University of Waterloo offers preview for incoming first-year students

Community

Waterloo, Ont. (Tuesday, July 10, 2012) - An estimated 1,500 students starting at the University of Waterloo in the fall will preview campus life this month and next when they take part in two-day sessions called Student Life 101.

Now in its seventeenth year, Student Life 101 helps both students and parents with the transition to university before classes begin on Monday, September 10. The first two-day session takes place on Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13, followed by nine other sessions every week until August 29, when there will be one for international students. It will welcome all incoming international students and focus on their transition to Canada, cultural and social customs, and academic expectations.

“This overnight experience gives students a jump-start on their first year at Waterloo as we provide them with the tools they need to be successful throughout their university career,” said Gabrielle Smith, coordinator, first-year experience: pre-arrival at Waterloo. “Students stay in a traditional-style residence community, are matched with an upper-year mentor, attend a lecture with a professor, and begin creating their personalized success plans.”

The two-day session helps students become familiar with the Waterloo campus, meet professors, and connect with other incoming students. They will also learn about the student services available to them in their first year, including success coaching, student awards and financial aid, health services, career planning and co-operative education. This year’s program includes 18 upper-year students who will serve as peer mentors.

More than 1,000 people are expected at a separate one-day session for parents and supporting family members. It will include a campus tour, presentations on what parents can expect in a student’s first year, and give them the opportunity to ask staff questions about campus life and available services.

To learn more about Student Life 101, please visit studentlife101.uwaterloo.ca.

About the University of Waterloo

In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

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