Hey there!

If you have any questions about residences at the University of Waterloo, please feel free to ask!

I'm going into my fourth year now for Honours Fine Arts. I stayed in Columbia Lake Village (CLV) my first year, but since then I have been involved with the housing department as a tour guide and a promotional team member. This past year I have been working as a front desk assistant, which means I work at all of the residence front desks. It's my job to answer student questions, so I know a lot about residence! I am typing this from the Ron Eydt Village (REV) front desk right now! ;)

Note: The official Waterloo residence forum is scheduled to launch June 7th, so be on the look out for that! :)

So I've filled up my form and everything and submitted my preferences. When will I find out which residence community I'm assigned to?
And how much of a chance is there that I get into Waterloo's residence community? Not the University college ones...
And once I do find out where they put me, What next?

You can apply to be a don as long as you've already completed your first year. There is a selection process, starting with an interview. There aren't really any requirements, but you should be willing to take on all the responsibilities that a don has. They get paid in the sense that they get free residence, otherwise no.



You should find out whether or not you're in the University or College residences soonish. July 6 is the official date when residence packages will be mailed (which include your specific residence) and when your room assignment will be available to check online.

It's a good chance you'll get into the Waterloo residences as long as you are attending Waterloo and have specified that they are your first choice over the college residences.

Once you find out your room assignment online, you'll receive a contract via email. Once you've accepted the contract, the room is yours. Move in dates will be posted up closer to September.



In my opinion, the Arts & Business program at Waterloo isn't for you if you're looking to pursue an actual business career. I would consider it to be a regular arts program, with requirements in various different areas of interest. The courses you need to take are NOT actual business courses. They are other subjects with the name "Business" in the title & maybe some change in content to make the course relevant to business in some sort of way. The co-op is the only part of it that is worth it, in my opinion. Most of the people I know in this program DID get jobs.

I'm copying this from the uWaterloo website because they have the best definition:


http://www.housing.uwate....ca/jobs/apply_don.html



I don't think uWaterloo is known for law. It does have a law program, but if Mac or York are known for it, I'd probably go with one of those options. That said, if they're all pretty neutral when it comes to law, I'd go with the school that best fits you, where would you most like to live, what school sounds the best to you?

Haven't lived at Waterloo yet but I did live in a traditional rez last year.

Some people were comfortable with just a towel, but like you I wasn't.

Invest in a nice terry cloth robe, great for when you get out of the shower, going to the bathroom at night or when you just want to lounge around.

Also a shower caddy is great for carrying your stuff back and forth from the bathroom, although most people figure that out themselves.

True, forgot about the shower shoes.

Very important, I actually used two pairs of flip-flops. One pair for in the shower and another for the hallway back to my room because I didn't want to walk around in wet shoes picking up stuff on the floor. (cleaning in my rez was never very thorough)

The dorm-style residences are definitely the most social. V1 has a very active social atmosphere, though you have a little more privacy there than in REV. At the same time, being social in the residence setting wasn't really my thing, and all of my housemates and my don respected this, while still being there for me when I was in trouble (mainly with health issues).

It's also very diverse--not sure where you got the impression that it's only Math/Engineering. The majority of the people on my floor were in AHS, with a few in Math; the people on the floor below me were mainly arts/science, and the main floor was a lot of engineers. It's very mixed.

These are all fire hazards and not permitted in traditional residence rooms. The only things in a dorm-style residence allowed in terms of appliances are a mini-fridge and an automatic shutoff kettle. There are microwaves available in all of the residence lounges, though.

All of these things are allowed in suite-style residence kitchens.

I don't think CLV would be convenient for any student because it's so far away from the campus and you'll have to take buses to get to your classes..

CLV really isn't that much farther than campus from REV, maybe like a block. I know it seems far but it's walkable. Buses are for the lazy or arthritic. ;) (I fall into that latter category before someone jumps all over me for saying such an insensitive thing.)



All that being said, you are going to university and becoming independent of your parents. I think you should make it clear to them that you are a responsible adult and your living preferences should be your decision. After all, they won't be living with you. You'll have to live with the choice.

The vast majority of rooms in V1 are single. There are very few doubles and interconnecting rooms. So you're most likely to get a single room there. The double rooms there are the largest doubles in all of residence. Interconnecting are a bit smaller than singles.

I didn't find it lonely at all. Floormates often came and bugged me and I pretended I wasn't home :P

I have heard that the AFMers really like their LLC in V1 so if you apply for that, I think you might enjoy it! You'll have opportunities to network and you'll be close to your classmates. In which case I can't imagine you'd be too lonely.