What category of electives for your degree did you enjoy the most?
People were allowed to select multiple categories. 23 people enjoyed Social Sciences, 20 Communications and Humanities courses, 5 Pure Science, and only 2 Applied Science. The popularity of these subjects is likely due to vastly different content from that taught in Math and CS courses, providing a break from the required courses.
Which CS course was your least favorite?
A couple of courses seemed to be particularly unpopular, with CS 245/ 245E Logic & Computation being at the top of disliked courses and CS 350 Operating Systems and CS 240 Data Structures & Data Management close behind. This is likely due to their difficulty and the fact that they are required courses. CS 490 Information Systems Management, a CS elective, was also fairly unpopular with 7 people naming it as their least favorite course.
Which non-CS course was your favorite?
There is always a very wide variety of favorite electives given the vast selection of choices at UW and the diverse interests and passions of each student. A couple of courses stand out, with 4 students stating that CO 487 Applied Cryptography was their favorite and 3 stating ECON 212 Introduction to Game Theory as theirs. The BU subject is Laurier's code for business courses.
Which non-CS course was your least favorite?
STAT 231 Statistics was the least popular non-CS course by far. This course teaches fundamentals of statistics, but the content is quite difficult and it is a required course. As of January 2025, it only has a 40% Liked rating on UWFlow.
Which course do you regret taking the most?
CLAS 104 Classical Mythology was rated as the easiest by our respondents yet also had a notable 4 people say they regretted taking it the most. Nobody put it down as both the easiest and most regretted, but it's likely that it being a "bird course" (one you take for free high marks and not usefulness) and its relative lack of application and relevance contributed to this regret.
Which course did you find the most useful?
A significant 12 people found CS 341 Algorithms to be the most useful. Although it was considered the most difficult by the most people of all CS courses, it seems the effort paid off for most people. CS 246/ 246E Object-Oriented Software Development was also considered very useful in addition to being many people's favorite.
Did you transfer into your current program?
11 of our respondents transferred into their current program (all of them into CS), with 37 having not transferred and 1 not answering.
What program did you transfer from?
We saw 3 people transfer from Math, 2 from SE, 2 from FARM (Financial Analysis & Risk Management), and 1 each from Geomatics, Engineering at McMaster, and CS at another university. 1 person did not specify.
In which term did you transfer into your program?
Of those who transferred, most did so in 2A or 3A with 1 person transferring as early as 1B and 1 as late as 3B.
What were your reason(s) behind transferring?
Most people transferred for better job prospects or due to lack of interest in their previous major with 4 each. 2 people wanted the flexibility in the CS schedule and 1 person wanted to avoid specific courses.
Who is your favorite professor at UW?
Which study term did you think was the hardest?
Many people found 2B to be difficult. A lot of the harder required 2nd-year courses show up in this term.
Which study term did you think was the easiest?
Most people found 1A or the 4th year terms to be easiest. 1A tends to have a lot of courses that will be review to people who took CS in high school and the later years tend to not have required courses and therefore people can take easier and more enjoyable electives.
What was your average for each term?
What was your cumulative average?
Our graduates obtained very respectable cumulative averages this term! CS is a fairly difficult program, so we're proud of everyone who completes this program regardless of their grade.
What was your faculty average?
Overall, we observed a higher mean faculty average but a lower median compared to the cumulative average.
Which option(s) did you complete?
We saw a handful of students complete some options for their education, gaining valuable experience not directly part of the major. Options are a great way to broaden your experiences and qualifications.
Which minor(s) did you complete?
Minors are also a great way to customize and add to your degree and can be a valuable addition to your portfolio and resume.
Which specialization(s) did you complete?
If you are particularly passionate about a specific topic, specializations can be a great way to focus your studies and gain depth of experience in a specific field.
How many courses have you failed?
Most of the class graduated without failing a single course, but even if you fail one or a few of your courses, it's not the end as several of our respondents failed courses and still graduated!
How many midterms/finals have you failed?
Like previously, most people did not fail any exams, but this number is a lot lower than the number of people who failed no courses. Even if you fail a major exam, it doesn't mean that you will fail your course as long as you put in the effort for the rest of the course. No matter if you fail one or a few exams, don't give up!
Did you take any exchange terms?
Most people did not take exchange terms. They can be a great opportunity to experience a new environment in a foreign country which can broaden your world view and give you more cultural exposure.
What term did you take your exchange in?
Taking exchange terms seems to become popular later in people's careers, perhaps due to wanting a break from being in the same environment.
SUTD (Singapore, Singapore)
HKUST (Hong Kong SAR, China)
Paris Nanterre (Paris, France)
University of Sussex (Brighton, UK)
Kings College (London, UK)
NTU (Singapore, Singapore)
Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan)
UNSW Sydney (Sydney, Australia)
KCL (London, UK)
Where did you take your exchange term?
The UK and Singapore were popular destinations for people taking exchange terms, with many people heading to Asia for their exchange experience.
Moving to a foreign country and being in an unfamiliar environment with no friends or family
Leaving my social circle and being alone in a new country
Adjusting to a new life
Spending too much money on traveling every other weekend
Logistics
Having no friends or family to rely on
Seeing all of my friends hanging out in Waterloo without me
What was the hardest thing about going on exchange?
Exchange terms can be challenging to adapt to, but nonetheless, it is a very fulfilling and worthwhile experience for many.
Traveling
Traveling all around Southeast Asia (8 different countries), exploring new cultures, meeting new people, and trying different cuisines
Befriending locals in other cities and countries
New friends and experiencing a different country's geography
Walking to school every day through the historic and iconic streets of London that I see in countless movies and shows before and living that myself in real life
Making friends
Experiencing a completely new culture
Shoutout to my American friends I made on exchange: Max, Xander, Anneka, David, Raya, Aileen, Anjali, Cathy, Liam, Lorene, Luca
Taking a weekend trip to Spain just to chase an artist's tour
What is your favorite memory from your time during the exchange?
Despite potential challenges, there are many amazing and unforgettable memories to make in exchange terms.
In which residence did you live in your first year?
Our graduates came from a variety of residences in their first years with V1 being a common place given its large capacity and priority for first-years.
Have you done an Undergraduate Research Assistanceship (URA)?
While the majority of the class has not done a URA, almost 20% of them have. A URA is a program that allows students to undertake a part-time research opportunity during a study term which is a good way to get research experience and establish relationships with professors which can be helpful for your future career.