Waterloo Engineering in one word:
Inspiring
I choose Waterloo Engineering because:
Co-op! The co-op program at Waterloo is very well structured and there are many resources and advisors available to help you find a placement that suits you. You’re able to graduate with 2 years of experience and the opportunity to work at up to 6 different companies, which is a great opportunity to discover what you love doing, gain experience, and meet people in the industry.
The best thing about my program is:
My program provides the resources and opportunities to pursue my interests in buildings and sustainability! With the progression of climate change and overpopulation, it becomes more relevant and important to design better buildings for the future. My goal is to apply computation to engineering challenges and create solutions in the buildings industry, and my program puts me in a unique position to tackle software challenges with a Civil Engineering background.
About my Co-op experience:
My first co-op placement was at the MTO in Toronto, ON. My second co-op placement was at RDH Building Science, a building science consulting firm in Vancouver, BC, and I worked on building envelope investigations and analyzed energy performance in Passive Houses as a member of the Energy and Sustainability team. My third co-op placement was at Edison Engineers in Markham, ON, and worked on condition assessments and construction projects as a member of the Buildings Restorations team. My fourth co-op was at Autodesk remotely has a software developer in the Simulation, Optimization, and Systems team. My next co-op will be at Rocscience as a software developer!
I wish I had known before I came:
The importance of time management. After moving into residence, I realized that it was entirely up to me to manage my schedule while still remembering to eat breakfast in the morning! Though Waterloo Engineering isn’t a walk in the park, it’s important to take care of yourself and remember to take breaks and exercise. There are many clubs, design teams, and intramural sports available to students and it’s entirely up to you to take advantage of your time at university!
Outside the classroom, I’m involved with:
- Engineering Ambassadors
- University of Waterloo Steel Bridge Design Team
- Intramural Ultimate Frisbee
A fun project I’ve completed:
During our 2A term, we had the opportunity to apply the concepts and knowledge we learned from classes, such as Transportation Principles and Solid Mechanics, to our program’s Design Days! Over 2 days, our team of 4 designed a road system and a bridge to traverse a topographic map. Designing and building a Styrofoam bridge was my favourite component in the Design Days, but what made the experience even more interesting was testing all the bridges at the end by loading them to failure. Our bridge ended up supporting 619 kg!
One more thing about me:
I’ve driven across Canada twice!