The Residence Experience
Future Students
The Residence Experience
Events
Respect. Compassion. Inclusiveness. Support. Belonging. Nowhere will you find a more concentrated expression of the SJU values than in our residence – the place where you’ll literally eat, sleep, and breathe them. It’s like a life support system. Wherever you go and whatever happens, a secure, caring network is waiting for you where you live.
Residence is also a classroom outside the classroom where you’ll learn life skills like sharing space with a roommate, communicating with a totally different mindset, eating healthfully, and becoming a laundry whiz!
Already sold and certain that SJU is the place for you? In addition to ranking SJU first on the ‘Residence Community Ranking form’, you also have the opportunity to fill out the ‘SJU Residence Community Interest Form’ which will help us get to know you, help you learn more about SJU. Filling out this form is not mandatory but will make your name stand out on our list of residence applicants.
Residence Atmosphere - the SJU Difference
What sets the SJU residence experience apart is total commitment to diversity – not just as a group but also within each individual. Our most fervent hope for you is that you develop all aspects of your being. If you can’t visit us to experience our Residence in person, this description by current residents will give you a small sense of the SJU Residence feeling:
Our pride is our community: the friendships, the spirit, the common interests, the shared responsibility and the call to action. It gives us energy. It gives us perspective. It gives us pause. It’s the debate in class that becomes conversation over dinner and draws us together as lifelong friends. As residents of St. Jerome’s University, we are a community that represents diversity, inclusiveness, and acceptance.
Our tradition: We give hundreds of hours to local charities, sport team colours to cheer on our floor-mates, gather with 300 friends to sing “Happy Birthday,” eat community meals together, and cherish quirky and intriguing roommates who share their care packages and make sure we’re always up for class.
We’re deeply engaged: In our studies, in our interests, in our communities and abroad. We’re curious, inspired, and committed, and we value the interconnectedness of our global community. We’re partners in sustainability and environmentalism. We’re dreamers, doers, talkers, and actors.
Living is learning: It starts with you, it lives in every room, and it is the one thing that will stay with you forever.
And so – we’re proud of our community. Proud to be part of more than 150 years of active social justice and community service that is strongly linked with academic success and our mission to educate the “whole person.” We’re also proud of our Catholic values, unique traditions, mealtime rituals, and that genuine feeling that everyone counts, everyone contributes, and everyone has something to offer.
Outside Your Room - Common Areas and Facilities
Decisions, decisions. Step through your residence room doorway, and you’ll have to make at least one. Will you hang out with friends in the lounge, join fellow fans of your fave TV show, shoot some pool, or work out in the gym? Of course, if you’re feeling virtuous, you could always hit the books in the study area!
Here’s what you’ll find in our new building:
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Lounge
Open. Light. Warm. Three design qualities that radiate throughout this central main-floor space. It’s a bit like your living room at home – the kind of place you can wander through in your slippers and pyjamas, where the quiet magic of community is waiting to enfold you.
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On-site Gymnasium
You won’t have an excuse for omitting the fit body component of your holistic education when there’s a full gym right where you live. And nearby showers and locker rooms make it convenient for all of your SJU friends to be included in our home-based intramural and recreation program – even if they don’t stay in residence.
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Wellness Studio
Yoga and Zumba classes? Guided meditation? Dance lessons? Tai chi? Tune up your body-mind-spirit connection in this studio-style space where you can learn to feed your soul and stay centred.
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Games Room
The SJU Games Hub isn’t just a place to connect with friends or to unwind and feel like a kid again. You can also look for off-beat ways to exercise your mind: solve trigonometry problems at the pool table, consider the quantum properties of a ping pong ball in flight, or appreciate the nuances of software engineering applications while you play video games on our plug-and-play gaming consoles.
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Television Rooms
No need to miss the next episode of your latest TV addiction. And our longstanding tradition of community television-watching means lots of company to share the laughter, angst, applause, and critiques.
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Creative Space
All the tools and supplies to express your varied interests and hobbies are at your fingertips. So find balance, unleash your inner creator, and bring your inspirations to life!
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Music Room
Bring your instrument to this dedicated jam space where you can strum some Stairway or collaborate to create new music. Power, amps, and software provided.
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Study Rooms
Need space for quiet work on your own or for a group project or study session? We've got you covered. White boards, tack boards, and power for your gadgets are all part of the nose-to-the-grindstone ambience!
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Bike Storage
SJU's Bicycle Hub is a weather-proof, indoor storage facility with all the tools to keep your machine humming over the hundreds of kilometres of Waterloo Region’s bike lanes.
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Equipment Storage
Funky-smelling hockey equipment a side effect of your exercise program? Good news! You can keep your room unpolluted by stashing your hockey, tennis, or bocce equipment in our well-ventilated, secure storage area.
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Cafeteria
The caf, as it’s called, is your refueling station – where you’ll eat in style and create even more community connections across the dining table.
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Yes, you really will have to do your own! Don't forget your detergent!
Meals and Food Services
Food is a top item on everyone’s list! At SJU, your full, all-inclusive meal plan ensures you unlimited eating for your entire school year. That means that whether you’re a hearty meat-and-potatoes person or salads are more your style, you’ll find plenty to fill your plate at every meal. And you won’t have to keep track of a declining balance or worry about trips to the grocery store during exams.
Fresh. Local. From scratch.
We’re partnered with Dana Hospitality to bring a truly unique food service program to our community. Not only does Dana purchase from local farms, they work with local vendors to ensure the freshest seasonal offerings to wet your appetite and nourish your soul.
Our meals aren’t mass-produced hours in advance. Just in time production means tasty food that tastes more like a restaurant than a cafeteria!
Cooking up a storm for you
Our chefs are busy in the kitchen preparing everyday home-cooked goodness with special care, and there’s nothing ho-hum about it – your mouth will want seconds!
- Varied menus based on local and seasonal offerings
- Choice of hot and cold entrees
- Vegetarian and vegan options at every meal
- Daily deli sandwich and salad bars
- Homemade desserts and breads – yum!
The mouth-watering selection and quality make St. Jerome’s University one of the most popular places to eat on campus. You’re welcome to bring along guests to eat with you in the cafeteria – they’ll just need to pay for their meal.
Added zest
You can also look forward to memorable mealtime highlights like special theme menus, and house and floor dinners. And you’ll want to get your taste buds ready for the extra culinary surprises that await you!
- Menutainment – When the menu includes one of these varied chef’s choices, such as pasta or stir fry, you can customize it to suit your tastes.
- Theme dinner nights – Favourites include Pasta Night; Food Court; fajita and taco bars; Breakfast for Dinner (after all, it’s rated the most important meal of the day); and The Letter S (brought to you by memories of Sesame Street).
- Your Kitchen to Ours – We ask your family to send in favourite recipes for our chefs to whip up that so that you can enjoy a taste of home.
Hours
Our servery and cafeteria are open and serving food from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends, with drinks, fruit, and snacks always available during those hours. The times for hot meals are as follows:
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Monday to Friday (7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) |
Start |
End |
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Breakfast |
7:30 a.m. |
9:00 a.m. |
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Lunch |
11:00 a.m. |
2:00 p.m. |
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Dinner |
5:00 p.m. |
7:00 p.m. |
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Saturday & Sunday (9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) |
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| Continental | 9:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
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Brunch |
10:00 a.m. |
1:00 p.m. |
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Dinner |
5:00 p.m. |
6:30 p.m. |
The Buttery
From Sunday to Thursday during the fall and winter terms, our self-serve buttery is open between 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Drop by this special service area with your floor-mates to enjoy a evening snack or to take advantage of interactive food prep programming! And the best news? It’s all part of your meal plan, so no extra charge!
Special dietary needs
- If you have a serious dietary issue, you should email the Residence Team at sjuresid@uwaterloo.ca, before you complete your residence application. This will help you and SJU determine if the kitchen is able to maintain a menu that suits your needs.
- Common diets such as eating halal, vegan, or vegetarian are accommodate for. Please note that students with dietary restrictions may have fewer options available to them or may need to make a special request for an item during mealtimes.
- Gluten-free allergies can be accommodated for however it depends on the severity of the allergy. Like most dining establishments, there is risk of gluten traces in our kitchen and cross-contamination.
- Many food allergies can be accommodated through specialized menu planning with our food services provider, Dana Hospitality. If you have a food allergy, you’re encouraged to discuss your needs with the SJU Food Services staff at the very beginning of the term.
Support for Students
Living in the SJU Residence means that SJU’s special brand of caring is around every corner – in the rooms, the halls, the common areas, and the cafeteria. It’s like having one big family to look out for you, to celebrate with you, and to offer a sympathetic ear if you want one. Whatever you need, there will always be someone to point you in the right direction.
Dons
Each Residence floor is assigned a Don, an upper-year student who will help you with the transition to university life. Dons know residence and university life inside and out, they’re happy to share their insider tips, and they organize fun social events to get everyone involved. They’re like older brothers and sisters who are invested in your success and are always available to provide advice and back-up.
Services next door & across the creek
At SJU, you’ll be supported not just inside the Residence but outside its walls, too. One feature of the benefits package that comes with your dual status as an SJU/Waterloo student is your access to two sets of services – at SJU and also on the main campus. Here are some of the areas ready and waiting to help you out:
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Health Services – At this daytime medical clinic right next door to SJU, you can see doctors, nurses, dietitians, and counsellors.
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Counselling Services – Here you’ll find assistance with personal and social growth, life difficulties, and crisis situations, plus workshops in stress management, coping skills, and mindfulness.
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Campus Ministry – Whatever your faith background, these members of the SJU community will guide your exploration of your beliefs and social justice concerns.
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SJU Student Affairs – These are the people who will take a personal interest in your academic success, advise you about your options, and help you enhance your study skills.
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Waterloo Student Success Office – Take advantage of additional programs, workshops, and other tools to support your studies.
Leadership Opportunities
Living in the SJU Residence puts you within easy reach of the more than 150 student leadership roles available at St. Jerome’s University. And you’ll discover even more opportunities in your Faculty or in main campus student organizations. Check out the different student leadership roles!
Whatever your interests, you’re sure to find a position that will help you expand your skills, stretch your boundaries, and take your student experience up a notch. And don’t forget the important side effect of acquiring impressive abilities to add to your résumé. So check out what’s available and decide where you’ll make your mark!