Take a tour of our campus. Is SJU your perfect home away from home? There is no better way to experience what our community has to offer, than to come and visit us in person. After all, our community is not just a place, it’s a feeling. Paper and electronic resources don’t capture the full essence of what it means to live and learn at SJU, so come visit us to experience that community feeling! 

Meet and talk with our current students. Our student ambassadors and volunteers are looking forward to meeting SJU’s future students and their families! They will be giving tours, answering questions, and helping you find your way during our Fall Open House. Our students would love to share some of their stories and experiences at SJU with you. Feel free to ask them about student life, their first year at university, opportunities around our campus, and anything else that you would like to get a student’s perspective on. 

Meet a Professor. Many students may think that professors are intimidating to talk to- our professors are very interesting, approachable people. They really do enjoy talking with students and their families, and would be happy to discuss what they research and teach! Feel free to ask professors about the courses that they are teaching, and what some of their study tips are. 

Talk with an Academic Advisor. Find out what you can expect your schedule to look like in first year, and how course selection works at the University of Waterloo. What are the differences between Arts and Arts and Business? What are the Arts First required courses about? What is co-registration, and how can I co-register? Academic advisors can answer all of these questions and more for you. 

Attend our Arts at St. Jerome’s Information Session! Rebecca Rucurean (our Admissions and Recruitment Specialist) will be running this session at 12:30 in Hagey Hall, room #159. She will be discussing what the learning experience at SJU will be like, and what academic options you have. This information is very useful for students trying to decide where and what they want to study, so be sure to find some time to attend! 

Register and do some Research!
•    Use this link to let us know that you are coming.
•    Explore our website to see what we have to offer on campus, and to identify things that you want to ask questions about in person! 

Make a list of questions that you want to ask while you are here! I attended many open houses in the search for the perfect post-secondary experience, and I found that it is very helpful to have a list of things you’d like to discuss ready. Here are some of the questions that I would recommend asking at an open house, to the current students that you see! 
•    Why did you decide to come here?
•    What opportunities are there to get involved at this school? 
•    How would you describe the community and student life here?
•    What support is available to students? 
•    What do you study? How did you decide what you wanted to study?

 I would also recommend to spend some time thinking about what your top values are for your experience at university, whether that’s related to academics, extra curriculars, student life, etc. Think of some questions or things to look for that capture what you are looking to get out of your university experience. 

Preview what is happening on the main University of Waterloo campus and plan out your day! Look into what faculty specific programming and presentations you find interesting. Having your day scheduled out before you come can help you cover everything that you’d like to do, see, or experience while you are here. Keep in mind that you will need to allow yourself some time to get across campus! Use this interactive campus map if you want to get a sense of how long it might take you to get to where you want to go. 

Come prepared to do some walking, both outside and inside. That means that you should dress according to the weather, and wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in. To make the best of your visit, you should be able to focus on the information around you, not how cold or uncomfortable you are! Tours and programming will still run, regardless of whether it is raining or not. 

Think about where to park before you arrive. At St. Jerome’s, you can park in lots A or B for the day. Take a look at this web page to get a sense of where we are located, and where you can park. There will be student volunteers outside near the parking lots to meet and direct you!