When Gurman Johal arrived at the University of Waterloo, his biggest concern wasn't academics. It was the thought of sitting alone.
Moving to Waterloo from Mississauga meant leaving home for the first time. Although two classmates from high school were also moving to the region, neither was entering his program.
“I had a lot of anxiety,” says Johal, a third-year Accounting and Financial Management student. “I was living away from home for the first time and worried about finding friends.”
Those concerns followed him as he packed for residence and prepared to start university. Almost immediately, however, he encountered students eager to help.
When he arrived at residence, upper-year volunteers helped him move in, answered questions and introduced him to other incoming students. “Right away I had exposure to students who were willing to help me,” Johal says. “It showed there was support available.”
The next day, he joined hundreds of incoming Arts students for Orientation.
Walking into a crowd of unfamiliar faces was intimidating, particularly as someone who considered himself introverted at the time. “I was kind of baffled by how many students were there,” he says.
Orientation leaders helped ease those nerves, creating opportunities for students to connect and reminding them that everyone was navigating the same transition. “It helped me feel like I belonged in Waterloo,” Johal says.
When classes began, he immediately recognized familiar faces from Orientation. Those early connections became the foundation for future friendships, study groups and collaborative projects.
Orientation also introduced him to Arts traditions that helped strengthen his connection to the faculty. One of his favourites remains the Rowdy Arts Dance (RAD) dance, a longstanding Orientation tradition that culminates with students earning the faculty's distinctive orange shades.
“Once you earn your shades, you're part of Arts,” he says.
The impact of Orientation inspired him to return as a volunteer leader the following year. Since then, he has taken on increasingly senior planning roles, helping design experiences for incoming students. His advice for incoming students reflects that lesson.
“Be open-minded,” Johal says. “Try new things, meet new people and just be part of the experience.”
Read more about Orientation traditions in all six faculties.