University of Waterloo (reviews)

I genuinely appreciate my programme; since first year, the students have formed a close bond and help one other when necessary. The sessions began as broad lectures with hundreds of students, which was unsettling at first. The education is top notch and the campus is very up to date with the newest technology and updated amenities. Something I don’t like about the University of Waterloo is the Professors’ lack of empathy towards students. They can improve this by being more sympathetic of students and more accessible by offering extensions to students. Overall, I love the school, I have had two friends transfer in since the beginning of undergrad so I recommend my school. The University of Waterloo’s undergraduate population is 40% which would make it international. The best part about Waterloo is the coop option, which would make a 4 year program 5 years but allows students to gain work experience while completing their degree. Being in the coop I can attest to the benefits of this program, has allowed me to see the work field prior to finishing my degree and it gives me an advantage when it comes to applying, interviewing and working.

At the University of Waterloo, you will find a broad selection of programs and a very diverse environment. The university is famous for its very successful engineering program alongside many other programs such as life science and psychology. The university has a wonderful success rate in graduating multiple intellects and helping students succeed to the best of their ability. The admissions process is fairly simple and it is not too difficult to achieve the requirements.

UWaterloo is best known for its STEM courses however so far I’ve talked to a bunch of people from other programmes and they’ve all been happy. The only thing is they UWaterloo is SUPER competitive the students here are more focused on getting good grades the partying. Don’t be surprised if 70 students out of 200 get an 85 on a major test (I’m in 2 programmes: psychology and biochemistry). So if you do decide to come to UWaterloo you really need to be open to being competitive or at least being happy with the grades you get or else your mental health can be in jeopardy. Lastly, the party life is majorly lacking here but luckily there are other close unis who party HARDDD, you just need to make some friends first. Overall, I know it might sound like I’m trashing the uni but it’s a really nice place to be and can be very rewarding if you are someone who is organised, passionate about studying, and don’t mind placing academia above your social life at times.

Computer Science is so heavily competitive that it pushes every student to do their best so that they can stand out. The co-op program also provides practical knowledge which helps the students after they graduate. The competitive nature and the co-op program go hand to hand as the best of the best get the best available internships.

Some very good courses taught by very engaging professors, Engelhardt, Dayeh, Bissonnette, Forsey, Marta, Stacey, these are all very very good profs, from having a down to earth personality and being approachable, to the fact that they genuinely care about you and your wellbeing, you can just tell, some profs they actually care and you’re not just a number to them.

However there are so many other courses that you just spend the entire time thinking, why exactly do I need this? Why is this prof not fired yet? You really start to question your life choices and whether or not you’ve gone down the wrong path when you’re reading all your lecture notes for CHEM264, took all kinds of notes during lectures, and did all the practice questions in the textbook after the lecture, but Chong’s class is still at a 50% passing rate, while you are stuck in 8:30 lectures in DC with him just for him to talk condescendingly at you. Ah yes, don’t forget how Miskovic made a girl in her 20s cry in front of a bunch of people during her office hours because apparently her question was a stupid question and she should be ashamed of asking that.

There is next to zero student life, life on campus is so dead there were like 3 reported suicides on campus while I was there, and I bet a dozen more off-campus that weren’t reported at all.

My degree had no coop, no stress about applying to 200 jobs just to get 2 interviews, where people fight to the death to work in the storage room of some office to move boxes, but that really doesn’t help you get a job after graduating.

Overall, it is a nice piece of paper to hang on the wall after getting myself in a bottomless pit of student debt. Would not recommend it if you’re not going into something else bigger like med school or something.

They use innovative learning methods which makes the courses easier and fun to learn. The student helping facilities are also really responsive and help the students in every way they can. It’s also easy to mix in with their lifestyle even though I’m an international student.

University of Waterloo has many interesting programs, top-tier researchers, diverse student groups like UW Robotics Team where you can develop many skills as a student. UW is a competive school and you will meet ambitious and smart people, and this I believe will shape your experience and overall success.

Its cooperative program is unique because it prepares students for work after school. As a Waterloo student in a Coop program, you have the opportunity of getting valuable work experience before you graduate and this will increase your chances of getting employment quickly after school. Getting a coop placement is also competive but the advantage of it is that the career centre is so supportive and I believe you will develop many skills in the course of looking for Coop job.
Although Waterloo is known for engineering and computer science programs, its also has some other interesting programs as well.

Waterloo experience is not limited to academics, research and industrial collaboration, there are many extracurricular activities that students will find very interesting. It’s just that as a student, you have to get your priorities right as Waterloo is not easy.

I believe that graduates from University of Waterloo are embodiment of many skills, experiences, and world class exposure.

The University of Waterloo is a very all-rounded school. Great professors, a lot of extra curricular activities and on top of that, very disciplined and knows what level their students want to become. The only bad thing I’d say is that they place heavy emphasis on Engineering students, leaving them mentally crowded and doesn’t allow much room for activities outside of the classroom.

Waterloo has a coop program which is the most famous program in Canada, and provides many job opportunities for university students. This helps students fully ready for their future career and also helps to earn more experience during student terms.