Get the Full Canadian Experience

By: Michelle Heneault, Waterloo co-op student

As an international student, you’re an integral part of Waterloo’s campus community! Currently, there are over 3,400 international students studying at Waterloo from more than 90 countries. And like many of our students, you want to make friends and connect with others who are going through the same experiences. The International Student Connection (ISC) is the main centre for students from all over the world to go if they want to meet other international students and to get help while they’re on campus.

They offer a number of events to help you connect with other international students at events like: beginning and end of term parties, international potlucks, country presentations, and movie nights featuring international films. The ISC also organize trips to the Niagara Falls, the Oktoberfest Festival in Kitchener, Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and to the Grand River for canoeing during the summer.

There are also many ways for you to connect with students from Canada, your home country, or others who have similar interests:

• Join a varsity sports team and play for the Warriors.
• Exercise your body with campus recreation through ball hockey, cricket, salsa dancing, soccer, swimming, weight training, yoga, and more!
• Join one of over 160 students clubs such as 28 cultural associations, the Gamers Club, the Campus Crusade for Cheese, or the Concert Band Club.
• Get involved with the student government and develop your leadership skills with the Federation of Students or in your faculty, program, or residence.
• Take advantage of international opportunities by doing a term abroad, choosing from 140 exchanges in 29 countries such as the UK, Iceland, and Thailand. Or, take a course with overseas fieldwork or learn another languages with the second largest selection in Canada.
• Check out our International Student Office.
• Join our shadow program and be paired up with a local student who will help you become aware of the resources and services that uWaterloo and the local community has to offer.