Community: More Than a Buzzword!

Redeemer takes community seriously with a vibrant campus life.

It's no secret that university campuses aren't all the same. How can you build a community in university and what does it look like? Curious to find out? Here are some highlights of Redeemer's campus community!

Townhouse-style friendships

Moving away from home with new-found independence can be lonely sometimes. At the heart of Redeemer's on-campus community experience is the 43 townhouse-style dorms that make up our residences. Living in a dorm with seven fellow students will still allow you to foster your own freedom, but you won't feel isolated. You get to make your own schedule, but you have dorm-mates to rely on if things get tough. Living in a community-style dorm gives you the opportunity to make and share dinner together every night, do devotions, binge a Netflix show, discuss your passions and make lifelong friends. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?

Beyond residences

Of course, campus life is made up of far more than just living in residences. You rub shoulders with hundreds of other students daily. Here are some of the many ways to connect with people outside of your dorm.

Worship: As a Christian university, Redeemer holds weekly chapel services where all students, faculty and staff are encouraged to come together in worship. We also hold monthly student-led Rooted Worship services with local speakers. Musically talented? Use your gifts in chapel or Rooted Worship bands!

Academic events: Academic departments put on events each year for students to experience their program outside the classroom. The English department hosts a series of public readings by published writers. University is a great place to learn beyond your program and discover shared interests with your fellow students.

Clubs: Love knitting? Adore playing a game of ultimate frisbee? Passionate about creation care? There are loads of active clubs on campus for you to get involved in to find people with similar interests — camping with the outdoors club, writing for the school paper or singing in the choir! Our Student Senate works hard to support students in finding a club to join, as well as starting a club that may not even exist yet.

Athletics: The Redeemer Royals participate in 4 varsity sports: basketball, cross-country, soccer, and volleyball. If varsity isn't your thing and you want to just play for fun, intramural sports are open to all students, varying from hockey to dodgeball. Not athletic? Cheer on our teams as a proud Royal fan!

Making your home in Hamilton

Hamilton is home to over 100 waterfalls and many unique neighbourhoods. You can discover the lively downtown core at events like Supercrawl or serve the people living in it through Redeemer volunteer groups like Deedz. We also encourage all students to get involved in a church in Hamilton so you can invest in a community separate from the university campus.

We know university can sometimes be hard; being challenged academically, possibly navigating a new city, and being away from your family for the first time aren't easy transitions. We hope to see our students thrive in their academic studies while also fostering strong lifelong friendship during university. Come visit us this winter and experience if this is the right university community for you!