LEARNING through Residential Life

At UWC Atlantic we expect every individual to not only be part of our community but to actively contribute to its well being and the wellness of all members. As a student you will be required to promote and live by the UWC and College values, both as an individual and alongside members of the community from around the world.

Your room (dorm) will contain a bed, lockable storage and a wardrobe, and is where you can create your personal space to relax. A typical student house has 12 student rooms and each room is usually shared with 3 other students from various countries. Each house has a communal area (dayroom), at least one study room (quiet area) with computer access and a small kitchen area. Due to fire regulations, it is not possible to have additional furniture in the room (desks, wardrobe etc.) or appliances that are not provided by the College.

Each student house has 2 house mentors. There are 44-48 students in each house. Your house mentors are responsible for the day to day operations within your house, to help organise house events and to ensure you feel safe and secure. You may initially be unfamiliar with aspects of Residential Life, for example sharing a room with others or living within such a culturally diverse community. This is just one of many fundamental and significant features of our learning programme and environment, and your house mentors are there to offer you support. House mentors are typically teachers or other college staff members and often have families of their own living with them. House mentors are also tutors.

All students are required to complete duties within their house to enable everyone to live happily and safely together, and to create a communal sense of ownership and pride. You will be expected to keep your personal area clean and tidy, wash your own dishes and help with keeping your room and other communal areas clean and welcoming.

Learning to care for yourself and your community

At UWC Atlantic we expect all students to be fully committed to, actively support and participate in all aspects of the programme. You will be expected to regularly reflect on your level of participation and your role within the community. You will need to think and be aware of how you interact with, and are perceived by, others and take responsibility to help build a happy, respectful and safe community. Given the challenges of the programme and overall intense nature of life within the College students may find the demands challenging at times.

At the heart of College life and alongside the wellbeing of the community is the need for you to look after yourself, to be conscious of your own personal health and wellbeing. You will need to work hard to effectively balance your time and commitments to ensure that you get adequate sleep, regular physical exercise and time for personal reflection or relaxation. The UWC Atlantic Relationships and Sexuality Education Programme is designed to help support you throughout your stay in all aspects of academic, personal and social life. It is delivered through a series of regular sessions, workshops, presentations or discussions by staff, student peer listeners, visiting professionals and guest speakers.