Have you received an Offer of Admissions to Waterloo?

Check out this "What's Next?" video!

The Residence Choice.

Choosing a university and a program is very difficult, especially with all your choices and options, weighing the differences and similarities can be exhausting! And then the discussion of residence and housing comes up which can bring you to yet another decision road block. 

In my opinion, choosing a residence is just like choosing a university in the sense that it's purely a personal decision and in most cases, based upon a feeling you get when you visit and about where you see yourself living for 8 months. Therefore, there is no secret formula that makes choosing a residence a piece of cake.

I have however, found that there are a few things you can ask yourself to make your decision making process potentially a bit smoother. 

First, consider whether or not you want to be a part of a large residential community or a smaller residential community. 
Answering this question will lead to discover whether one of the main rresidences (Village 1, Mackenzie King Village, Ron Edyt Village, or UW Place) are for you, or whether you should consider the smaller University Colleges residences (St. Jerome's, Conrad Grebel, St. Pauls, or Renison). 

Next, think about what kind of living arrangement you would prefer. You will be choosing between a traditional dormitory style or suite style.
This is where this decision becomes complex because you must factor in numerous things:

• Do I prefer to have a single or double room? 
• Is living with several people in an apartment style residence something I would enjoy?
• What kind of meal plan do I want?  Do I want to cook for myself?
• Am I comfortable with sharing a common bathroom?
• Do I want to live in a Living and Learning Community?

And finally, you will want to think about the type of facilities that are important to you and how accessible they are. This includes study areas, laundry mats, fitness centres, eateries, and lounges. 


As the June 2nd deadline for the completion of your Residence Preference Form approaches, these three areas to consider may help you narrow down your choices. Follow this link to a helpful page that will break down the residences and compare them to one another.

And remember, when all else fails, go with your gut instinct!

I Love Waterloo Arts!

Check out these awesome Waterloo Arts button shots I received!

Photos by Micaela Cali!

Kierra's Waterloo Favourite #3: Hagey Hall Room 1101

At the start of my first year, I was so excited about sitting in a big lecture hall with tons of other students and feeling like a "true" university student. Although I have since learned that being a university student is more than sitting in a lecture with 200 other students, I still love the feel of large classrooms full of students with their laptops out, soaking in a lecture.

The first lecture I attended was for my ARBUS 101 "Intro to Business in North America" class when I walked into a classroom I consider one of the coolest at our university.

It was HH 1101 (located in the new wing of Hagey Hall). It's big and bright with rows and rows of seats and really comfy chairs! There are electrical outlets at every spot (eliminating the race to class to get an outlet for your computer) and a large projection screen that you can see from any seat. Not only did I love being in that classroom but I loved that class even more!

To me, HH 1101 holds some great memories. Since ARBUS 101, I have had an Accounting tutorial (a weekly Q&A held by the Teaching Assistant), written a Sociology exam, and had many group study sessions in this room.

And so ... this lecture hall (Hagey Hall 1101) is my #3 favourite at Waterloo!

Books and Lecture Halls! It doesn't get much better than that :)

Is spring here yet?

Today it officially felt like Spring has arrived!

Although the weather has been a little up and down lately (one minute it was beautiful and the next minute I’m looking through my window to a blizzard), traces that nice weather is approaching are everywhere. To me, the season of spring means seeing less winter jackets, students filling the libraries at 8:30 in the morning studying for exams, finally spotting green grass, no longer going out of your way to take the indoor or underground tunnel routes from one building to the next, not minding when the bus arrives 10 minutes late and the end of roll up the rim.

There is however, just one sign of spring that no Waterloo student can ignore ... the return of the Canadian Goose!

Our campus is just not the same without the presence of our best friends, the geese. And coming from someone who is terrified of birds, I've grown so accustom to them being around, joining me on my walks to class, lending friendly morning reminders to get out of bed when I lived in residence, and they can often be spotted grazing on the lawns of many buildings. To me, the return of the geese means the ending of Winter term and the beginning of warmer weather.

As a Waterloo student this is what Spring looks like to me.

So what does the Spring look like to you?

Side note: I don't advise that you chase after the geese, VERY bad idea!

Top 5 activities first year students enjoy doing while they're not studying...

1. Watch or play intramural sports at the Columbia Ice Fields (ball hockey is my favourite!).

  

2.Watch movies in the residence lounges or at the Galaxy Theatre in Conestoga mall (a 5 minute bus ride from campus).

3. Join a club or society on campus (or even start their own!).

4. Attend evening events (open mic/comedy/ trivia nights) at the campus pub called the Bomb Shelter.

5. Catch a late night snack at the infamous Campus Pizza (open until 5am every day!) located in University Plaza right beside the university.

The ELPE!

Today a certain buzz has been going around campus. It's that time of the year again... time for undergraduate students to write the English Language Proficiency Exam (The ELPE)!

What is the ELPE? It's a 300 - 500 words essay that every Waterloo undergraduate student must complete, and pass, in order to graduate. Yes, it's like a literacy test but before you think about it too much, DO NOT PANIC :)

When I was told about this exam, I thought, "I'm an Arts Student! I don't need to worry about writing a short essay". But, after hearing rumours of someone who knew someone who did great in high school English and failed, or someone who failed for not writing a title on their exam, the anxiety began to creep in (well more like rush in!)

With all the talk about the ELPE I have heard today, I thought I would put together an "all you need to know" list about writing and surviving the ELPE!

• For Arts students, a 65% must be achieved to pass.
• On your transcript it will be recorded as a "pass or fail" with no grade present.
• One may receive a conditional pass (CP) which means that the student neither passed nor failed the exam. It is mandatory for them to attend a review session, to receive a pass.
• Every faculty writes the exam at a different time. Unlike Math or Engineering students, Arts students do not write the exam during orientation week. Based on your Grade 12 U English grade, you may be required to write the exam in December or April.
• Every student who writes the ELPE has the opportunity to request a review session after taking the exam, where a tutor from the writing centre will sit down with you to asses your writing skills and provide areas for improvement.
• There are many resources(such as sample essays, and workshops) that you can use to ensure you do the best you can on the exam. VISIT THE ELPE WEBSITE, it has so much there to help you get prepared.
• If you don't pass, do not panic because you have options! You are able to participate in a writing clinic and then retake the exam.
• If you are unsuccessful at writing the exam your second time, you have the option of taking a course during an academic term (ARTS 101) that will fulfill your ELPE requirement if successfully completed. 

Last year, on a day much like today, my friends and I walked to the Physical Activities Complex building. I was shaking as we entered the large gym and took our seats to begin the exam. After the hour came to a close, we exited the gym, talking about which essay topic we chose. Yet, even after we finished I was still worried "what if I forgot an instruction, what if I didn't write my topic number on the booklet". I was convinced I had failed until I received an email informing me that I passed! 

So, the best tip I can offer you is, stay calm, read through all of the instructions and do the best you can! It's like any other exam you will write. The most important thing is to be focused and relaxed!

Best of luck to those who wrote the ELPE today and to those of you who will be writing it some point in the coming year!
Trust me, you can do it!

Every Where You Look Its ARTS ORANGE!

Today, the Federation of Students Colour Me Educated campaign came to a close with a vibrant "dropping of the paint" ceremony.

The campaign, as I mention in a previous post, has been raising donations for the Pathways to Education organization over the past nine weeks, creating a little friendly competition between faculties. Through awesome activities such as dumpster diving, balloon drops, and silent auctions, the Federation of Students have raised awareness about the Pathways organization and its work to address high school drop out rates and assisting underprivileged youth reach post-secondary education.

At the end of the campaign, the faculty who raises the most amount of donations has paint, in the colour of their faculty, dropped on Federation of Students Representatives, as well as the university's President. Hence, the paint drop!

AND THE 2011 COLOUR ME EDUCATED WINNER IS ..... ARTS!!!!!

Check out some photos from the day's event!

 The Paint Dropping Pools. Can anyone say "hot" seat!

 The Student Life Centre Courtyard. What a beautiful day!

The Glee inspired group, Acabellas, did a wonderful job performing songs for the crowd!

ARTS ORANGE!

The President, Feridun Hamdullahpur, drenched in Orange!

 The Federation of Students President, Brad Moggach (above), and his fellow executive team, Nick Soave, Vice-President Education (below left) and Nikki Best, Vice-President Internal (below right) also receiving buckets full of paint!

Congratulations to the Faculty of Arts for raising the most donations, as well as a huge congratulations to the Federation of Students for their successful Colour Me Educated Campaign! The campaign's total raised amount is soon to be announced!

Did You Know?!

During the exam time the Davis Centre Library is open 24 hours!

OR

You are able to skype the librarians in the uWaterloo libraries. Having trouble researching or reference citing while at home? Chat with the librarians and get help! 

What I Wish I Knew about University while in High School!

March Break has come and gone! As a prospective student you might have spent the week visiting some campuses, and gaining new information on programs, financial aid, housing etc. If by now you have more things to think about than you did before, and you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, I'd like to share with you a short video of two 4th year Waterloo students sharing 5 things they wish they knew when they were in your shoes. Watch the video, and read some of their tips down below!

1. Don’t Neglect Your Soft Skills

·  University offers you more than the chance to receive good grades! It's important to thrive academically, but, you should also focus on developing a variety of skills.

·  You begin to notice exactly how important it is, in an interview, to be able to talk about who you are and to present yourself in a professional/ approachable manner.

·  Employers are confident that you're able to learn the job. What they're concerned about is: what kind of thinker you are, how well you develop and present ideas, how motivated and passionate you are and in what kind of manner you interact with their clients.

2. There is a life outside of school. Don’t forget about it!

·  Get involved, make connections, meet new people, do something that challenges you!

·  Take advantage of every opportunity you have whether it's clubs, societies, co-op opportunities, travelling abroad, or exchange programs. 

3. Don’t look at choosing a University as just a School but about choosing a COMMUNITY.

·  What kind of experience do you want? What kind of community are you looking for? What lifestyle do you see for yourself in the coming years?

·  Look at the complete picture when looking at a university.

·  What feeling are you looking to have when you step on campus? (tight nit environment? large campus with many opportunities?)

4.  Look ahead but don’t stress yourself out about it!

·  It is never too early to look ahead and research.

·  Talk to as many people as you can and ask them about their experiences.
·  You have lots of options so explore, explore, explore!

·  And remember, planning ahead doesn’t mean you have to stick to it.  

5. It all comes down to finding what you love and that's really what going to university is all about!

March Break Open House 2011 Success!

After excitedly and anxiously awaiting the event of the season, March Break Open House, we're ecstatic to hear the ringing of last Tuesday still in our ears!

Thank you so much to those who were able to attend and for making it a great success once again this year. It was so nice to see many eager prospective students and to meet all of you. Especially for me, to be able to put some faces to the lovely emails I've received over the past few months!

And what a wonderfully sunny March day to be on campus! The entire uWaterloo campus was buzzing and full of energy with hundreds of students, family and friends exploring buildings and residences, while gathering advice and information from uWaterloo's Faculty, Staff and current students.

The Arts Lecture Hall, located in an area we like to call the Arts Quad, was home to the Faculty of Arts and its March Break festivities. Students who attended had a chance to experience a variety of different activities.

We had information sessions about all the entry programs that the Faculty of Arts offers, from Accounting and Financial Management, Honours Arts, Arts and Business, to Social Development Studies. It was a chance for students to gain in depth knowledge on the program(s) that interests them, as well as to hear from a current student about his or her own experiences.

Throughout the day, several of the Arts departments held mock lectures in lecture halls typically used every day for Arts classes of all kinds. What an opportunity to get an inside look into the life of a university student! 

On top of that there was an Academic Fair with a booth from each of our 30 majors. Faculty and student volunteers were there all day offering students all kinds of information and answering questions. Students were able to begin exploring majors that interest them, maybe even helping them choose their fall courses for those who have already accepted their offers.

The day also offered a variety of opportunities to take campus tours, visit the residences, and learn about student services, talk to academic advisors and ask panels of students anything about their university experience from school, to residence, to extra cirricular involvements .

Check out some snap shots from the day!

 We couldn't have done it without all of our Volunteers!

 Academic Fair! This is a picture of our French Studies booth!

For more photos from the March Break Open House visit our Facebook Page!

It was such an exciting and fun day for all of us here in the Arts Undergraduate Office! I hope you were able to have some great conversations, learn some things you may not have already known, and got a feel for what it's like here at uWaterloo and in the Faculty of Arts.

If you were able to come out to this fantastic event, feel free to let us know what you thought, or maybe what your favourite part was! Email artsrecruitment@uwaterloo.ca because we would love to hear about your experience at the 2011 March Break Open House!

And don't worry for those of you who were unable to attend. Visiting campus and getting in touch with the Faculty of Arts is easy! You can schedule a tour with uWaterloo's Visitor's Centre by contacting them at 519-888-4567 (ext. 33614) or visiting our Find Out More website. 

Videos of the Program Information Sessions and Mock Lectures will be available soon so stay tuned!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Even Porcellino, the Arts Mascot, got dressed up for the occasion!

Arts Ambassadors giving March Break Tours!

MARCH BREAK OPEN HOUSE COUNTDOWN: 7 days!

The March Break Open House is fast approaching! 

In only 7 days campus will be booming with hundreds of future students from all faculties as they are welcomed to the University of Waterloo by staff, faculty, and students alike.

There is no busier time on the Recruitment side of the Arts Undergraduate Office! All of us in the Faculty of Arts are getting really really excited as we put the final touches on the awesome day we have planned. 

As our to-do lists are winding down I thought I would give you all a super secret sneak peek into the projects I've been working on for the Open House!

This currently is the state my office is in!

As you can tell from the picture above, right now I'm working on getting things ready for the big day! 

I've lined up the t-shirts for all the volunteers that will be so generously helping us out. Part of my job has been to assist in coordinating the many volunteers whose bright and shiny faces you will see on the day of. They're not only assisting us with set up and facilitating the sessions being offered, or tending to the various booths/ stations, but will be there to answer any questions you may have. So, be sure to keep an eye out for them!

I've also helped get some other supplies ready such as water (the picture above is of the big tower of water in our supply room), painting signs that will go up around campus, and making some mixed cds that will play in the main foyer of the Arts Lecture Hall (which is where all our guests will be arriving and registering). I'm also working on some video and media related projects that will be used during the March Break Open House in the information sessions throughout the day.

And for my final and most favourite project, I'm coordinate the Faculty of Arts Tours that will be provided by our Arts Ambassadors for the March Break (March 16,17, and 18). I'm currently training student ambassadors, and organizing these tours with uWaterloo's Visitor's Centre.

I am so fortunate to get a chance this year to be so involved in planning and organizing this huge event as I can recall it being one of my favourite and one of the most influential events I attended before making my decision to accept my offer here. I would highly encourage any student thinking about attending the University of Waterloo to come out for this wonderful event where you really will get all of your questions answered and most of all truly experience the Waterloo Arts difference! Everyone is welcome! 

Tis' The Season of Midterms

Many university students have just overcome midterm mayhem, and as I watched from the sidelines this term (because I am on co-op and not on a study term), I started to think about my own midterm study habits.

Although during my first year I lived in Residence with many study rooms and quiet areas, I always preferred to head over to the Dana Porter library where there are rows and rows of books, study carrel after study carrel, tall windows letting natural light flow in, and the abundance of quietness. Camped out for a week or two at a time on the 7th floor, with a large tea and a box of chocolate donuts of course, I have done some of my best studying.

The right environment and the right library really does make all the difference when you need to crack down and study for those tough midterms or finals. There are 5 main libraries scattered around campus and each one has its own “vibe” and offers you something different.

Dana Porter Library

Mood ... quiet and focused.

Located … in the centre of campus, in the Arts Quad.

Opened … on Monday to Friday 8am - 11pm, with similar hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Referred to as ... the "Sugar Cube" because of its white cube-like structure.

Holds ... resources for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Key features are … Browsers Coffee Shop on the main floor, countless individual study carrels and computer labs located on each of the 10 floors, the media centre, flex labs (for workshop, conference and learning purposes), the Peter & Betty Sims Reading Room, the Doris Lewis Rare Book Room and an extensive Microfilm Collection.

This picture is of Browsers Coffee Shop Lounge on the main floor .

Davis Centre Library

Mood ... collaborative and vibrant 
(you are free to have conversations with your peers in a normal speaking tone as long as you're not disruptive).

Located … in the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre conveniently in the same building as a Tim Hortons and right beside the main bus terminal on campus.

Referred to as … the DC library.

Open ...  on Monday to Friday from 8am - midnight with similar hours Saturday and Sunday.

Holds … resources for Engineering, Mathematics, and the Physical and Life Sciences.

Key features are … large open areas with full tables to work in groups on big projects, the silent study rooms, the many computer terminals, and the media centre.

Looking for more of a low key area to study? Try one of the libraries in the university colleges on campus.  

St. Jerome’s Library

Mood … peaceful and concentrated.

Opened … to all students!

Located … in the Academic Building at St. Jerome’s University on the Second floor.

Referred to as … the SJ library

Holds ... 40,000 books and periodicals with a variety of audiovisual and electronic resources. Materials are heavily related to Liberal Arts and Mathematics.

Key features are … many independent study carrels outline the first and second floor, comfortable lounge areas, computer terminals, the most inexpensive printing and copying on campus, and a vibrant group study room.

Conrad Grebel Library

Mood ... Cozy

Located… on the third floor of the Academic Building at Conrad Grebel.

Opened … from 8:30am – 9:00pm Monday to Thursday, with similar hours on Friday and Saturday.

Holds … resources for Music, Peace and Conflict, Mennonite, Religion and Theology studies.

Key features are … that this library also serves as a Mennonite Historical Library and is home to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

Lusi Wong Library

Mood …  bright and relaxed

Located… on the first floor of the Renison Academic Building

Named after … Lusi Wong, a librarian and a graduate from the University of Waterloo who died of cancer in 2002.

Opened … from 8:30am – 9:00pm Monday – Thursday with similar hours on Friday and Saturday

Holds … over 7,000 items specializing in materials to support Renison’s Social Work, Social Development Studies, East Asian Studies, Anglicanism, and English as a Second Language programs.

Key features are … two group study rooms along with over thirty individual study spaces and the Florence Li Tim-Oi memorial reading room.

No matter what colour your mood ring says, you will be able to find a study zone to suit that mood. Especially when you find yourself on campus all day, it is important to stay productive and more importantly, find a place that suits you!

Kierra's Waterloo Favourite #2: The Student Life Centre.

My favourite place to go on campus is the Student Life Centre. It is commonly referred to as the SLC. It is the hub of the university!

I love walking through the SLC because there is always some type of activity going on whether it's 8:30 in the morning or 11 at night. There are so many resources housed in the SLC and it's always my go-to place when I need something like a late night snack from Tim Hortons, stamps from FedsExpress to mail a letter, Bus schedules for the City Transit, last minute school supplies from the Pharmacy on the bottom floor, to check out my textbooks for the coming term at the Feds Used Bookstore, or to purchase a GO bus ticket from the 24 hour Turnkey Desk. 

With the variety of food facilities and countless places for students to hangout between classes, the SLC is somewhere where student can relax, or socialize. As soon as you stroll through,you really get a feel for student life at Waterloo and what better place to make new friends!
There are also numerous study rooms and quiet lounges scattered through the SLC where you are able to hold your group meetings or do some studying.

Something I find really cool and interesting about the Student Life Centre is that there are always kiosks, and booths in the main foyers. From jerseys, to purses, jewelry, and fudge, there is always a reason to drop by and take a look (it's a great study break!)
Once a term there is also a HUGE poster sale held in the Great Hall and main foyer. You can find the perfect accessory for your room or that hard to find Christmas/ birthday gift.  

I love the atmosphere of the Student Life Centre and always feel a sense of excitement from the buzz of the students. With something happening there every day, it is one of my favourite places to be on campus!

Better Searching, Better Marks! My Top 7 Tips for Researching

The scariest and most difficult thing I had to overcome during my first year was my very first university essay. It was a term paper for a sociology class and worth 40% of my grade; needless to say I was shaking in my boots! To be honest, it wasn’t just the writing aspect that had me cringing as the deadline approached (was my writing truly at a university level? Will I be able to write 12 pages?) I was mainly worried about where to find strong research. Going with my first instinct, I approached a third year psychology student in my Residence for assistance and she helped me navigate through uWaterloo’s library website to locate books and online databases. It was great to have someone walk me through the unfamiliar territory but there’s always resources such as:

•  the Professor and Teaching Assistant(TA) of your class who could offer you handy tips and preferable sources,
• library pamphlets on research techniques for every department or simple "how to" guides,
• workshops (usually offered by the library or your department),
• and very helpful librarians that can lead you to the right sources and show you how to be effective to retrieving quality information which is so important to your success!

So here are my top 7 tips for surviving your first university essay, specifically centered around searching for sources. Some I’ve gathered through my own experience while others are from workshops I’ve attended or professors I’ve talked with.

1. Brainstorm. I know this sounds like something they taught us in 9^th grade English but we sometimes forget basicswhen we rush through our assignements. This September another one of my Sociology essays had me really stumped. I went to the TA for help and we spent an hour just jotting down ideas and linking them together which made it easier to sit down and write. Brainstorming allows you to develop a strong argument, pick out a variety of key concepts and words for searching, and gives you a firm idea of what you are looking for. Brainstorming improves your search.

2. Use a variety of avenues to search for journal articles and books but don’t become overwhelmed! Your first large essay is a chance to explore the types of databases available to retrieve journal articles and books. Each database looks different which can be confusing. Take a moment to understand how it works and to learn how to use the settings (such as year, subject) to get the best results. Don't get discouraged if the article you want isn't offered as a download, or the book you found has already been borrowed. Ask the librarian,if the articles is in paper form or order the book from another library (our library system is connected to Wilfred Laurier and The University of Guelph).


3. Keep your search words short and simple. Refrain from typing in long sentences and instead use key concepts with words such as and, or, and not to give a clearer indication of what you are looking for.

4. Keep Track of Citations and important information about your sources. Searching for articles means reading titles until you find one that appears to be suitable. Most of the time you are able to click on it which brings you to a page with a summary of the article, and its citation. Open a fresh new document and copy and paste the citation of every article you will reference. You will not be able to use these citations directly in your Works Cited (Bibliography), but it gives you all the crucial information you will need to cite them in the proper format.

5. Rename ALL of the articles you retrieve on the computer. When you download articles they usually have unrecognizable file names. The more articles you have the harder it is to find the one you are looking for. Rename every article after you download it and organize them straight into folders.

6. Document everything! Certain concepts and facts may stick out to you when you read through an article or book. Get out a sheet of paper, write down the concept or thought you had relating to that, and then document where you found it including the title of the source and page number. This ensures every time you mention an idea you picked up from an external source you can automatically and quickly reference its original author instead of going back and trying to find it. (such a nightmare!) The referencing process will be easier and it will keep you from plagiarising when you have efficient habits.

7. Set realistic goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. Maybe your target is 2 articles every hour, or writing a paragraph every hour. Whatever your goals are, make sure they're realistic and don't forget to stock up with a favourite snack and/ or beverage. Take breaks during this process to let your brain rejuvenate. Change your scenery once in a while, or have a light conversation with your friend or a family member.

So my first paper came and went, a milestone we all experience and survive! No matter the mark you receive, just remember, it is a learning experience and practice definitely makes perfect.