to go out on wednesday? i’m not sure if people dress up yet but i have 4 costumes and hoping to wear them all!! what’s the culture here in terms of going out in costume
