Ten reasons to join a University College

At Waterloo, the University Colleges are smaller communities that offer residence and academic programs within the larger University of Waterloo community. Each of Waterloo’s University Colleges has its own character and distinctive programs where you can get involved and feel supported.

You'll study and/or live in a close-knit community while having access to all services and facilities at Waterloo. This means you'll have all the benefits of a small community while still being part of a large university.

What do Waterloo's University Colleges offer?

• Residences available to all Waterloo students
• An all-you-can-eat style meal plan
• Paid and volunteer opportunities to engage in student life programming and become a student leader
• Smaller class sizes that provide opportunities to interact with both professors and classmates
• Friendly communities for you to call home with additional resources and support
• Financial aid and award opportunities, accessible only to University College residents and academic students

Let's go over some of these points in a little more detail.

10 reasons you should live and/or study at a University College

1. Home away from home

If you ask anyone who lives in a University College, they'll always tell you about how 'homey' their residence community feels. This is mainly due to their focus on community building, and with events such as coffee houses and movie nights help you to get to know your peers.

For instance, if you decide to live at Grebel, you can make your room feel even more cozy by moving around or stacking the modular furniture to create more space for a couch, mini fridge, plants, etc. It's great for games nights or study sessions with your friends.

2. All you can eat

Each college's meal plan is exclusive to their building, but they each provide an awesome variety of food! Here are a few special things I've noted about what each University College offers.

3. Co-registration = added value

If you're an Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business student, you can apply to co-register at any time, whether you're an applicant, admitted, or accepted student. When you choose to co-register with St. Jerome's University, you'll be adding to all the perks you normally get as a Waterloo student. This means you'll still graduate with a prestigious University of Waterloo degree and have access to all the same courses and co-op offerings as Waterloo students, and St. Jerome's adds on extra student and academic supports, along with additional scholarship opportunities. It really is the best of both worlds, all at no additional cost in tuition fees!

4. Academics

The University Colleges offer programs in partnership with the University of Waterloo.

If you’re planning on majoring in one of these programs, then the respective University College might be the perfect fit for you. Even if you're not planning on studying in these areas, the University College residences are open to students from all six faculties.

5. Smaller class sizes

Often times, one of the more intimidating things about university is the size of the lectures or classes. The nice thing about University Colleges is that class sizes are typically much smaller, especially in your upper years. The University Colleges prioritize small class sizes so professors are able to focus more on their students by making sure they feel at home in their community and get the support they need.

Why not take a blend of large and small classes so that you have the ultimate university experience? Remember, you can take classes at a University College regardless of what program you're in.

6. Welcoming environment

One of my favourite things about being part of a University College — whether living in residence, being co-registered, or taking classes there — is how welcoming and accepting the community is. The events put on by the student activities team helped me make friends that I still hangout with to this day.

7. Leadership opportunities

There are a number of different ways to get involved, like becoming a club leader, residence life don, joining student council, or more! A lot of leadership positions at the colleges are even paid and all of them add skills to your résumé!

At Renison, you could be a Peer Leader supporting English language learners in our international programs, or be a Student Facilitator for equity-deserving students in our Link Inclusion Lounge. At United College, you can join GreenHouse, an innovation community for students who want to create impactful ideas that generate social or environmental change. St Jerome's offers local and international service learning opportunities to give you opportunities to develop skills and gain unique experiences while giving back to the community. Grebel has a team of student leaders who run residence-wide musicals! These are just a few examples of ways you can get involved at the University Colleges!

8. Support and connections

The support you’ll receive as a resident is super helpful during your time at Waterloo. If you’re a co-registered student, you’ll benefit from additional academic supports including academic advisors, peer leaders, drop-in help, and workshops to support you with your classes and as you navigate your undergrad degree.

As a resident you’ll have a don — an upper-year student whose job is to support you with anything you need. Dons will support you by fostering connections between people on your floor, being someone to talk to, answering questions about university life, or helping when you get locked out of your dorm room.

Additionally, the University Colleges have dedicated students and staff that support students in relation to mental health, transitioning to university, and residence life programming.

9. Opportunities for spiritual nurturing

If you're looking for a community that sees and knows you as a person and is committed to your development intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, then a University College might be right for you. All three have chaplains or campus ministers who support spiritual wellness through reflection and prayer opportunities, pastoral care, community connection, and personal development.

However, you do not need to have a specific faith background (or any faith background!) to live at a University College. The University Colleges are open to everyone and welcoming to everyone from all backgrounds and lived experiences.

10. Community

I think the biggest reason to join a University College is for the close-knit community they create. I’m co-registered through St. Jerome’s University, but I lived off campus during my first year.

Before coming into first year, I was extremely nervous about being able to make connections and friends. However, because of the strong sense of community that came with being at St. Jerome’s University, I truly felt welcomed on campus and was able to find an awesome group of people that are still some of my closest friends.

To learn more about the University Colleges, check out our handy guide to studying or living at a University College or check out the video below!