Student life at uWaterloo – so much more than classes!

By: Erin, MUR Communications Associate and co-op student

Starting school in another country can be intimidating, but at the University of Waterloo, you’re not alone — we currently have 5,400 international students from over 100 different countries!

Before you start classes, come to Student Life 101 tomake friends and learn academic and personal strategies to make your first yearthe best possible. We even have a session just for international students!

While you’re at Waterloo, get involved in the International Student Connection. You can connect with students from all over the world and participate in fun events, like movie nights, end of term parties, and country presentations. Our Student Success Office runs an International Student Experience, where you can get help with your English conversation skills, talk to an International Advisor, and pair up with an upper-year student to learn about the community through our SHADOW program.

Be sure to do some of these fun Canadian things: go tobogganing in the snow, check out the Maple Syrup Festival, buy fresh produce at the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market (Canada’s largest outdoor market!), browse through the shops and learn to ice skate in Uptown Waterloo,and experience the world’s second largest Bavarian festival, Oktoberfest.

Other ways to get involved and connect with students at uWaterloo include:
- Get fit through Campus Recreation that offers programs such as martial arts, personal training, salsa, badminton, and yoga
- Join one of 160 clubs Waterloo offers, including the Gamers Club, the Photography Club, and the Concert Band Club
- Become part of your faculty’s student society and meet students from your program and professors
- Build your leadership skills through our student government, the Federation of Students