Contact Us
Welcome to the second installment of Ambassadors Say! At St. Jerome's, we understand that you're probably a little bit nervous to start university, even if you're not willing to admit it. We know because we've been in your shoes.
That's why we wanted to share our expertise with you! Now that we all have almost one (or two) years of university completed, we've all learned a lot - about school, about ourselves, and about the SJU community that we're proud to call our home away from home.
Our hope is that with our advice and stories, you'll feel better equipped to tackle university and become an integral part of the St. Jerome's community, just as our Ambassadors have done this year. Consider it our gift to you. Let's go!
Make your dorm room even nicer than your room at home! You finally have the chance to decorate your own room the way you've always wanted, and making your room cozy and unique really helps make it feel like home. – Maya
Make sure you start your assignments ASAP. That way, when your friends ask you to hang out, you don't have to hang back to finish the assignment you left until the last minute. –Brendan
Do your best to be involved with the community. Your first term may seem daunting but getting out there and meeting your fellow first years is a great way to de-stress. – Caleb
Domino's Pizza is 50% off on Mondays, Bianca's Pizza will deliver the fastest, Twice the Deal Pizza is the cheapest and Campus Pizza is easy to walk to. – John
Honestly, just take advantage of orientation week to the best of your ability. Whether that means going to every single event or making some of your own plans with floor mates, be sure to have an open mind and kind intentions. You never know who may end up as what to you in the future. Make connections. – Krystle
The conversations you have are incredible! Stay up late, chat while you're both showering beside each other, be open to any opportunity for conversation. – Diane
Leave your door open as much as possible to meet your future best friends. Don't leave laundry for the last minute! You will run out of clothes!! – Emma
Plan out your day so you have something to stick by. - Sarah S.
Don't be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers. Soon these "strangers" will become your friends. – Meredith
I didn't go home until Thanksgiving of first term, and I found this really helped me to adjust to my new home. Going so long without going home helped proved to myself that I was capable of living on my own and forced me to settle in quick! – Jocelyn
Do not, I repeat, do not bring too many clothes. I have about half of my drawers filled with clothes I do not wear and have never worn at school and I am dreading packing it all to get home. Bring things you wear only because if you did not wear it before school, you are not going to wear it now!! – Bethany
Keep your door open!! I have had so many unexpected, amazing conversations when people just walk past my door and see that I am inside. It is also an amazing way to meet a lot of people during the first couple of weeks. – Kaitlyn
Leave your door open and keep snacks on hand. – Anna
Always keep your door open! You honestly have no idea what you miss out on if it’s closed. Some of my most memorable conversations and experiences have started with someone just walking into my room or me walking into theirs. – Matteo
Always keep your door open! Even if it's just people saying hi as they walk by! – Cameron
Utilize Power Hour because you will want it after a long day of classes and homework; put the books away and step away from work for an hour and be as loud as you want with your friends in the building, it’s a great way to destress and be yourself. – Lexie M.
One tip I have would be to bring snacks to have in your room! The cafeteria at SJU is great but sometimes it is nice to have some food that you may have had at home! It can help to make SJU even homier – Madie
Find places to study and work outside of residence. I love switching it up and not just staying in my room/res to study. Don’t be afraid to adventure into main campus, you can meet loads of new people and find cool spots! – Lauren Pe.
Try to do laundry during the week so you won't have to wait for a machine – Sarah D.
Don't try to do laundry on weekend evenings. – Meaghan
Be a part of your community as much as you can. It will make your experience so much better and will introduce you to new people. – Lexie E.
Pack more than a day in advance! – Clarke
Make sure you take time for yourself. It's hard to pull yourself away from all your new friends and miss out on what they're doing, but hanging out by yourself and maintaining some of your individual hobbies is really important. You'll be more engaged when you're with your friends and it'll give you some down time to relax and also get to know yourself in this time of change. - Haley
Bring a family picture from home... You'll miss them more than you think once you get here! – Luke
You will not be going to bed at 10 pm anymore. Be prepared to stay up a lot later than you might expect. – Sara
Just say hi. I promise everyone is not as intimidating as you might think. –Josee-Claire
Stay tuned for Question #3 next Wednesday: "What’s your favourite place to eat in Waterloo, either on or off-campus? What do you order when you go there?"