Why I Love the University of Waterloo
And no, they did not pay me to write this (I wish)
It’s been about a year since I’ve stepped foot on Waterloo campus, despite still being an active full-time student, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the school in my time away. Perhaps there’s some truth to the saying “distance makes the heart fonder”. I’ve definitely felt myself romanticizing aspects of the Waterloo student life and culture while abroad. (The Campus Pizza cheese pizza special? The DC Tim Hortons chaos during midterms/finals? A certain run involving a certain dude in a certain building on campus last year? Good times, Waterloo.)
But beyond just the food options and Reddit-worthy news around campus, there is something to be said about the environment that is cultivated at Waterloo. Waterloo breeds more success than anything I’ve ever seen. My peers are some of the smartest, most capable, and deepest thinkers I’ve met, even with the wide variety of people I’ve met traversing the globe this past year. I’ve been trying to put my finger on why for a while, and I think I’ve come up with it. Here are my compiled thoughts on “the Waterloo advantage” and why/how it exists:
- Disclaimer: This is not me saying that other schools or traditional 4-year programs are bad. That’s not true. There are a variety of programs that suit a variety of needs, and each school has a unique culture and feel. These are just my thoughts based on what I’ve seen and what I like, and is not necessarily reflective of what is best for you. Alright, carrying on!
- Feelings of loneliness
Okay hear me out, there are a lot of lonely CS students out there, but that is not what I mean by this. Waterloo’s co-op program deliberately puts students in positions they feel uncomfortable in by isolating them from their peers.
Unlike other 4 year programs at other schools, students can’t just blindly follow a ‘one size fits all’ mold at Waterloo. When the first co-op term rolls around, students have to figure out individually what they want, why they want it, and how they are going to get there. Not only that, but they have to acclimatize and get used to a new company culture and pace of life that is likely different than anything they have seen thus far. Discomfort breeds growth, and the co-op program is excellent at creating targeted discomfort.
2. First movers advantage
First movers advantage is a term in entrepreneurship used to describe companies that get to the space/idea first. For example: if your company is 6 months ahead with product development/sourcing/strategy than anyone else in the space, it doesn’t matter if your competitors find out what your idea is. They won’t be able to catch up to your level of progress, and you will still remain advantageous in the market.
That same concept is reflected here. Waterloo students search for co-op earlier than any other university in Canada. I knew some friends in Engineering that were searching as early as the same month they started university (first co-op term in winter of first year). I personally was looking just 4 months after starting university for my first co-op in the summer. Job search can be daunting, especially if you are going through it for the first time. However, when you emerge from the other side, it builds a sense of victory as well as tangible work experience you can use to catapult yourself to the next job or opportunity.
This advantage is bigger than most people first imagine. It can stay with you for life. If you are always ahead of your peers in terms of work experience, it is easier for you to beat them out in direct competition for positions. Thus, Waterloo students are more likely to work the jobs they most desire, and stay ahead of their peers for the rest of their careers.
3. A culture of scrappiness and innovation.
The term ‘scrappy’ is often used with a negative connotation, but I would beg to differ. Being scrappy means being resourceful. Being innovative. Dreaming up things that nobody thought would work, and making them happen. Students at Waterloo dare to build, and as a result, the startup culture here is among some of the best in North America.
Waterloo is home to the Velocity Incubator, which has helped 400+ companies incubate since 2008. Some of these include local treasures such as Nicoya (a biotech company that is one of the prides and joys of the SVF portfolio) and Faire (an online wholesale marketplace that has employed a number of my fellow CS students). Velocity also hosts a 5k pitch competition every year, in which (as the name helpfully implies), they give away $5,000 to the best new companies founded by current Waterloo students. Better yet, Waterloo/Velocity doesn’t take a share of any companies founded at the school, unlike many other incubators. No fees, no equity. As a result, there is a strong legacy and network of successful founders that have come out of the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
Partially because of this, Waterloo also has an excellent Student Venture Fund (SVF) program, which I am excited to be a returning member of. The $1M fund allows students to gain hands-on experience sourcing deals, performing due diligence, and actually investing real money into companies we believe in. To date, the portfolio has 10+ early-stage companies in the KW region and GTA, and has been an incredible learning opportunity for me and my peers in the venture capital space.
4. Early exposure to the “fail, get up, try again” lifecycle
With co-op, one thing I really like is that you get multiple chances to make it right. The first job is always the hardest, but after that it paves the way for students to be more choosy and really explore a wide variety of interests. I am in the Computing and Financial Management program, which comes along with 6 co-op terms. This means I’ve gotten to try out consulting, audit, private equity, and project management thus far, and still have two more co-op terms to go. The first few co-ops are likely not going to be your dream job, but early exposure to the job hunting cycle means you are actively thinking about what you like and dislike earlier as well. I’ve learned that finding out what you dislike is just as valuable as finding out what you like, perhaps more. All my co-op terms taught me a little bit more about myself and helped guide me to what I want my future life to look like; from type of job, to company structure, to even what kind of city I want to start my adult life in.
The cycle of moving every four months also introduces you to what some may perceive as a negative of co-op: strain on relationships. However, depending on the way you look at it, I actually think that this can be a positive. With Waterloo, it is rare that all your friends will be in the same city at once after first year. Many of my friendships and relationships have had to withstand the test of distance, and not all have passed. However, the ones that do have grown stronger as a result. The co-op moving cycle mimics the pattern of real life, the one that happens after the 4 years of university together are done. People move to different cities to purse different jobs and life paths. And again, Waterloo students get early exposure to this, learning how to kindle long distance friendships, navigate living in different cities, and figure out the reconnecting process once back. This breeds independence, strong communication skills, and ability to stay in touch with friends even if not physically close in distance.
5. The city: Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo as a city is severely slept on. I genuinely mean that. After going to school in a big city (Melbourne) and living in Calgary for pretty much my whole life before university, I can confidently say that students at Waterloo have the best of both worlds. You still have the comfort, safety, and convenience of having everything you need within walking distance during school, but are still close enough to Toronto that you could catch a concert and head back on the GO bus that night if you so desire (that is, if you’re proactive. Don’t ask me about the time I tried to do this and nearly had to sleep at Union station that night). Waterloo has the quintessential college town experience neatly inter-twined with access to big city opportunities/freedom, and with that, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s it for now! What do you think? Let me know your thoughts if you agree, and keep it to yourself if you don’t! Just kidding, but really do leave a comment. It was so lovely to hear back from people last time, and I would love to open the discussion and keep hearing perspectives on things like this. Until next time.
