I started my double degree BCS and BBA journey in Fall 2019. Here are some things you should know about the program plus the University environment. I’ll start with the tips so that this post is useful for everyone.

University Life Tips

Connecting to eduroam

This is a pain in the ass every time I get a new device because I have to Google for it instead of pulling up my blog. Even more so with my Pixel 7.

For normal connections, the username follows lope3800@wlu.ca with the same password you use to login to your email.

If you are running AOSP 11+, like the Google Pixel 7, this is what you need to set. If you want to use your University of Waterloo identification, just use waitIAM@uwaterloo.ca.

• EAP method: PEAP
• Phase 2 authentication: MSCHAPV2
• CA certificate: trust on first use
• Do not verify
• Identify: lope3800@wlu.ca or e5lopez@uwaterloo.ca
• Password: same as @mylaurier.ca password or uwaterloo.ca password
• If connection doesn’t work try changing Advanced → Privacy → Use device MAC 😒

On Linux devices, disable the certificate password and only supply the username and password given here.

Homeschool Differences

Scholarships

WLU has higher scholarship values than UW. The amount changes each year. For example in my year, WLU provided C$5,000 for first year but in 2021, that value was less than or equal to C$4,000. I’m not entirely sure because I forgot what my friend said they received.

Tuition

• Quest and Loris are both accessible but,
• UW-based students will need to use Quest to pay & view their tuition bill
• WLU-based students will need to use Loris to pay & view their tuition bill

First Year Residences

• You go through your home school to get a residence
• Both typically have dorm style or apartment style
• Dorm = food plan ($$$) and apartment = food stamps (flex dollars)
  • Flex dollars
• GRT (public transportation) pass: UW students use watcard, WLU students uses onecard
  • Press the respective card on the reader to “pay” for the bus
• Orientation
  • Laurier
    • Has some over-rated 4 teams event during O-week. I didn’t find it interesting. It’s easier to befriend people who live near you.
    • There was a residence floor meeting that helps you break the ice with people on your floor. At least for apartment style
  • Waterloo
    • Math students got pink ties 😂
• Co-Op
  • UW students use WaterlooWorks, WLU students use Navigator
  • UW students have a co-op term for the first summer term, WLU students get a summer break (interpret that however you wish to)
  • WLU students don’t have to take the infamous Professional Development (PD) that UW students have to take. Both involve at least one work term report.
  • Navigator vs. WaterlooWorks
    • Navigator has more business related jobs and the software jobs also are also from these typical businesses. e.g., RBC, TD, Scotiabank, EY, Deloitte, etc.
    • WaterlooWorks has more tech-related jobs
    • I’m unsure if WaterlooWorks has the same accounting, legal, analyst jobs that Navigator has

How to Prepare for University

I did not prepare at all. I spent my time life-guarding as well as working on my music player, Music Caster. I will share some advice.

• The first two weeks do not represent the semester at all
• Brush up on first principles of calculus. Limits are integral (see what I did there) in Calculus 1 (MATH 137)
• Be ready to learn a lot of new concepts in “Algebra” (MATH 135)
  • WLU-based students should pay more attention to this course, as I noticed more of them struggle with the math courses than their UW counterparts
    • This does not mean imply UW students are smarter than WLU students
• Be ready to wake up before 8 AM for the 9:30 AM classes
  • Take into account transportation time
• For BU 111, install the Python Programming Language
  • It’s superior to the native calculator application [operators: +, -, /, // (integer divide), * (multiply)]
  • Take a look at Number Crunching Automation for some useful functions
• Enjoy your summer, seriously

Moving to Campus

• If WLU based, you’ll first need to visit Lazaridus Hall
  • Pick up residence keys/pass
  • Pick up orientation kit
  • If you took a picture of yourself for the Onecard, pick that up here too
    • If you forget, you can go to that Starbucks area with the seats and you’ll see a photo-booth that’ll have your card

UW Advanced Courses

• The default first year math courses (MATH 137, MATH 135, MATH 136, MATH 138) are already harder than most Canadian Universities’ first year math courses
• Computer Science students can take 12X math courses to have an easier time, but it only hurts them in the long run (easy = less stimulating)
• Advanced courses are for the highest academic achievers who are ready to put in the time and effort
  • This is for people who got 90+ on the Euclid
  • Even being the smartest student at your high school is not enough to handle it
  • Getting a 100% in high school math is just the prerequisite

Two of my friends from high school that were in CS enrolled in both advanced math classes with one even signing up for the advanced CS class. Then, once they found it really tough (~2nd week), they switched to normal stream and had to catch up with me 😂.

University of Waterloo’s Campus is Better

It took me a couple years to realize, but the University of Waterloo campus is better. The Laurier campus seems to have cliques, but the Waterloo campus is bigger and the student areas are always filled with lots of random people you can easily socialize with. On the Laurier campus, it always feels lonely and you can’t do anything about it but on the Waterloo side, it’s most definitely a choice.