Tips and Tricks for Students Living On-Campus: Residence Edition

By: Leia Ali

As someone who’s lived on campus at Sheridan and experienced living with roommates from different countries for the first time, I can confidently give advice on how I survived that transition! It all started when I moved here in 2021. I really struggled with the culture shock and adapting to a country that had completely different climate patterns than I’m used to, as I am originally from the Caribbean where sun and rain were the only frequent types of weather to occur. Unfortunately, my original plans to stay with family did not work out and that started to impact my studies. I needed a solution! Luckily, in my first semester, during the transition from having classes in the time of COVID, I was able to make friends, including one or two from my home country Trinidad and Tobago. I never thought I would be living on campus—it was something I saw in movies, and it seemed so cool to have a room to share with someone from a completely different country.

Since I did not want my grades to be negatively impacted further, I decided to ask around using the resources provided at Sheridan. Fortunately, a colleague of mine gave me a contact to a Residence Life Coordinator, who explained the process of applying to Residence and information about on-campus living at Trafalgar. I was really excited about the transition as I finally felt like I had a place to think and be at peace. Residence is something I definitely recommend if you are someone who likes having their own space, furniture, Wi-Fi, and all other utilities provided without the hassle of paying additional rental fees every time. It was very convenient for me and drastically enhanced my student life experience at Sheridan. What was interesting about living in residence at the Trafalgar campus was that I met many different people from various programs I didn’t know existed. Being an HMC-based business student living among students who were heavily art-based intrigued me because of our different interests and talents. The most challenging thing about living there was that I was not close to my home campus in Mississauga—but then I learned about Presto! Taking the bus became a part of my routine since, at the time, some classes were online and some were in-person. A tip I have for new students arriving in Canada is to get your Presto card as soon as you can for your transit and commuting needs. As a Sheridan student, you can get a discount, which helps you save money in the long run.

When it came to moving into residence, the process itself was very dreadful. In the beginning, it wasn’t as difficult as a newcomer to the country as I did not come with much baggage.

But no one talks about how the longer you live here, the more items you realize you need and accumulate.

However, once you purchase items for the first time, such as household appliances, utensils etc. you know you’ll get a lot of use out of them and won’t need to buy them again for a while. I made most of my purchases at the Dollar Store and Walmart as they were very convenient for me at the time. When I first moved into my dorm, I felt a mix of emotions as I knew I was about to encounter new experiences and there were surprises along the way. I think the part of living in the dorm that hit me the hardest was being independent and the absence of my parents to help me with certain things. Back home, my family only gave me the responsibility to focus on school and took care of everything else, but as an adult I now have to take things into my own hands. Things like paying bills (credit card debt, phone bill, laundry, groceries, food & transportation) are now your responsibility, and you come to realize the importance of finances and saving. When I first arrived in Canada, I used to convert every item through our exchange rate prices as a way to save money and that helped for a while. 

I found it useful during this time to ask questions, and what I really liked was how accessible the Residence front desk is to students. It operates 24/7 and is a safe space that is inclusive to all. Residence offers events during the year and as an international student, or even just someone new to college life, those were great opportunities to meet and make new friends. I made lots of friends in the process and I find this truly memorable. Some of my favourite events were “Meet and Greet,” “Medieval Times,” “Therapy Dogs,” and “Pumpkin Making,” to name a few. The visibility of resources is readily available on campus, and it fills the void of not feeling lonely and that goes a long way when it comes to mental health.

Want to customize your space?

Check out this blog by Ritz, your VP of Engagement, for tips on how to maximize your study space at home! Read now to get tips on studying in the dorms, at home, or on campus.