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A Guide to Navigating Off-Campus Housing

Living in off-campus housing is a completely different experience from sharing a room on campus. You’ll have greater freedom, but this also means more responsibilities, such as preparing your own meals and coordinating with roommates to keep your apartment clean. To ensure a smooth transition into true independence and to gain the maximum benefits from off-campus living, here are a few things you need to consider. 1. Grocery Shopping You may like to go grocery shopping with your roommates to purchase the basics you’ll all share. If you’ll be eating together and taking turns to cook , you might like to share almost all your groceries. Alternatively, if you’ll each be preparing your own meals, you’ll need a way to separate your food, such as your own shelves and sections in the refrigerator. 2. Chore Schedule Whereas you’ll each be responsible for keeping your own bedrooms clean, you need to consider common areas like the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms (if you share these). Create a chore schedule to ensure everyone does a fair share and your apartment is always clean. 3. Staying Safe Living off campus means you need to consider your personal safety when commuting to and from classes and when you’re at home. Choosing an apartment near campus in a safe neighbourhood and with good security features is an important first step, but there are also other things you can do to ensure your safety. For instance, if you’re heading home late, find someone who lives in the same building to walk with. In addition, you should never advertise when your apartment will be empty over a weekend or break. 4. Putting Your Academics First The additional freedom you’ll have living off campus may make it tempting to put your social life above your academics. It’s important to remember why you’re attending university: to gain a degree. Make sure you only attend social events when you don’t have urgent homework and that you return home by your bedtime when you have an early class the next day. 5. Security Deposit Take steps to ensure you receive your security deposit back when you move out. This means treating the property with care to avoid damaging anything. If something breaks, let the property manager know to receive a repair as soon as possible and avoid additional problems. Lastly, when you have people over, invite a reasonable number and keep noise down out of respect to others in the building. 6. Choosing Roommates Pick people to live with who have a similar lifestyle to your own. Consider factors such as how clean you want the apartment, how often you like to socialize, and your approach to academics. Discuss expectations with roommates before you move in to ensure you’ll be comfortable living together. Crucial to improving your student experience is finding the right apartment. You’ll find the perfect University of Waterloo housing at myREZ . We make living off campus as easy as possible. All utilities are included in the price. You can choose your roommates or take advantage of our roommate matching service. Since the apartments are fully furnished, you can move in immediately . Apply now.

Plants That Are Perfect for Student Housing

Plants can lift your mood and make your student apartment feel like home. You may also find that it’s relaxing to take care of plants. However, the last thing you want is to end up with high-maintenance plants that you struggle to keep in good condition or that die when you’re away for a few nights. For this reason, it’s best to choose plants that are perfect for student housing. Here are a few options to try. 1. Succulents Most succulents are easy to care for and look attractive, which makes them ideal for brightening up your apartment. You have a wide range to choose from in a variety of colours and shapes. If you buy miniature succulents, they’ll be particularly easy to take with you when you move out. Succulents typically require a sunny spot, such as on a window ledge or in a hanging pot near a window. You only need to water them twice a month at most during the winter and once a week the rest of the year. Give them plenty of water in one go and then leave them be. 2. Aloe Vera One type of succulent that’s particularly ideal for a student apartment is aloe vera. A medicinal plant, it treats mild skin complaints like burns. As an alternative to buying aloe vera creams, you can cut the leaf of your plant and apply the gel directly to your skin. Since aloe vera grows in warm climates, you’ll need to keep the plant inside. Water it infrequently, allowing the top layer of soil to dry out completely before watering it again. 3. Bamboo Palm A top choice for improving air quality is a bamboo palm. This is a great choice if you’ve recently purchased new furniture and you want to remove the fumes from your apartment and improve the smell of the air. To keep your bamboo palm healthy, place it somewhere out of direct sunlight. You’ll need to water it regularly, but avoid allowing the soil to become too wet. The only other care the plant will require is frequent trimming — otherwise, it can become too tall and wide for your apartment. 4. Spider Plant A popular houseplant for cool climates is a spider plant. It’s easy to keep alive, provided you place it in the shade and ensure the pot has good drainage. With its long, green leaves bordered with white and white flowers when in bloom, this is an aesthetically-pleasing plant. Best of all, it will eventually grow spiderettes , which you can keep hanging from the original plant or cut off to start new plants, such as to give to a friend. 5. Orchids For a plant with dramatic flowers, choose an orchid. The flowers come in a wide range of colours and some interesting shapes. Orchids are also ideal if you want to increase the humidity in your apartment. Although they’re native to tropical regions, they’ll stay alive and thriving if you ensure the indoor temperature is always warm. They also need soil that drains well and remains moist. You can achieve this by using fir bark soil or a combination of charcoal and peat moss, or by adding sand to potting soil . Something else to consider is whether you have enough room for plants in your student residence. Waterloo students at MyRez receive a spacious suite with a private bedroom where they can have many plants without running the risk of making the apartment feel cramped. Book a video tour to see where you could be living.

How to Cope with a Roommate Who Loves to Party

For some students, ending up with a roommate who loves to party is great news: you’ll never be bored, and it will be easy to maintain an active social life. However, if you’re more interested in studying hard and getting enough sleep, you may need to take action to ensure you’re still able to live comfortably and achieve high grades. Here’s what to do if your roommate seems to enjoy partying much more than you do. Set Some Ground Rules Ideally, you’ll agree to rules right when you move in, but your roommate may cross boundaries that you didn’t expect. In this case, you’ll need to sit down and have another conversation. Some things to discuss may include keeping to the terms of the lease and finishing parties by a certain time. It’s crucial that you both find the new rules acceptable to prevent resentment that will only make your living situation more uncomfortable. Keep the Conversation Cordial When you need to talk to your roommate about parties, it’s important to be cordial. Jumping straight to complaints, getting angry, or being judgemental will mean the conversation is far less likely to go your way. Agree to a Party Schedule If your roommate is inviting friends over to your apartment throughout the week, a reasonable compromise could be to allocate particular days as party days. This could be one night a week or a couple times a month. Try to Enjoy Yourself If possible, look at parties in a new light. They could be a good opportunity to socialize and meet new people. Even if you’re not a big fan of parties, you may find that you enjoy attending them at least occasionally. Block the Noise In some cases, you may be unable to attend your roommate’s party because you need to study for a test or get enough sleep for an early class or another commitment. The noise from the party may stop you from being able to concentrate or fall asleep. The solution is to block the noise with either earplugs or a white noise machine. Either of these are good investments anyway, as they can be useful for more than just when your roommate is having a party. Ask Your Roommate to Do a Fair Share of Cleaning Another reason you may dislike your roommate’s partying habits is because of the mess that remains the next day. This may increase chores for you, such as if it’s your turn to clean some of the areas impacted by the party. Explain to your roommate that you’re happy to continue with your share of the cleaning but that it should be the host’s responsibility to tidy up any mess caused by a party. The best thing of all to do is find a roommate whose lifestyle matches your own. This may mean moving out of your current accommodation and searching for a room for rent. Waterloo students can take advantage of the roommate matching service at MyRez. Before you move into our student housing, we’ll ask you to fill out a profile card that specifies your social habits, and we’ll use this to find you roommates with similar preferences. Contact us now to secure a spot in a suite with roommates you enjoy living w ith.

9 Factors to Consider Before You Graduate

All your hard work finally pays off when you graduate. Graduation day is one of the best moments of your time at university. However, before you graduate, there are a few things you need to consider to ensure you’re prepared for life after school. 1. Your Contact Information Make sure your university has the right address and phone number on file for you. This will allow your school to contact you after you graduate, which includes sending your credential to the right address. 2. Loan Repayments You may need to start paying back loans as soon as you graduate. For help figuring out a repayment plan, talk to the financial aid office at your university. 3. Your Resume You need to be ready to start applying for jobs as soon as you graduate (if not before). This means updating your resume to reflect all the skills and experience you’ve gained over the last few years. As well as adding the credential you’ll be earning upon graduating, make sure you include other certifications, volunteering experience, internships, and other relevant information. 4. Your LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn is like a digital resume. Employers often check candidates’ LinkedIn accounts before they even decide who to interview. Plus, the platform is a great place to find jobs. Make sure you have a professional headshot as your profile picture, you’ve filled all the fields (including a detailed summary), and you’ve added plenty of contacts, such as other students taking the same classes as you. 5. Interview Technique Your university likely offers workshops and other types of support to teach you how to stand out in an interview. You may even be able to have a one-on-one session with a career advisor, who can prepare you to talk about your specific skills and achievements. 6. Recommendations from Professors If you have no experience in the field you want to enter, your professors are a top choice for letters of recommendation. Make sure you have your professors’ contact information to be able to reach out to them when you need a reference. 7. Staying in Touch with Your University By the time you graduate, you’ll likely feel a strong connection to your university — even to the point that it’s difficult to say goodbye. You can stay in touch in several ways, including by following your alma mater on social media to keep up to date with what’s going on and by joining an alumni newsletter. 8. Alumni Groups You may also find it useful to become part of an alumni group. This will give you access to a network of graduates who share job opportunities and offer support. You’ll likely also receive invitations to social and professional events to meet up with other alumni. 9. How You’ll Celebrate The above are important, but don’t forget what graduating is all about: celebrating your big achievement! Think about how you’ll celebrate, including whether you want to have a party with family and friends. You still have time before you graduate to find better housing. You’ll be able to focus better on your studies and do well on your finals if you move into off -campus student residence. Waterloo students can find a new home at MyRez . You’ll have access to blazing-fast WiFi , study spaces, a fitness centre , and more. Apply for your spot now.

Ways to Stay Motivated Throughout the Semester

Around the middle of each semester, it’s common for your sense of motivation to drop. You lose the excitement you felt at the beginning of the semester and your classes may become more challenging. However, it’s extra important to stay motivated and push through to the end to do well on your finals. Here are several ways you can regain your motivation. 1. Be Realistic About How Much You Can Achieve When creating a to-do list or schedule for the week, rein in your expectations. It’s frustrating to realize you’re unable to achieve everything you intended, and you may lack time for the most important tasks if you try to do too much. 2. Make Time for Relaxation You may feel overwhelmed by the amount you need to study and the approaching due dates for assignments. However, concentrating all your attention on these things and neglecting your wellbeing will only make it harder for you to stay productive. You need to take breaks to allow your mind to relax. Make sure you spend at least a few minutes each day doing an activity you enjoy, such as listening to music, meditation, or working on an art project. 3. Remember That You’re Not Alone There’s always support available to you. If you feel that you’re unable to talk to friends and family about your lack of motivation, reach out to an academic advisor. You’re far from the first person struggling, and your university will undoubtedly have support systems in place to help you. 4. Become More Organized It’s easier to stay motivated when you’re also organized. Invest in a planner where you write your weekly schedule, deadlines, and other commitments. You should also make a note of how much you want to have achieved by a certain date when you have a large project due. 5. Create a List of Goals Working toward goals can be particularly motivating. Your goals don’t all need to be related to academics — they could include working out more, getting enough sleep, or becoming more social. When you reach a goal, give yourself a reward. 6. Focus on the Good Things in Life Avoid dwelling on whatever is making you stressed. University may be stressful at times, but it’s also likely to be one of the most fun periods of your life. Focus on what you like about university, including the people, activities, and perhaps even some of your favourite classes. 7. Take Advantage of Office Hours It’s normal to find that you don’t fully understand all of the material you cover in class. Whenever this happens, visit your professors during office hours for clarification. You may also like to ask for more detailed feedback about an assignment or test to find out where you went wrong and how you can do better next time. 8. Avoid Distractions There may be countless things you’d rather be doing than tackling a difficult assignment, but wasting time on distractions will only make tasks take much longer. Turn off the notifications on your phone and don’t open any unnecessary websites on your laptop while you should be studying. 9. Think About Graduating Remember why you’re at university: to graduate. Think about how great it will feel to attend your convocation and the opportunities that will be open to you thanks to your credential . One more way to stay motivated is to search for new housing in student apartments. Waterloo students can move into the community at MyRez . You’ll have your own private, fully-furnished bedroom as well as access to great amenities like study spaces, a games room, and a grocery market. Book a video tour to see the apartments and facilities for yourself.

How to Tell If It’s the “Frat Flu” or Something Else

Frat flu has always been common among university students, and it used to be nothing to worry about. After a weekend of having fun with friends — which tends to mean insufficient sleep and most likely many hours of singing and dancing — it’s normal to feel rundown. However, the symptoms of frat flu are often similar to other viral infections, including the actual flu. It’s important to figure out what exactly has made you sick to take the proper steps for treatment and to protect others around you, particul arly the immunocompromised. What Are the Symptoms of Frat Flu? All the symptoms of frat flu should be familiar to you, as they’re much the same as those of the common cold and exhaustion. They could include a sore throat, headache, coughing, sneezing, and nausea. In fact, the cause of frat flu tends to be exposure to the cold virus from being around a large number of people. When It May Be Something Else You may have noticed that some of the symptoms of frat flu are common to other viruses. However, there are also some differences. For instance, the typical flu virus or COVID-19 can also lead to chills, shortness of breath, body aches, and fatigue. You may also lose your sense of taste or smell. Plus, the onset of symptoms are likely to be different. You’ll feel the effects of frat flu the day after a party, with symptoms gradually becoming worse. If you caught COVID, you can expect to notice symptoms no sooner than two days after exposure and up to as many as 14 days after. Nevertheless, since these conditions affect people differently, there’s no way of knowing what you have from your symptoms alone. It’s worth going to your campus health centre just to be sure. Treatment for Frat Flu If it turns out that you do have frat flu, there are a few basic remedies you can try. The most important are rest and hydration: stay in bed and drink plenty of water, tea, or even soup (especially with ginger) but avoid caffeine — if you’re low on energy, sleeping is better than coffee. If you have a sore throat, a hot honey and lemon drink could also be soothing. In addition, stick to a healthy diet, as this will bring back your strength and help you fight the cold virus. Stay in your apartment until you feel better to prevent spreading the illness to others. Although it’s never fun to recover from an illness, it does help to live somewhere you can call home. For UWaterloo off-campus housing, there’s no better choice than myREZ . You’ll have your own room in a five-bedroom suite, with the option of an en suite bathroom. When you’re feeling better, you’ll be able to socialize in places like the games room and get back in shape in the fitness centre or yoga studio. Book a tour to see the apartments and facilities for yourself.