University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is situated just over an hour away from Oakville in Waterloo, Ontario. The university has a student population of 36 670 and is particularly known for its engineering faculty along with the co-op opportunities it offers to students.

Student Life

At Waterloo every first year student is guaranteed a place in one of their 6 distinct residences including traditional rooms along with the option of suite-style and townhouse style houses.  These residences all have an array of amenities including common lounge rooms, private music rooms, pool and ping pong tables.

There is also a student life centre on campus which is open 24 hrs a day and is the hub for many clubs and entertainment opportunities going on around campus. The SLC also offers quiet study spaces, movies, music, exhibits and much more exclusively for the students of University of Waterloo.

There is no shortage of clubs and sports teams available to help you get involved and meet new friends at University. From Dragon Boat racing to the Animal Rights Society there’s sure to be something for you in one of Waterloo’s 200+ clubs.

Looking to stay active and avoid the Freshman 15, join the Warrior recreation program, attend some drop in fitness classes or play for a Varsity team. There are lots of ways to stay fit in University of Waterloo’s two sports facilities; The Physical Activity Complex and the Columbia Icefield.

Popular Programs

University of Waterloo has 6 undergraduate faculties including:

- Science

- Applied Health Sciences

- Arts - Math

- Engineering

- Environment

They also have 4 affiliate university colleges: Conrad Grebel University College, Renison University College, St. Jerome’s University, St. Paul’s University College all of which offer the amazing education of Waterloo with smaller class sizes and a homier campus feel.

University of Waterloo is most known for its top rated engineering and computer science programs and is notably ranked top 2 in Canada for both of these undergraduate degrees. It has also been named the most innovative school in Canada by Mclean’s for 27 consecutive years.

Another aspect that sets this University apart for other top ranked schools is it extensive co-op opportunities. With this program students have the opportunity to do 4-6 work terms that start in second year, these terms help students to earn money and graduate with less student debt, build a resume and develop applicable skills for the future. Studies have shown 96% of co-op grads find a job related to their field within 6 months of graduation, 79% also earn more than 50,000 in their first two years of work post graduation.

Overall Waterloo is an amazing academic institute, with awesome clubs and residence amenities sure to fit any first year students needs. To explore further information about University of Waterloo take a look at their website: https://uwaterloo.ca/ .

Stay tuned for the next University article on McMaster University!