Tips and advice
My advice is to explore life outside the university. There are great organizations and clubs to get involved within the Waterloo region. For me, joining the local rugby club and getting to know my teammates, who are of various walks of life and not just students, has made me feel at home in Waterloo. Waterloo Region is a great place to live and study.
Arjan Brem, Netherlands
PhD student, Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science
If you are planning to live off-campus, you will need lots of time in advance to find a place to live, because it can be hard to find a good place with a reasonable price. I also found that it is very important to find a place near a supermarket or a mall because if you don't have a car, in winter it is very hard to move to the markets either by bike or by foot.
Roberto Vargas Escarraman, Dominican Republic
Master’s Student, Faculty of Environment
Making friends has been great and by far the best thing about studying at Waterloo. There are so many activities at University of Waterloo like Warrior Weekends (on-campus social events), concerts, retreats, and games, which are great and fun. I would encourage international students to take part in these activities. They are great ways to make friends.
Ruth Namanya, Uganda
Legal Studies, Faculty of Arts
Helping fellow undergraduates was by far my most enjoyable experience at Waterloo. All my experiences in Canada like studying, teaching and traveling are all great, yet working with the undergraduates as a teaching assistant is something I value very much. Besides making extra money, it sharpens your skills, increases and strengthens your knowledge and teaches you how to be a good listener and a good speaker.
Mubarak S. Al-Mutairi, Saudi Arabia
PhD student, Systems Design Engineering
The first time I saw the campus at Waterloo, being the tree hugger that I am, I was very impressed with the geese and the fields around campus.
One thing’s for sure, Waterloo's campus is multinational. I have been to a number of campuses throughout Canada and I must say that University of Waterloo's population is very diverse. No matter where you are from, chances are there are other people who are from the same country and are dying to talk to you.
The food in the University Plaza (adjacent to the campus) and various shops within the university itself are very accommodating for various students’ tastes and needs – it’s very suitable for Waterloo’s multinational student body.
Here are other things that are good to know about University of Waterloo:
- There’s a Turnkey Desk in the Student Life Centre that’s open 24 hours a day. It never closes and, no matter what question you have, they will most likely have the answer.
- The libraries have some odd (long) hours that you would never expect from any public libraries. You can also access an even wider collection because Waterloo’s libraries are networked with other universities in Ontario.
- And lastly, the International Student Office (ISO) is more than happy to help you with anything. And even if they can’t, they will get you to the person who can. If that doesn’t make you feel comfortable, I don’t know what will.
Tule Sirikitputtisak, Thailand
Physics Major, Faculty of Science