Where will I live?
A misconception with university is that you have to live in residence in order to attend university. That is simply not true. Residence is not the only option for accommodations while in university and it is up to you to decide where you live. For a lot of students, living at home is a great option. For me, living at home is great because I live close to the university, and I would save a lot of money since I would not have to pay for living expenses. In my upper years, I may want to move out of my parent’s house because I want more freedom and valuable life experience. If I can afford to, I could move out to my own apartment or I rent one with a friend or two, to save on costs. Along with saving money, I also have the freedom to choose who I live with. Renting a place outside of the university can be a lot cheaper, especially if you are renting with other people, but you do not have the added benefits that on-campus residences have. In residence you do not have to clean your room as that is done for you, you also have a cafeteria, laundry, health services, peer leaders, and tutorial sessions all within the building. If you are looking into living options for university, I would suggest looking at all your options before you make a choice. If you are not sure about looking at off-campus housing University of Waterloo has a database to help with that.