After arriving at the University of Waterloo as an international student, Robyn Varda Bhola found friendship, community and lasting connections through Math Orientation.
Orientation was more than a welcome to the University of Waterloo for Robyn Varda Bhola, it was the experience that transformed a new international student into a member of a community.
When Bhola arrived at Waterloo in 2023, she was navigating more than the typical first-year transition. Having moved to Canada from Trinidad, she was adjusting to a new country, a new campus and an entirely new academic environment.
Like many incoming students, she wasn't quite sure what to expect.
I think my first-year Orientation is probably like a lot of people say, kind of a blur,” says Bhola, now a third-year Math (Data Sciences) student. “You just feel like you're getting moved from place to place. You don't realize how structured and planned it is until you get into it.
Bhola's first introduction to Orientation came through Waterloo's International Orientation programming. Armed with little more than an email telling her where to check in, she arrived unsure of what the week would hold.
Once she got there, however, Orientation volunteers helped her find her footing.
“They were the ones who really got me excited about it,” she says. “They told me where to go and what to do. It was nice because I didn't feel pressured to think about everything ahead of time. They basically said, ‘Just show up and be ready to make friends.'”
That simple advice proved invaluable.
Before Orientation began, Bhola remembers feeling nervous about meeting people. Yet she says those anxieties disappeared almost immediately once activities got underway.
“Orientation is the one time where nobody is already friends,” she says. “Everybody's there to meet new people. Because everyone is introducing themselves and having the same conversations, it almost cuts out the shyness completely.”
The experience gave her an instant network of familiar faces in a faculty known for its diverse range of programs.
“Math is special in that our programs are very mixed together,” Bhola says. “You can get to third year and look around a class and think, ‘I've never taken a class with anybody here before.' But then you'll recognize somebody from your Orientation team and already have a conversation starter.”
The friendships she formed during that first week have endured well beyond Orientation.
Three students she met during Orientation remain part of her core friend group today. One later became her roommate, while another is someone she still sees and spends time with regularly.
Beyond helping students build relationships, Orientation introduces them to the traditions that shape each faculty's culture.
For Bhola, some of the most memorable moments came through Math Orientation's signature traditions.
“One of the things everybody remembers is the Math dance,” she says. “Everybody goes outside, learns the dance and then takes part in the pink tie ceremony.”
The ceremony, which welcomes incoming students into the Faculty of Mathematics, centres on the faculty's iconic pink tie. New students receive a tie and participate in a pledge that connects them to generations of Waterloo Math students.
“Our leaders really hyped it up,” Bhola says. “They made it feel like this was your introduction into Math. You had to get your tie. It felt really important.”
The experience made such an impression that Bhola returned as an Orientation volunteer the following year.
Initially encouraged by a friend to get involved, she quickly discovered she enjoyed helping create the same welcoming atmosphere she had experienced as a first-year student.
“I really enjoyed my Orientation and wanted to give back,” she says. “The environment is so welcoming, and the people make it easy to talk to one another.”
Since then, she has continued volunteering and taking on additional responsibilities each year. Her collection of pink and black Orientation ties has grown along with her involvement.
For incoming students preparing to arrive at Waterloo this fall, Bhola has one piece of advice: show up.
“It can be a lot of events and a lot of activities,” she says. “But I don't think there's any Orientation event that I regretted attending.”
She encourages new students to embrace the opportunity, meet as many people as possible and connect with the upper-year volunteers around them.
“This is the one time when nobody knows each other,” Bhola says. “Take advantage of that. Be in the moment, get involved and make the most of it.”
For Bhola, doing exactly that turned one busy week into friendships, traditions and a sense of belonging that continues to define her Waterloo experience.