When I think of university, I think of all work and no play. That is not the case at the University of Waterloo. At UW, there is a multitude of extra-curriculars for anyone to take part in.
One worry I had when I started to think about residence was whether I would actually like the person/people, I live with. As a very shy person, I am hesitant to live with people I do not know as most residences have shared rooms and there are very few single rooms. After looking into it a little more, I found out that when I am ready to apply for residence, I would have to fill out a form that asks for my likes and dislikes, what kind of person I am, and what it would be like to live with me.
Movies portrayed living in university residence as one shared room with your best friend, one shared bathroom, and microwaved ramen noodles. After some research, I found out that there is a variety of residences available to students. Some options are very similar to the movies, which have single and double rooms available, complete with communal floor bathrooms and a residence cafeteria. Those are traditional dorms, where I would also have to get a meal plan.
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.
When I was younger, I thought that everyone had to pay the exact same amount for tuition. I also incorrectly assumed that your tuition included residence and a meal plan. The cost of tuition varies based on what program you apply for and whether you are a Canadian student or an international student.
