Helpful Resources

Academic Help

The University of Waterloo offers its students free academic-related support. Students are welcome to access these resources at any time throughout their program.

We encourage GBDA students to utilize these services as needed.  If you are unsure what support may be right for you, please contact your GBDA Academic Advisors at gbda.advising@uwaterloo.ca

AccessAbility Services (AAS)

AccessAbility Services (AAS)

Students who are experiencing trauma or who have a known/unknown disability, condition or illness can connect with Access Ability Services to help develop a personalized academic accommodation plan to help support your academic success.

Students can contact Access Ability Services to request an appointment during business hours: Monday - Friday between 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

  • By Visiting In-Person @ Needles Hall North, 1st Floor, Room 1401
  • Phone: 519-888-4567 ext. 35082.

Please ensure you provide the following information when contacting AccessAbility Services contact information:

  1. Name
  2. Student ID
  3. Preferred Phone Number
  4. Best time to reach you to book an appointment

Quick Links:

Student Success Office (SSO)

Writing and Communication Centre

Writing and Communication Centre

The Centre assists students in the understanding, brainstorming, preparation and revision of course assignments, presentations, etc.

The WCC offers:

  • 1:1, drop in and email appointments
  • Academic Skills Workshops
  • English Language Conversation Circles

Centre for Career Development

Centre for Career Development

This free service can assist all registered UWaterloo students with career planning, co-op support, graduate and professional school preparation, work search methods, and setting up of career goals.

The Career Centre can also assist you with determining a suitable minor based on your interests, and career goals.

Connect with a Career Advisor by booking an appointment →

Policy 70 - Petitions

Policy 70 - Petitions

Under Policy 70, a petition can be used by UW students to request an exception to an Academic Regulation.

You can learn more about Policy 70 here →

Important: Petitions are not guaranteed, and may not be the right path for every student.

If you would like to discuss if a petition is the right course of action for you, please contact a GBDA Advisor: gbda.advising@uwaterloo.ca

First-Year Course Support

Your Course Instructor and/or Teaching Assistant should be the first point of contact if you are struggling with course material.

Check your syllabus for your Course Instructors or TA contact information and office hours on Waterloo Learn.

GBDA 101

GBDA 101

  • Contact your GBDA Instructors for help during their office hours or reach out to them via email
  • Attend the GBDA 101 Tutorial offered every Friday (except stat holidays and university closures)
    • 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    • 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
  • Contact Noah Pratt (he/him), the GBDA 101 Lab Instructor for GBDA 101 software and equipment tutorials.

ECON 101

ECON 101

  • GBDA First year students are scheduled to take ECON 101 section in the Winter Term.
  • Students will have access to a free ECON101 Tutor, though, this is only available if you enroll in the GBDA Section of ECON101 in Winter terms.
  • More information can be found on your syllabus.

CS Courses - CS 105, CS 106, CS 115, CS 116

To avoid any issues with academic integrity please keep in mind the following when you are seeking CS course help:

  • CS courses are designed to be done individually and unlike ARTS courses it is not typically recommended that student’s study with others outside of the listed supports on the syllabus.
  • Please exercise Caution with the use of Tutors for CS Courses. The contacts listed on your syllabus for course help should be your first stop for help (e.g., Instructor, Instructional Support Coordinator, Instructional Support Assistants)
  • If you do decide to study with others, recommend that students put away course materials, laptops, written materials, etc. and instead converse about general course concepts. However, we again do not generally advise students to study with others for CS.

CS 105 Specific Support

CS 105 provides you with additional opportunities to ask the Instructor, ISAs or IAs any questions you may have pertaining to assignments, exams, or course content. If you are unable to make it to any of these online office hours, alternative options include posting your question to the discussion board, emailing the ISAs directly at cs105@uwaterloo.caor requesting a time in the MS Teams Office Hour channel.

If you are still struggling with CS 105 and need help finding further supports reach out to the Instruction Support Coordinator:

Other Free Computer Science Course Supports

If you are taking first or second-year CS courses and need some help, you can meet with an Instructional Support Assistant (ISA) or Instructional Apprentice (IA) in the CS Consulting Centre MC 4065. Contact course staff to arrange an appointment.

GBDA Ambassadors

  • The GBDA Ambassador program connects upper year GBDA students with first years to help build community within the GBDA program itself, and at the Stratford School.
  • Ambassadors hold gatherings on main or Stratford campus throughout the term as a way to meet fellow students.
  • You can contact your Ambassador via the MS Teams group!

Clubs and Extracurriculars

GBDA students are encouraged to participate in clubs and extracurriculars both on the Stratford campus as well as the Waterloo campus.

Clubs can help you explore other interests, build skills, and provide you with an opportunity to build a community outside of the GBDA program.

  1. WUSA: With over 200+ clubs, there are many opportunities to connect with other UW students, and explore other interests. Examples of clubs include: The Cheese Club, African Student Association, Animal Rights Society, etc.
  2. GBDA Society: GBDA-related club. Acts as the representative study body for Undergraduate GBDA students.
  3. Creator’s Collective: GBDA-related club. Student-run initiative that supports the creative communities at University of Waterloo.
  4. Athletics: Information related to exercise classes, intramural sports, men’s and women’s sports, and facilities hours.

Wellness Support

All wellness supports available through the University of Waterloo are free to GBDA students.

We encourage GBDA students to prioritize their physical and mental well-being by connecting with any of the below resources, if needed.

GBDA Advisors are not certified mental health counsellors, and if you need mental health support, we will refer you to the correct resource.

  1. Physical Health
    • Wellness Centre: They provide wide-ranging services related to healthcare visits with medical professionals, vaccination appointments, nutrition services, lab work, etc.
  2. Mental Health

Support for International Students

Immigration Counselling

https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/international-student-resources/immigration-consulting

The University of Waterloo has an experienced and dedicated team of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) who are licensed with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). The consultants are happy to assist you during your time at university. All consultations are free and confidential. The consultants discuss with one another, but do not share your information with anyone else on or off campus without your permission.

Immigration Consulting can be contacted when making changes to your schedule, degree (i.e., moving to part-time studies, extending your studies, changing your program) to help determine the impact on your Study Permit.

International Student Resources

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Support

RAISE

RAISE  is a Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association club that works to address racism and xenophobia on UW campus and forge a community that promotes equality and unity.

They offer students support through peer mentorship, education and advocacy as well as community building.

GLOW

GLOW seeks to support and promote understanding and inclusivity for persons of all sexual orientations and genders via a variety of awareness and outreach campaigns, discussion groups, advocacy and events.

Women's Centre

Women's Centre

The Women’s Centre aims to create a female and trans positive and supportive environment on UW campus.

They offer resources related to sexual health, healthy relationships, mental health and peer mentorship.

Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

The EDI - R Office is heading a transformative culture change on UW campus related to equity and anti-racism.

The office assists with disclosures of harm (racism, ableism, etc), provides resources, training, project support and document reviews to UW students and staff to facilitate culture changes, maintain EDI-R leadership is accessible, and sustain the EDI-R unit on campus for the benefit of the whole of the UW campus community.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO)

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO)

The SVPRO seeks to support the whole of the UW campus community who have experience or been impacted by sexual violence.

Using a public health approach, the SVPRO provides training, support, education, engages in current legislation, and evaluate institutional interventions of sexual violence to prevent and confront sexual violence on the UW campus.