How frequently did you cook for yourself?
Most people had home-cooked meals somewhere between daily and weekly, lessening in frequency as the interval between home-cooked meals increased. In other words, most of the graduates are functional adults who know how to cook.
How physically active were you?
Staying active is important for your health, and Waterloo CS students are definitely not beating the sweaty stereotypes this year with how often they went to the gym. Most of the students went to the gym 3-6 days of the week with only a handful going 0-2 times a week or 7 days a week.
What extracurricular activities were you a part of?
Although CS students face tough co-op searches and brutal course loads, many still find time to participate in a variety of ECs. Many stay fit with intramurals or varsity sports, while others join more unique clubs like Cheese Club, Humans vs Zombies or Poker Club. Some notable answers include: Orientation volunteering, Board Games Club Underwater Hockey Jam Network Socratica UW Esports.
What non-CS hobbies do you have?
Waterloo students have a wide range of hobbies, but badminton, gaming, going to the gym, and reading are definitely at the top! These activities offer a perfect escape, making the grind of university life just a bit more enjoyable.
Did you have enough time to pursue those hobbies during study terms?
Most students at least somewhat felt they had enough time to pursue their hobbies during study terms, though a smaller group still said no outright. Hobbies are a good way to de-stress, maintain balance, and make university life feel more sustainable during heavier academic stretches.
Did you have enough time to pursue those hobbies during work terms?
Most students said they had enough time to pursue their hobbies during work terms, with a smaller group saying only somewhat and very few saying no. Compared with study terms, work terms appear to leave more room for routines, recovery, and interests outside of school.
Were you a part of any clubs or community groups purely for fun? If so, which ones?
Never never forget to have fun!
What was your go-to exam fuel? (e.g. coffee, energy drinks, bubble tea, etc.)?
The majority answered coffee or other. Energy drinks, sleep/none, food, bubble tea, water, and normal tea were balanced relatively others, some of the (slightly concerning) responses include:
- Beef patty
- Almonds
- Anxiety
- Adderall
- Stress
How many hours of sleep did you get per night on average during study terms?
Once again, the graduates who’ve participated in this survey have beaten the allegations. The vast majority of people in this survey have typical, healthy sleep schedules with a reasonable 7-10 hours of sleep per night.
How many hours of sleep did you get per night on average during work terms?
Beyond their 9-5s, the participants in this survey actually managed to get more sleep on average than during their work terms. If more graduates in high finance or quant were to participate in this survey, the results might be different; however, accounting for the reasonable hours of most tech jobs, this checks out.
What time did you usually go to sleep?
Clear normal distribution centred around 12-2 AM. Depending on one’s schedule, sleep time can vary quite a bit. If you are blessed enough not to have any morning lectures/tutorials, you may be able to go to bed at 4 and still get a reasonable amount of sleep.
How often did you pull all-nighters?
Most Waterloo graduates this year seem to have good time management skills, as the majority of people never, or only occasionally, pull all-nighters. Sending strength to those in the bottom two categories o7.
How often did you sleep in?
Most graduates repaid their sleep debt weekly, likely on the weekends. Some were more taxed with debt, only being able to sleep without a care occasionally, whereas the 22 that got to sleep in daily are the envy of everyone else.
How often did you attend parties?
I can safely say that most of what you’ve heard of Waterloo is true; not much happens here. Most of the graduates never partied or only did so occasionally. For the party animals, how do you even find all those parties? There can’t be that many people raving on a weekend in the middle of November or a random Friday in March.
How often did you hang out with friends during study terms?
Students naturally spend more time with their friends during study terms due to proximity. Most students either have a consistent social life or a balance between hangouts and solitude.
How often did you hang out with friends during work terms?
Surprisingly, the daily hangout group increased in size, possibly because co-op students may socialize with other interns at their placements. Additionally, students on their work terms generally have more free time than during study terms. On the other hand, the number of students with infrequent hangouts also increased, taking from the weekly batch in the process.
How often did you go on vacations during university?
The majority of those surveyed went on vacation every few months, likely at the end of their terms. The group that never travelled was also prevalent in this question, with those that travelled more frequently making up a negligible portion of the population.
How many hours did you spend doomscrolling per week on average during university?
Short-form content consumption is prevalent among our student body. The data shows an even spread through all intervals, suggesting that Waterloo students actually have more time on their hands than expected, with the only limiting factor being self-control.