Common Pitfalls for University and College Students — and How to Avoid Them

Starting college or university can be a difficult adjustment. A major reason for this is that students are prone to making a few common mistakes. Being aware of these pitfalls will help you avoid them, increasing the chances that your college experience is a positive one.

Missing Class

Before university, there were immediate consequences of skipping class. Now, it’s down to you to be disciplined; if you’re not, you may fail. Resist the temptation to stay out late when you have an early class the next day — or even hold off partying entirely until the weekend. If you know that you’ll likely struggle to make it to school early, opt for classes that with later start times, whenever possible.

Falling Behind

Even if you do make it to all your classes (and on time), there is still the possibility that you may fall behind. This is because simply attending class is not enough: you also need to study in your own time. If you find it hard to stay focused when you’re on your own, form a study group. If, after this, you are still finding it difficult to keep up, consider hiring a tutor.

Rushing Into Your Housing Decision

With so many choices to make related to your education, it may seem simpler to just opt for University of Waterloo housing instead of shopping around. Some students are happy living on campus, but many find it more comfortable to rent an apartment, as living in independent housing gives you the chance to choose your roommates, provides you with more space, and makes it easier to study well.

Trying to Do Too Much

There’s no way to avoid the homesickness at the beginning of your first semester — it’s a natural consequence of being away from family and friends. Instead of filling all your time with activities to distract yourself, accept how you feel. Give yourself time to settle in and to relax by yourself. Decide how many classes you can reasonably expect to manage, and limit yourself to no more than one or two clubs or sports teams in your first year.

Most of the above pitfalls involve just simple fixes, the exception being finding the right housing. If you believe that you’ll be happier living off campus, start your search early for student rentals in Waterloo. University students have it easy — they can find a home at King Street Towers.

Best Ways to Save Money As a Student

Becoming a student comes with a lot of freedom. However, if you’re not used to managing your finances, this can be a difficult adjustment. The likelihood is that you’ll only be working part time (if at all), which means you’ll need to be careful to save money. Luckily, with a simple plan in place, you can ensure that you never exceed your budget.

Spend Sensibly

It may be tempting to purchase something that catches your eye or throw a few treats in the shopping cart when out grocery shopping. Always think twice before you buy anything — this includes eating out when you planned to cook. For big purchases, wait a while before buying or at least shop around to see if you can find a better price.

Monitor Your Buying Habits

It’s impossible to know that you’re staying within your budget if you fail to keep track of purchases. Write down everything you pay to see where your money is going. Then, you can decide how much you can afford to designate to each activity. In addition, make sure that you frequently check how much you have in the bank, just to confirm that you’re not overspending.

Travel Cheaper

Whenever you can, walk or bike. It’s cheaper and it gives you exercise. If you’ll need to travel farther, see if public transport is an option. You may be able to avoid bringing a car to college entirely.

Buy Second-Hand Books

There’s no need to buy all your books new — a better option is to purchase them from former students. If you keep the books in good condition, you can even sell them once you graduate and regain what you spent.

Avoid Late Payment Charges

When any bills arrive, pay them immediately, or at least as soon as possible. This will prevent you from needing to pay late charges, which often adds a large amount to the total.

Live Off Campus

You may be able to find significant cost savings by searching for apartments near University of Waterloo. Typically, you can pay less living off campus, even when you add in the cost of utilities.

A great option for high-quality yet affordable Waterloo student living is King Street Towers. It’s almost as close to University of Waterloo as living on campus, but costs a fraction of the price. Best of all, the apartments are all inclusive, meaning you won’t need to worry about budgeting for bills nor paying for a gym membership.

Should You Live with a Roommate in University?

The fact is: some people prefer living alone whereas others prefer to live with a roommate. When you’re heading off to university, you need to decide which category you fall into. This will help you determine whether you’d be more comfortable living on campus or in off-campus student housing. It can be difficult to know if you’ve never lived with a roommate before, but thinking about your personality and habits can help you figure it out.

Will You Be Lonely?

Some people feel lonely living alone. Even when your roommate is only an acquaintance, having someone around to talk to at the end of the day can help you avoid feeling homesick.

Do You Value Your Privacy?

On the other hand, if you enjoy spending long periods of time alone, you may struggle to adapt to living with someone else, particularly in such close quarters.

Are You a Neat Freak or Very Messy?

People of either extreme tend to find it difficult to live with someone else if their habits don’t match their roommate’s lifestyle. Consider if you’d be willing to make an effort to change or be more adaptable.

Do You Know Someone You Want to Share With?

If it’s your first year of university, the likelihood is that you know no one yet, meaning that if you choose to live on campus, you’ll be assigned someone at random. There is the chance that you’ll end up being the best of friends with your roommate, but there is also the risk that you’ll find your roommate difficult to live with. For instance, this may be the case if one of you likes to stay up late to socialize whereas the other wants the room to be quiet for studying and likes to go to bed early.

If, however, you already have friends at the university, you may be able to pick someone to share with. Choose carefully, though — not all friends make great roommates, especially if you have distinct lifestyles.

It is possible to have the best of both worlds: you can have your own space and still be around other people with a suite in student housing. The Waterloo rental apartments at King Street Towers provide you with a space to share with just a few other students. Better still, if you don’t know anyone yet, you’ll be matched with people who have similar interests. Plus, you can have your own room or share a bedroom — whatever you prefer.

Finding an Apartment That’s the Right Fit

Looking for the right student apartment could be very challenging, especially when one decides to study outside their hometown and move to an unfamiliar city. Planning is essential in order to find an apartment that fits one’s lifestyle, as well as using effective means to finding student housing options. One way to do so is by turning to student focused property management companies which can provide a short list of housing rentals that would fit one’s needs and preferences.

When choosing among student housing options, there are a few things to consider to ensure that you are making the best decision:

Convenient Location

One of the most important considerations when looking for off campus residences is location. Living near the university grounds makes things much easier for college students, eliminating the need to commute back and forth to school every day. It is also ideal to choose off campus communities, such as Waterloo student housing rentals, that are located near other establishments, like grocery and retail stores, so you spend time going to these places and use your time doing more important things.

Student Friendly Area

When looking for rooms for rent in Waterloo University, students are better off choosing rentals that are within student housing areas, so you are able to collaborate on projects and hang out with your peers more easily. This also ensures that you avoid any issues with non-university neighbors, who might complain of noise from time to time. Being in a student friendly community provides the support you need, and it allows you to be yourself and feel comfortable as you go about your everyday life as a university student.

Safe Neighbourhood

Safety should also be one of your priorities. When moving to an off campus student housing, you need to make sure that you are living in a safe community. Do your own research and inspect the neighborhood before deciding to enter into a lease contract. Aside from choosing a neighborhood with low crime rates, you also want to choose a housing rental that offers security, such as 24/7 on call staff, individual locks, and CCTV cameras.

The Right Atmosphere

Not all students are alike, and so are student housing communities. While some may prefer to live in a more casual setting, where the residents are free to have their friends over, some students may want to stay somewhere quiet. Take a tour of your off campus student housing options and get a feel of the place. Check if there are separate facilities for binding with peers and for study, and choose the one where you know you would feel comfortable.

Looking for a student apartment can be an ordeal, but it’s one that you definitely need to plan for so you can find the right place for you, so take note of these helpful tips. Always remember that aside from having a place to stay after your classes, this is going to be your home away from home, so you need to make sure that the decision you make is the best one. 

Reasons Students Choose to Move into Residence or Off-Campus Apartments

Many students choose to live in residence during their first year of university to meet new people and make friends. Others, however, prefer to find a room or local apartment to save money and maintain privacy. As both options have their share of benefits, you’ll need to decide what is most important to you.

Moving into Residence

If you live in a University of Waterloo residence, you’ll immediately meet plenty of people. It will be easy to make friends, as you’ll be around people of a similar age who are in the same situation as you. This can help reduce any feeling of homesickness.

Another major benefit is convenience. You’ll be back home straight after class and you can sleep in the morning almost right up until you need to go to class. Plus, everything you need will be in one place, including study resources, food, and activities to take part in.

Finally, you’ll have almost as much freedom as living off campus. You’ll still have your own space and, for the most part, you can do whatever you want. There will be some rules, but no curfews or anything too strict.

Choosing an Off-Campus Apartment

The main advantage of an off-campus apartment is improved privacy and a lack of distractions. This gives you the chance to socialize only when you want to. The rest of the time, you can enjoy peace and quiet. You’ll also avoid sharing a bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen with too many people. It will be much more comfortable having your own — and far less frustrating.

Another advantage is that you’ll likely spend less. Off-campus apartments tend to be cheaper, but you’ll also see monetary savings by buying groceries and preparing your own food. Plus, you’ll eat better meals and start learning how to take care of yourself.

Lastly, there are fewer rules with an apartment than on campus. For instance, there’s no need to be silent when exams are taking place and there are no restrictions as to who can stay over.

If you want all the above — to meet new people, save money, maintain a sense of privacy, and easily reach school — your best option is student apartments for rent near University of Waterloo. Student housing at King Street Towers, for instance, gives you the opportunity to meet other students in places like the onsite fitness center, recreation center, and group study lounges. At the same time, you can be on your own and focus on your studies whenever you want.

A Quick Guide to Moving to University

Starting university can be stressful, frightening and confusing. In fact, much of the stress and confusion begins with the moving process. Most freshman don’t know what to pack, how much to pack, what to expect, what to do or where to go. However, there are some basic tips that can help every freshman successfully move to university. For example, you could use social media to connect with your roommates before the school year begins. You could also inquire about what furniture, household or other items the university provides, such as a toaster, a microwave or storage items. But the most important steps to take are the simplest ones, including packing, organizing and moving in.

Packing for University

Packing is one of the most laborious steps in the moving process – one that many young students don’t know how to or want to do. Plus, packing for university can be a bit of a science. You must pack the essentials, but bringing too much can be overwhelming, counterproductive and lead to major storage issues. Before packing, consider the storage provided by your university, as well as any items they might provide. Additionally, make sure your packing process is as organized as possible. First, declutter, then organize your belongings into “keep,” “throw away” and “donate” categories. Next, throw away and/or donate all unwanted items. Finally, pack the things you’ll be taking with you. Remember to use a “to-do list,” scratch off items as you complete them and label your boxes accordingly. For the sake of space, only take the essentials, including:

•                    A manageable amount of clothing and shoes

•                    Books

•                    A laptop and/or tablet

•                    School supplies (if applicable)

•                    Bed linens and accessories

•                    Hygiene products, e.g. soaps, shampoos and conditioners, deodorants, toothpaste and toothbrushes and haircare and skincare products

•                    Towels

•                    Basic kitchen utensils and dishes

Organise Your Move

Organisation is the key to making your move as smooth as possible. First, organize the packing process, taking care not to overstuff the boxes and storing your boxes in an easily accessible area. Next, arrange to have your things moved in a small truck or sizeable vehicle. Most likely, a small vehicle won’t be sufficient for moving all your boxes. Finally, schedule your move for at least a week before classes begin. Therefore, you’ll have plenty of time to unpack, organize your belongings, meet your roommates and/or dormmates, get settled and decompress before the first semester. This is especially important if you’re moving into Waterloo off campus housing, which may require you to arrange furniture, decorate and more.

Introduce Yourself

Whether you’re moving into a residence hall or one of the rooms for rent Waterloo has to offer, you’ll need to be introduced and become familiar with your new surroundings. Introduce yourself to your new roommate(s) soon after you arrive. Then, take a tour of and get a feel for your new living space. After the tour, unpack and arrange your space to fit your comfort level and style. You should also take this time to set and discuss rules with your roommate(s). If you’re moving into a residence hall, be sure to meet the resident advisor (RA), take a tour of the housing facility, get briefed on the rules and regulations of the dorm and much more.

How to Make a Smooth Transition from High School to a Postsecondary School

Graduating from high school and moving on to postsecondary education is exciting, but it can also be daunting. Many people find it difficult to make the transition due to the numerous changes: the new environment, new people, a new place to live. To ensure that you settle in as quickly as possible, taking advantage of your greater independence while keeping your grades up, you need to have a strategy in place.

1. Maintain Your Good Habits

At high school, there were immediate consequences if you failed to turn up for class or if you missed an assignment. At postsecondary school, it’s all up to you to be organized. You may feel tempted to skip the occasional class, but this puts you at risk of falling behind. There’s also the chance that it will turn into a habit. Either way, you’ll likely struggle to keep up and feel stressed.

2. Have a Social Life

It is equally important that school is not just about studying. You need to make friends and enjoy life to the full if you are going to take advantage of the postsecondary experience. This will also help to keep stress at bay. Find students in your classes that share the same interests as you and who would make good study partners. Also remember to stay in touch with friends who went to other schools — this will help you maintain your sense of self as your life changes.

3. Find Comfortable Student Housing

Look for apartments for rent near Wilfrid Laurier University. Being close to school will help you reach your classes on time. Find a place where you know you’ll be comfortable and make the space your own. This is a great way to start enjoying your independence and avoid homesickness.

4. Talk to Your Advisor

Whenever you have any doubts, head to your student advisor. You can discuss your courses, but also talk about the resources available at your school, especially possible clubs, events, and volunteer work you can join. Participating in activities at school is a great way to meet people, pursue your interests, and improve your career prospects after graduation.

Probably the most important point on this list is finding student housing that makes you feel at home. Check out Waterloo student housing rentals to find the perfect place to live. If you find an apartment where you feel comfortable, you’ll be more likely to succeed with your education.