EM’S UNI LIFE IN CANADA
Canada’s University of Waterloo is a long way from Bond University and an exchange trip proves a real eye-opener for one student
WHENEVER I tell someone I am studying at Canada’s University of Waterloo, it’s swiftly followed by a question: “Are you in math or engineering?”
The university, an hour out of Toronto, is a hub for the future leaders of Silicon Valley.
Boasting some of Canada’s best STEM faculties, the school is known for having both the world’s largest maths faculty and the largest cooperative program.
Nevertheless, I am not a science, tech, engineering or math major; instead I am taking classes within the arts faculty as part of a study abroad program at Bond University.
Waterloo has produced graduates such as Mike Lazaridis, the man who launched the first ever smartphone in 2002 and has an Academy Award to his name for technical work developing digital time-code slates.
And the late Stephen Hawking declared “great things will happen here” when he visited Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
A common saying on campus was “Cali or bust”.
I quickly learned this referred to the pressure on software engineering and computer science students to land co-op positions in Silicon Valley. However, the phrase actually reflects a wider Canadian issue of “brain drain” in the tech sector and loss of software engineers to the US; a recent study showed 66 per cent of them took jobs in California after graduating. Nevertheless, there is an inherent culture of excellence at the university that I find inspires me to do even better in my classes and push myself further than I usually would. Generally speaking, there are fewer contact hours at Waterloo than at Bond, however homework and expectations for work outside of the classroom are higher. The campus is huge; I’ve been here for seven weeks now and still get lost exploring the tunnels between the buildings. However, this means there is an endless amount of study spaces, cafe and restaurant offerings and plenty of greenery when you want to relax outdoors.
There’s even an earth sciences museum on campus – I wasn’t joking when I said this place was huge.
I live in a suite-style oncampus residence so I have access to high-speed internet, gym facilities and the “marketplace”, which is like a cafeteria but on steroids.
The offerings are all fresh: you watch your food being cooked in front of you and there are plenty of healthy options.
The university borders Wilfrid Laurier University, so there are tens of thousands of students in the town at any one time, and there’s a vibrant student culture in every street.
When you’re not in class however, Waterloo is a fantastic launch pad for exploring North America.
I recently spent 10 days on the country’s west coast, travelling from Vancouver to Whistler and the Rockies.
Some of the highlights included zip-lining nearly 2km at 200m above the valley in Whistler, exploring the massive lakes in Jasper, visiting glaciers on the Columbia Icefield and spotting bears, moose and elk in the national parks.
Finally, one of the best things about studying at the University of Waterloo is the incredible people you will get to meet.
Students here aren’t just book-smart; they have plenty of real-world experience thanks to the co-op program and there’s a good chance some of these kids will one day be running the world’s biggest companies.
The school truly has a fantastic reputation and if you ever get a chance to go on exchange through Bond University, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.