Abhishek is an Electrical and Computer Engineering student in his 1A term. Here is what he had to say about his first year at Waterloo.
Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?
I chose Waterloo primarily because of its location and its reputation. I prefer smaller and less densely populated areas (i.e. not cities) and, after further research, I decided on coming here because of the depth of knowledge we are given as well as the reputed co-op system.
When you received your offer of admissions, how did you react to your success?
I still remember that moment: I had just come back home from school when my mom said there was a delivery for me. I opened it and the first thing I saw was “You’re in!” in a big, bright, and bold font. I was ecstatic!
Before you arrived, what worried you about coming?
The main concern I had was regarding the weather. Winter over here was a completely new experience for me coming from a place where it’s around 30 Celsius all year around. Waterloo lies in the snow belt, and so gets slightly harsher winters compared to the Greater Toronto Area, but I prepared myself for it by reading up on how to tackle winters.
What did you expect Canada and the university to be like?
When I arrived I was simply curious to see how Canada compared to Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while there are significant differences, there are many similarities that helped me adapt quicker. One thing I was not sure what to expect was the method of instruction. I was used to going to classes where 20-30 people were present, while at Waterloo there would usually be around 150 people. I did hope that things would be like how they were back home, but I quickly learnt that university in general does not offer that kind of one-to-one interaction simply because there would not be enough time for one professor to address 150 students’ problems individually!
Was there anything that surprised you? How so?
The wildlife. I had been living in a metropolitan area back home so there isn’t much wildlife roaming around, but here in Waterloo the goose population seems to rival the human population.
Were there any highlights during your first term at Waterloo?
Friendships in university seem to progress exponentially faster than they did during high school. My highlight was making many friends within the span of a couple of days, as this would not have happened during high school!
Did you face any challenges in your first year? If so, how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenges I faced were coping with the new teaching style (and learning style) while managing laundry, food, and socializing. I had to manage my time much better because I had to come back from classes and dedicate more time practicing and working on schoolwork, while also having to get groceries on my own and cook regularly. I overcame this combination of challenges by creating a ‘to-do’ list for myself. I allotted time where I had to work or do chores, and allotted ‘chill time’ to wind down.
If you were arriving as a new international student again, what would you do differently, or the same?
I would take more time to learn the general lay of the land and about the city. Just because you’re in the campus bubble right now doesn’t mean you won’t need to go outside of that general 5km radius to do things!
