Oftentimes, this is the first piece of advice we hear when heading off to university: “Make sure to get involved!” While this advice is all well and good, getting involved (which itself can be interpreted in hundreds of ways) is easier said than done. With any luck, this guide will give you some ideas about what “getting involved” at UW actually looks like, and how you might get started.

Athletics

One of the most popular ways to get into the UW spirit is to get involved in athletics! Whether you want to be part of a competitive team or just get moving for an hour, there are plenty of opportunities across campus. Check out the athletics website for more information about the many sports teams and recreational activities, which include exercise and dance classes, open swim and climbing sessions, and personal training. There are also many WUSA clubs that are focused on dance and exercise, like UW Parks Canada Club, UW Street Dance, AfroXDance Club, and Mambo Club. If you’re into something more casual, just grab a football or volleyball and head to one of the green spaces on campus — maybe some new faces will join in on the game!

WUSA and student leadership

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) offers a number of leadership opportunities for students from all years and disciplines. Being a part of student government is a great way to become familiar with the inner workings of campus life — plus it looks great on a resumé. With elections held annually, anyone can run to be a member of WUSA’s Board of Directors, a group which aims to serve as the voice of undergraduate students. The Board is responsible for providing guidance on WUSA’s operations, and makes decisions in areas like finances and human resources. WUSA’s President and Vice President also sit on the Board, and students can run for either of these offices as well – both are full-time, paid positions allowing students to take on leadership and advocacy roles by working alongside WUSA and the university at large. There are a number of other part-time jobs available through WUSA as well (photographer, graphic designer, and food services attendant, to name a few). If you’re living in one of the university colleges (United, Conrad Grebel, Renison, or St. Jerome’s), check out the student leadership opportunities there, too! There are typically lots of both volunteer and paid positions available.

Academic opportunities

If you’re craving more than just classroom discussions, getting involved in academic extracurriculars might be for you. There are a range of academic and research-based opportunities across campus, from casual study groups to competitive trivia teams. Clubs of interest might include the UW Debate Society, Teaching Students’ Association, Pre-Med and Pre-Dental clubs, and UW Quizbowl. There are also societies for several disciplines, such as the Waterloo Engineering Society, the Mathematics Society, and the Arts Student Union. Checking out these clubs and societies can be a great way to explore prospective majors and meet people that are studying the same things as you. There are also research opportunities available in labs across campus, from the DRAGEN Lab (Medieval Digital Research in Arts and Graphical Environmental Networks Laboratory) to biology and engineering labs. Check out faculty websites for information on how to get involved in research projects or become a research or teaching assistant. 

Clubs and societies

It would be impossible to list every club here – there are over 200, after all! There are groups representing everyone, from cheese lovers (the Campus Crusade for Cheese) to music lovers (UW Concert Band Club, JamNetwork, the Taylor Swift Society). Chances are you can find others with the same hobbies and passions as you, with clubs focused on photography, filmmaking and watching, acapella, stand-up comedy, K-pop, and more. The full list of active clubs can be found on WUSA’s website. Don’t let the already-extensive list of groups stop you — if you have an idea for your own club, you can get in touch with WUSA’s Clubs Manager to begin forming something new.

Cultural associations

Many clubs at UW also strive to showcase culture and create spaces for students to find community on campus. A few examples include the African Student Association, the Indian Cultural Association, the Muslim Students’ Association, and the Chinese Students’ Association. There is also the Culture and Language Exchange Club, where students can learn other languages from one another, and QTPOC KW, a club which provides community-building events for racialized members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. UW’s Indigenous Student Centre is located at United College on campus, and Indigenous students can access the Centre 24/7.

Entrepreneurship

There are many opportunities related to entrepreneurship as well, ranging from clubs to business accelerators. Waterloo Ventures is the central hub for entrepreneurship at the university and is home to programs like Velocity, an incubator which aims to support early-stage entrepreneurs. Students at any stage of the entrepreneurial process can apply online to join Velocity’s network for free. There are also clubs focused on entrepreneurship, such as Engineers Without Borders, Law & Business Nexus, and The Women’s Network. The UW Entrepreneurship Society (which is partnered with several other clubs and local companies) is a student-run group that hosts events and works to connect students with local resources and opportunities. Furthermore, UW is home to Hack the North, Canada’s biggest student hackathon that runs annually and requires students to create and present their own tech projects.

As you can probably tell by now, there are a lot of opportunities here at UW. It can be daunting, especially as a first-year student, to comb through so many activities and clubs. While all of these extracurriculars can help you settle into university life, don’t feel guilty if you want to take it slow: opportunities will always be available for you, and sometimes the pressure to get involved right away can cause even more stress. Hopefully, though, you can find a space or two that feels right for you. If nothing here sounds up your alley, you can always create your own.