WHAT I WISH I KNEW
A compilation of advice from upper year students to
incoming first-year math students.
“As you move into a new venture, may luck and success always
be with you! Hope you learn from our experience”.
0
Copyright ©2016
Contents
1 ACADEMICS
1.1 Take the front seat . . . . .
1.2 Textbooks . . . . . . . . . .
1.3 Math 135/136 . . . . . . . .
1.4 CS 115/135/145 . . . . . . .
1.5 Programming Assignments .
1.6 Tutoring Services . . . . . .
1.7 Office Hours . . . . . . . . .
1.8 Are you scared? . . . . . . .
1.9 You will survive . . . . . . .
1.10 Work ethic . . . . . . . . . .
1.11 Multitasking . . . . . . . . .
1.12 Places to Study on Campus
1.13 Exambank . . . . . . . . . .
1.14 Grades . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.15 Fail or Withdraw . . . . . .
1.16 Workload . . . . . . . . . .
1.17 Explore personal interests .
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3
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6
2 CO-OP AND CAREER
2.1 Employer Information Session
2.2 First Co-op . . . . . . . . . .
2.3 Job Mine . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4 Student Advisers . . . . . . .
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6
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3 LIFE
3.1 Say Hello . . . . . . . . .
3.2 Make friends . . . . . . . .
3.3 Get involved . . . . . . . .
3.4 Balance . . . . . . . . . .
3.5 Take a Break . . . . . . .
3.6 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.7 Are you sleeping enough? .
3.8 Phone Home!! . . . . . . .
3.9 Parties . . . . . . . . . . .
3.10 Be Yourself . . . . . . . .
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4 GETTING HELP
4.1 Safety and Security
4.2 Mental Health . . .
4.3 Facebook Groups .
4.4 Ride Services . . .
4.5 Navigation . . . . .
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5 WATERLOO
5.1 WatCard . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3 Living Off-Campus . . . . . .
5.4 Finance/Tuition Management
5.5 Part-time Jobs . . . . . . . .
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10
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1
5.6
5.7
5.8
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Oktoberfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
6.1 Just arrived to Canada? . . . . .
6.2 Three magic words! . . . . . . . .
6.3 Word Choice . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4 Driver’s License . . . . . . . . . .
6.5 Social Insurance Number . . . . .
6.6 SIM Card . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.7 Banking . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.9 Winter Gear . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.10 Canada and Taxes . . . . . . . .
6.11 Tipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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11
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1
1.1
ACADEMICS
Take the front seat
Don’t feel overwhelmed when you walk in the first day of classes. Don’t feel that you have 100
eyes staring at you. Remember, it’s the first time for everyone. Nobody is judging you. Go get a
seat in the front. Challenge yourself. It starts from here.
1.2
Textbooks
Don’t rush into buying brand-new, pricey textbooks for every class. Wait for the first lecture
as the professor almost always mentions whether or not you will require the textbook for their
course. If you do require a textbook and you prefer a hard copy, check out FEDS Used Books
in SLC or the UW Textbook Exchange Facebook group; you are likely to find what you need.
Sometimes a textbook can be optional and you might find an online version.
1.3
Math 135/136
Do not believe everything you hear. Do not believe when people say linear algebra is hard. Here’s
how you do well in this course. Go to classes. Do the assignments with your friends, but make
sure to understand all the concepts. Theorems, proofs, and lemmas should be on the tips of your
fingers. The best strategy for this course is to read the course book (it’s excellent). Practice
the end-of-chapter problems, do the assignment for that chapter, read the examples in the book,
re-solve these examples, and learn the theorems. You will be great. Just believe in yourself and
work hard.
1.4
CS 115/135/145
Whether or not you are a Computer Science Major, as a first year Math Student you have to take
either CS 115/135/145. It’s a first-year functional programming course. Don’t worry if you have
never ever done programming before. The course is designed for beginner programmers. If you
want to do well, do the assignments on your own. The assignments take time. If you think that
starting a day before the deadline will be enough to finish the assignment, you’re wrong. They are
worth 20% of your final grade and it really matters. Don’t skip classes even if you have previous
programming experience. Take notes and practice stepping through problems. Take excellent
advantage of the teaching assistants and office hours. It’s worth it!
1.5
Programming Assignments
Start programming assignments early! They take longer to complete than you think. You might
hear other students talk about how easy an assignment is, or how little time it took them. Don’t
buy into this talk. They may be trying to impress. Or they may simply have selective amnesia
about how long the assignment actually took. Start early and make steady progress. If you
procrastinate and wait until the last minute, you run the risk of not having a running program
to submit by the due date.
3
1.6
Tutoring Services
If you are feeling completely lost in those lectures, don’t worry - that’s why you have access to
tutoring services. Remember to check out the tutoring services offered by the university before
you go off campus for help. University tutoring is always legitimate and can help you more,
because it’s either offered by teaching assistants or experienced people who have already taken
these courses. They know what they teach. In first year, if you are living in residence, there is
tutoring offered for most of the first- year courses in MKV, V1 and REV in the evenings and
weekends. The schedule is here:
https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/sites/ca.housing/files/uploads/files/f16_drop-in_tutoring_
poster.pdf
Outside of residence, you can connect to a private tutor here:
https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/tutor-connect
1.7
Office Hours
If you don’t understand something, go to office hours, the prof can almost certainly teach it to
you faster than you can teach yourself. I showed up to office hours once and no one else was there,
so I got what was effectively private tutoring with a professor for an hour. That was a pretty
sweet deal.
1.8
Are you scared?
Don’t be intimidated. There’s going to be at least one of ‘those students’ in each class who thinks
they are the smartest person to ever grace your classroom. Ignore them. They aren’t as smart as
they tell you (or anyone else who will listen). Hard work trumps natural ability. There will always
be a smarter student, but achieving your personal best and persevering will make you stand out
in the end.
1.9
You will survive
You are probably used to being at the top of your class in high school. But not all Math first
years will be at the top of their class at Waterloo. Half of the students will have marks that are
below average! If you fail an assignment or exam or class, don’t let the experience define you. It
doesn’t mean that you are a weak student. It more likely means that you are not studying smart
or hard enough. Start assignments early. Get into the habit of studying throughout the term,
rather than cramming for an entire course at the end of the term.
1.10
Work ethic
If you did not have to study much in high school, then you will need to acquire new study habits
in university in order to succeed. This might not hit you in 1A, or even in 1B. But eventually,
you will hit courses that cover topics that you’ve never seen before, will proceed faster than you’d
like, and will ask you to understand course content more deeply than in high school. Don’t panic.
You can do the work! But you will need to adopt better study habits.
4
On the other side of the spectrum, if in high school you were always able to hand in your very
best work, there will likely come a time when there are simply too many assignments that are
too difficult and time-consuming for you to be able to complete them all to your usual level of
perfection. Just do the best that you can, and focus your efforts on the courses and assignments
that need the most attention. You are not alone. Everyone else in the class is in the same boat
and has to make the same trade-offs between assignments.
1.11
Multitasking
If you want to be more productive while studying, turn off your electronics and stay away from
social media. I used to think that I could study and keep up with calls/email/texts/posts at the
same time. In fact, I thought I was being more productive, by making progress on email and
texts while waiting for insights into a problem that I was trying to solve. But really, I was just
procrastinating. And the quality of my work was taking a hit. You will get more done if you
block out large chunks of time for studying, and focus only on studying, one course at a time.
Uni-tasking is hard in the beginning if you are used to studying while multitasking. But learning
to uni-task is worth it in the long run. If you are blocked on a problem, then stand up and walk
around; change the lighting in your study area; or move to a new study location.
1.12
Places to Study on Campus
If you are someone who does not like to study in your own room, here are some great places to
explore: V1 Great Hall, REV Study Rooms, MKV multipurpose room, Davis Centre Library, MC
Comfy Lounge, Dana Porter Library, MC Coffee Shop, MC tutorial centre, M3 study room, SLC
great hall. You can always pre-book group study rooms in the libraries.
1.13
Exambank
The best way to study for Math exams is to practice writing old exams. The Math Society
maintains an ExamBank of past exams from UW courses. There are exams from courses across
campus, but most of the exams in the Bank are from Math Faculty courses. Take a look. There
are midterm exams in the Bank as well. http://mathsoc.uwaterloo.ca/ExamBank
1.14
Grades
Though you might find people telling you that your grades won’t matter much while applying
for jobs if you have relevant side projects, they actually do matter when applying for your first
co-op job. NEVER EVER procrastinate on completing your assignments or choose to not submit
them, for the sake of a side project. It can be detrimental in the long run. Don’t compromise on
grades.
1.15
Fail or Withdraw
There might come a time when you are not able to keep up with a course and you wonder if
you should continue to try even though you really think you might not pass in the end. In this
case, talk to your advisers and senior students about your options and what looks better on your
5
transcript: failed or withdrawn? It’s a very abstract question, and nobody can answer it for you.
You can explain away either decision in a job interview, so make the best decision you can with
the information that you have. Remember that whatever you do, you will have to redo the course.
Keep in mind your major plan might have restrictions related to failed courses.
1.16
Workload
The workload varies a lot between programs. It could help you to live with other Math students
who are likely to have a similar workload, rather than live with students who have a much lighter
workload and have a lot more free time for partying and other extra-curriculars.
1.17
Explore personal interests
University studies are not just about preparing for a career; they are also about learning who
you are, and about your personal interests and aptitudes. Seek out courses that look intriguing.
Take advantage of the breadth and variety of courses, both within and outside of your program.
Once you graduate and have a full-time job, you will have fewer opportunities to dive deep into
an intellectual subject outside of your job.
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2.1
CO-OP AND CAREER
Employer Information Session
Employer Information Sessions are a great way to see what kinds of jobs are out there, but also
to get free lunches and dinners! So you get free food, free swag, free t-shirts, and it’s a great way
to network with employers. Bring your resumes with you, as you might be able to schedule an
interview with the employer.
2.2
First Co-op
Trying to land your first co-op position can be overwhelming. But it is not the end of the world
if you don’t get it. The first co-op position is hard to get, and a certain percentage of students
don’t get one. You don’t need to stress. If you stress and spend loads of time on your job search,
you will struggle with your academics. No matter what, your studies come first and you need to
understand that. Try to manage your time and try to prepare your resume entirely beforehand.
Also, make full use of the Tatham Centre facilities. They are extremely helpful.
2.3
Job Mine
Although the online job portal, Job Mine, is a great place for you to apply for jobs, you should
consider also applying for jobs outside of Job Mine. Doing this helps to boost one’s chances of
getting a job. But make sure you are well acquainted to the approval process for arranging your
own job. There are strict rules and regulations you must abide by. Further information can be
found here:
https://uwaterloo.ca/co-operative-education/get-hired/job-search-process-and-procedures/
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procedures-job-searches-jobmine-and-arranging-your-own-job#Arranging%20your%20own%
20job%20(external)
2.4
Student Advisers
As I look back, I can say that my biggest weakness was my interview skills to which I remained
oblivious and neglected seeking help. Up until the start of my job search, I thought that finding
employment would be easy. It was not long before I discovered what it meant to be unemployed;
I was discouraged and began prioritizing everything but my job search. However, when I received
an email from my student adviser, I regained confidence. She helped me to realize my strengths
and weaknesses, providing me with endless support and constructive feedback. All I can say about
co-op is that finding employment is not easy - if it was not for my adviser, I probably wouldn’t
have found employment. Stay connected to your student adviser.
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3.1
LIFE
Say Hello
Make sure to go out, have fun and meet as many people as you can. There are many interesting
people out there. Try to spend little time alone. Look for good company. Broaden your horizon.
Remember, everyone is as scared as you are. It’s their first time too. So don’t be afraid to say
Hello!
3.2
Make friends
If you are coming from a small Ontario town, don’t fear! In the Math faculty, at first I felt like
I was in the minority. I felt like I would never be able to find any friends with my culture or
shared experiences and I would be forever behind in academic ability. However, I pushed myself
to meet new people through various clubs and eventually I found all the ways I can be helped
academically. Everything has turned out great: I am now on the Dean’s Honor List and have
a great group of friends. It doesn’t matter where you come from, you can definitely make your
home at UW.
3.3
Get involved
Meet new people. Get out of your comfort zone. Get involved. There are so many resources and
activities which are there just for you waiting to be utilized. So go out, play fair and study hard!
Most of all, have the time of your lives because this time will never come back!
3.4
Balance
One thing I wish I knew when starting university is that I’m not invincible. I thought I could study
for hours and hours every day, only leave my room when I had to go to class or the library, and
dismiss any semblance of a social life. Soon enough, I started to gain weight, become depressed,
get bad grades, and lose the ambition I came to university with. The advice I give you is to never
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lose the balance between academic success and social success. Make use of the beautiful gym we
have, hang out with your friends every once in a while, and don’t lose your mind if you miss a
class or two. Even though you are a university student with a demanding schedule, you should
remember that you are a human too.
3.5
Take a Break
You will have enough school work that you could spend all of your waking time working. Don’t.
You will learn more efficiently and effectively if you give your subconscious a chance to absorb
what you are learning. So, give your brain a break, and go exercise, join a club, or spend some
time with your friends.
3.6
Clubs
Clubs help you meet upper-year students who have similar interests. If you want to play Poker,
there is the Poker club. If you want to meet fellow Muslims, there is a Muslim Student’s Association that meets regularly. There are more than 200 university clubs, math clubs, or engineering
teams, many of which will present at the Campus Life Fair in the Student Life Centre. Look out
for dates and don’t miss out!
3.7
Are you sleeping enough?
Waterloo is a rigorous school. There might be days where you have an assignment due, a midterm
to prepare for, and maybe an interview too. It’s not uncommon for some students to pull an allnighter. There maybe some weeks where you sleep only four hours a night. You might meet some
people who tell you that they study from 7PM - 2AM straight. I wouldn’t recommend this! It’s
not healthy and it can cause stress that could lead to burnout. Be sure to take care of yourself
and your health as well as your academics.
3.8
Phone Home!!
Your family misses you more than you miss them. If you’re an only child, your family is going
to miss you even more. Each family is different and you’ll know how often you need to call home
after the first month. Time-zone differences might be an excuse but you don’t really want to be
this shallow. Set a routine or specific time to call home. Figure it out. You are here because of
them.
3.9
Parties
Don’t let this new freedom blind your profound judgment. There will be opportunities for casual
hookups and one-night stands. Don’t let your standards slip just because you’re unprepared.
Don’t get into this because of peer pressure or because you feel lonely. It’s important to always
use protection. Health Services and The Women’s Centre located at the Student Life Centre
provides resources ranging from sexual health to dealing with sexual violence. See a doctor
in Health Services for birth control precautions. You will be fine as long as you stick to your
standards.
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3.10
Be Yourself
Be happy with who you are, not who you wish you were. Don’t compare yourself to others.
Compare yourself to your best self, to who you could be.
4
4.1
GETTING HELP
Safety and Security
Nothing is more important than your security. Waterloo is a very safe place to be, but you should
still take precautions. Download the WatSafe app. It issues emergency notifications and has
features that connect you to the Campus Police, Regional Police, or 911 with a single tap. If
you are walking home late at night, make sure you are with a group of friends. It’s never safe
to walk alone late at night. I know you hear this a lot, but it’s true. Incidents (robberies, even
rapes) are rare, but they do happen. Take the off-campus or on-campus shuttles, which run until
2 AM (https://uwaterloo.ca/police/shuttle-service). There is also a special Late-Night
Loop city bus that runs along the mainline route until 2 AM.
4.2
Mental Health
Mental health is important and UW offers plenty of resources to help people deal with anxiety,
depression, and mental health problems. It’s OKAY to ask for help. Everyone needs help once in
a while.
4.3
Facebook Groups
There are Facebook groups for almost everything: clubs, courses, graduation classes, coop, career,
resume critiques, rent, ride share and so on. You will always find help here.
4.4
Ride Services
If you traveling back and forth to Toronto, North York, London, Guelph, Markham, Scarborough,
Pearson Airport, etc, buses can sometimes be inconvenient and Uber/taxis can be expensive.
Fortunately, we have very cheap carpool rides. These Facebook Groups will help you to find a
ride to your destination.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/372772186164295/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/225049564330328/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/231943393631223/
4.5
Navigation
It can be hard to find your way around the maze of campus buildings. It’s fine to ask people for
directions, but if you are a little shy like me, here is how you can help yourself. Download the
app WATisRain (available from Android, Apple and Blackberry app Stores). The app will find
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an indoor path between two buildings, taking you through underground tunnels and over bridges.
This is especially important during winter, when you want to stay indoors.
5
5.1
WATERLOO
WatCard
First and foremost, your WatCard is your official uWaterloo identification. Remember to carry
your WatCard with you while on campus. Your WatCard also allows you to ride GRT buses for
free around Kitchener/Waterloo. It’s not really free since it’s part of your student fees, but you
get the point. Whereas a 2-hour pass from GRT costs $3.25. Your WatCard also serves as a UW
library card, gym pass, access to events and ID card to get student discounts. You can add funds
to your WatCard, as flex dollars, turning it into a debit card. You can use flex dollars for the
following services: uPrint, on-campus and off-campus purchases, laundry machines in residence,
Waterloo taxi, vending machines, UW Food Plaza, pharmacy, parking, media.doc, International
News Store, UW Book Store, Waterloo Store, and Campus Tech. All campus Food Services accept
WatCard (both Meal Plan and Flex Dollars).
5.2
Fitness
UWaterloo has a shortage of fitness facilities. The Physical Activities Complex (PAC) will undergo
a major expansion, which will (hopefully) open in Fall 2018. In the meantime, the gyms on campus
can be crowded. If you want to beat the crowds, your best bet is to go early in the morning when
the gyms open, late at night before they close, and sometimes during lunch (though then you
might be competing with staff members on their lunch break). Access to the gyms is free (is
covered by student fees). For $50/term, you can buy a shoe tag, which will allow you to drop
into any of a variety of fitness classes. Off-campus, your best bet is Goodlife, which has a huge
facility on Weber street. When you go on co-op, you can freeze your membership, or transfer your
membership to another Goodlife club.
5.3
Living Off-Campus
You would think that moving off campus and looking for housing would be another stress. But
Waterloo is a student town and there is a glut of rental accommodation. Because of co-op, there
is always someone who is subletting their apartment. Facebook Groups are great way of finding
available rental units.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WaterlooSublet/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/110354088989367/
5.4
Finance/Tuition Management
Free money! If you are wondering how you are going to cover all of your university costs, check
out the list of Waterloo scholarships, bursaries, and awards. Bursaries are typically available only
to Canadian citizens and residents and are awarded based primarily on financial need:
https://uwaterloo.ca/find-out-more/financing/bursaries
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Math co-op students often do not qualify for bursaries once they start getting paid co-op placements. Scholarships and awards are typically available to all students, including international
students, and are based primarily on outstanding academics or service to the university. There is
an awards database that can help you find awards that are applicable to you:
https://uwaterloo.ca/student-awards-financial-aid/awards/database
5.5
Part-time Jobs
Are you looking for a part-time job to manage your budget better? Check out leads.uwaterloo.
ca. All the available part-time jobs on campus are listed here. You can apply on the website.
Another source is the International Work-Study Student Program. It offers numerous part-time
jobs to students who declare the financial need. For more details, check out:
https://uwaterloo.ca/find-out-more/admitted/helpful-tips
If you are applying for jobs on Kijiji, read the terms and conditions carefully. There have been
drug scams in the past. Make sure you are doing legit work and don’t get trapped in a scam.
Don’t provide personal details in resumes that you upload to these websites.
5.6
Food
Most cafeterias in the SLC and DC close by 6PM; so does the REV caf. The V1 caf, on the other
hand, is open until 12:30 AM which is awesome. If you’re ever hungry past midnight, there’s
always the International News Store near Tim Hortons in SLC, where you can find pre-packaged
meals from Aunty’s Kitchen and plenty of other sandwiches and wraps. The International News
Store is open 24/7 and they sell great cookies and muffins too. Campus Pizza is open till 4AM
and they deliver anywhere on campus and around town. Off campus, the UW Plaza is a great
source for cheap meals of various kinds.
5.7
St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market
As a first-year student, you are most likely living in residence and have a meal plan. But you are
arriving at the height of the harvest season, and Waterloo (St. Jacob’s, really) is a major farmer’s
market destination. If you like fresh fruit and veggies, or simply like a good bazaar, check out the
St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market
http://www.stjacobs.com/Farmers-Market-General-Information.htm
There are many more vendors in September than later in the year, so go before Thanksgiving.
Plan to eat breakfast or lunch there. Prices are better if you go later in the day, but selection is
worse. Be sure to try the apple fritters!
5.8
Oktoberfest
Kitchener/Waterloo is said to have THE largest Oktoberfest outside of Munich. Seriously. It runs
for 9 straight days, in 17 locations (called Festhallen). Yes, attendees really wear lederhosen and
dirndls, but it’s not required. You’ll need to buy tickets in advance if you want to get into one of
the more traditional clubs (Concordia Club, Alpine Club, Schwaben Club, Transylvania Haus),
and you need to buy them soon. They sell out quickly.
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6
6.1
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Just arrived to Canada?
Make a few copies of your passport/study permit and maybe a dozen passport-size photos. You
never know when they might be handy. If you’re planning to arrive a few days before International
Orientation or O-Week (Orientation Week), you might want to stay at the Hotel Laurier where a
single room costs about $53 a night. Comfort Inn is great too, where double rooms cost between
$100-$150 for a night. They’re both not too far from UW.
6.2
Three magic words!
Try making these three words - please, thank you, and sorry part of your daily vocabulary. There’s
a joke that if you bump into a person in Canada, the first thing they’ll say is, I’m sorry. Try
being as polite as possible. This politeness extends to driving on the road. Canadians tend to
give right of way while driving.
6.3
Word Choice
Certain words have completely different meanings in Asia and America. For example, rubber is
a synonym for an eraser in Asia, whereas in America, rubber typically means condoms. The first
week into the term, I asked the person seated next to me during math class if she had a rubber
which I could use and needless to say, her reply was, During math class? Seriously?.
6.4
Driver’s License
Start early, if you plan to get your driver’s license. It will take a while. This will become your
everyday official government ID, rather than your passport. You don’t always want to carry your
passport, especially to clubs and parties. So get it ASAP. There are three steps to obtain an
Ontario’s driver’s license: G1, G2, G, in that order. You can only get your G2 a year after getting
your G1. Therefore start the process in first year.
6.5
Social Insurance Number
SIN stands for Social Insurance Number. It’s a nine-digit ID that one requires if one wishes to
work in Canada. Most international co-op students aren’t aware of this and end up obtaining it
later in the term. You can apply for a SIN from any Services Canada branch. DO NOT share
your SIN with anyone.
6.6
SIM Card
Get a SIM card. A quick internet search will give you a list of carriers and different plans. A
small note about mobile carriers: there are numerous plans to choose from and the choice can
be confusing at times. Most carriers offer free unlimited texting and talk time from 5PM -7AM.
Data is a lot more expensive - 1GB of data could cost you anywhere between $5 - $10, depending
on your plan. You could also get a phone on contract, but keep in mind that you need to be at
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least 18 years of age to enter a contract. I assume that a lot of international students aren’t 18
when they arrive in September.
6.7
Banking
Having trouble choosing a bank? There are a number of banks here: CIBC, TD, Scotiabank,
RBC, BMO. Before you open an account at any of these banks, make sure you read about all the
student benefits/perks/limits related to each account type. There is a CIBC branch on campus,
with numerous CIBC ATMs. It is the most convenient.
6.8
Weather
You will need appropriate clothing for the varied weather conditions of the Canadian climate. In
Canada, temperature measurements are expressed in degrees Celsius (◦ C). In the fall (September
- December), it is usually warm at the beginning of September but becomes colder in the later
months. The temperature gradually drops from 20 ◦ C to 0 ◦ C. Pants, sweaters, and a light-weight
waterproof coat are advisable. In winter (December - March) temperatures can range from 0
◦
C to -40 ◦ C. It is essential to have appropriate clothing for this season, including a warm coat,
gloves, a hat, scarf, and waterproof boots. Parkha and Canadian Goose coats are advisable but
pricey. As they say, There is no such thing as bad weather; only good clothing.
6.9
Winter Gear
If you are an international student from a warm-winter climate, don’t buy winter clothing until
you get to Canada. You will be too limited in choice, material type, and prices. A hoodie should
be sufficient when you arrive in September. You could certainly wait a few weeks into the term
to buy a fall jacket.
6.10
Canada and Taxes
Don’t be shocked when you see sales taxes, short for Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). In Ontario,
HST is 13%. This means that you pay additional 13% as taxes for most things you buy. If you
are buying a t-shirt for $10, it’s effectively going to cost you $11.30. If you have your eyes on the
new iphone, which is $1000, it’s actually going to cost you $1130.
6.11
Tipping
In Asia, a lot of restaurants include a 12.5% service charge in the bill. But in America, things
work differently. Most waiters/waitresses earn below minimum wage and make a living out of
tips. You should tip around 18%. A number of international students from Asia aren’t aware of
this and they learn it the hard way when a waiter asks them why they haven’t tipped or why
they haven’t tipped enough, as low tips or no tip is synonymous with poor food/service or both.
One may be forced to explain. Save the embarrassment.
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