Mental health is a sensitive subject and some of the questions or their responses may be triggering to certain individuals. We have taken care to try to avoid showing anything excessively upsetting, but please only proceed if you are in the headspace to.
If you are experiencing stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we encourage you to seek support — there's no shame in reaching out. Here are some resources that are available to you:
- Campus Wellness — uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness
- Counseling Services — counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca, (519) 888 4567 ext. 32655, Needles Hall North 2nd Floor (NH 240
- MATES — 1-to-1 peer support program offered by WUSA and Counseling Services — mates@uwaterloo.ca
- Health Services — Across the creek from SLC, (519) 888 4096
- Good2Talk (24/7) — Free confidential helpline for post-secondary students — +1 (866) 925 5454
- Here 24/7 — Mental Health & Crisis Service Team — +1 (844) 437 3247
- OK2BME — Support services for LGBTQ+ teens in Waterloo — (519) 884 0000 ext. 213
How would you rate your mental health over your entire undergraduate career?
Mental health ratings varied across the scale. Most students rated their mental health as a 3 or 4 out of 5. While 13 students rated their experience as a 5, showing resilience and well-being, others faced more significant challenges, as indicated by the smaller group of students rating it a 1 or 2. Overall, it's a reminder that mental health can fluctuate, and supporting one another through the highs and lows is important.
Working a coop where I was single handedly responsible to build and deploy an entire web application with very little support in a stressful environment, rather than being allowed to work on what I was actually interested in. Also pay was bad.
around 3A - 3B, related to coop stress, friendship stress, etc.
First year settling into university
Second year, I was tired of CS
failed CS transfers
3B, winter depression, struggling with academics
Realizing the difficulty of finding a co-op job during my second recruiting term, and later being matched with a job in Toronto and having to find someone to replace my Campus Housing residence contract on short notice.
Felt pretty bad after my grad school plans went under, given how much I poured into them. Felt like I wasted my time at uni doing something irrelevant instead of worrying about coop. Doing much better now, going to go work and give MIT another shot
1B during COVID, just remember nothing from that time, people really are important for mental health kids.
Being behind on an assignment in every single course of an overloaded term
Post MATH 239 Final
Struggling with getting co-ops in 4th and 6th search
Shat blood due to only eating protein bars during exam season
Getting accused of cheating
MATH138 midterm
4a after not getting a "good" 5th coop
4B (Senioritis moment)
Finished my first year in my bedroom during Covid, in a different time zone…
No co-op after main rounds, went quite a bit into continuous
Working Part time + school for 3A term
Crashing out in 3B over coop/comparing myself to everyone else
Losing motivation to do anything
Not receiving a return offer from latest coops, then having to grind for full time positions in 4B instead of enjoying my last term
2A, triple whammy of breaking up with my ex, living with people i didn't like, and it being my 3rd school term in a row (don't be seq 4)
Interviewing for full-time jobs
What was the lowest point in your university career?
As opposed to 2024, when a lot of students answered their 1A term, for the Class of 2025, the lowest point in their university journey seems to be pretty evenly split, with more focus on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years study terms. A lot of stress seems to be coming from the co-op job hunt, that Waterloo grind both makes us and breaks us… Other significant low points included personal struggles like romantic or friendship breakups, COVID-19, academic stress, and living arrangements.
What mental health conditions have you experienced?
About half of the respondents from the class of 2025 reported experiencing some sort of mental health condition. Including about 44% experiencing anxiety, and 38% experiencing depression. Other conditions include eating disorders, PTSD, OCD, personality disorders, and a few others.
Have you ever experienced burnout?
Burnout remains a significant concern, with more than 78% of respondents indicating they experienced it at some point during their undergraduate career. The demanding workload and fast-paced environment can take a toll, leaving students feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Remember that these feelings are common and that taking time for rest and self-care is crucial in maintaining mental and emotional well-being.
Have you ever experienced suicidal ideation?
Have you ever been to therapy?
25.7% of respondents have attended therapy, while 17.4% have considered it but not gone. While therapy does not end up helping everyone, there is no shame in reaching out and getting support.
Have you ever been to counselling?
25.2% of respondents have attended counselling, while 9.1% considered it but did not go. Like with therapy, it's not for everyone, and there are many ways to get help and handle mental health issues, but many people end up finding it helpful in one way or another.
Have you ever used UW Health Services for your mental health?
The majority of the graduating class of 2025 (74.1%) have not used UW Health Services for mental health support, but still, for many, it's a valuable and easily accessible resource.
If so, how was your experience with UW Health Services?
A majority of students give their experience with UW Health Services a 4 out of 5, relatively positive; however, the rest give a pretty evenly spread out rating ranging from a 1 to a 5.
How much of an effect has imposter syndrome played in your university life?
Imposter syndrome significantly impacted many students in the graduating class of 2025. Most responses fell in the upper range, indicating higher impact, with 4 being the most common rating. It's important to remember that feeling this way is okay and a normal part of growth and learning.
I swear it happens every single term. I feel so average when I compare myself to all other CS students.
Feel as though I lucked into my coops as I am pretty bad at job interviews, also making way more than I think I deserve.
Every co-op job I have major imposter syndrome
felt it a lot in my early days, but it got a lot better with time once you realize everyone has their own path/journey
Sometimes, it's just not our time to shine. I think I learned that pretty well. Just keep pushing
feeling that i'm not as smart as peers in both school and coop settings
Comparing coops
Thinking I don't belong in my program
I feel very different from a lot of other people in my program towards how I view CS & jobs etc. and it makes me feel like I'm not a proper CS student sometimes
When I first worked in Cali, I felt like I didn't belong because everyone else seemed to have their shit together. Or when I first had in-person classes, I felt like I was one of the dumbest people in the room. However, I soon realized that everyone's still learning and developing so you can't judge yourself because each and every person has their own path. As long as you keep working hard and improving in each and every area, you'll have a good life.
Fake it till you make it
It's so easy, so easy to compare ourselves with others. To understand that your own path is different is crucial, but easier said than done.
Feeling like everyone and their mom lands FAANG coops
I thought people in big tech were talented. Most are just average. Before I learned that I felt like I didn't belong.
Hustle culture at UW is real, it feels like you constantly have to be working or you're falling behind your peers.
I was convinced that I was genuinely incompetent for my first 3-4 co-ops and that I was only getting by due to COVID allowing me to stay at home for classes and work. Definitely worsened by the toxic competitive culture of UW CS students obsessing over FAANG and the like. Eventually, through experience at work realized I was competent and on par with my classmates and started getting past a lot of the imposter syndrome. Still can't do Leetcode tho
WATERLOO
my roommates are all quants/big tech, im friends with pretty much every CCO/IOI person from my year. even when im making well above average in my coops these guys are making like 4x my salary lol
felt it a lot in 1st and 2nd year, went away after getting good co-ops lol
Common forms of imposter syndrome are thinking that you are not good enough at X thing compared to your peers. A slightly different version of imposter syndrome I faced and struggled with for some time was "these people are all smarter than me and are not doing A (grad school) and instead doing B (swe/quant internships); why do i think i should do A (grad school)?
Others getting co-ops before me, getting better grades, understanding lecture content faster and better, completing assignment problems when I couldn't
Felt like I wasn't smart enough and didn't deserve my spot here, especially in first year when I struggled with academics. To this day, still don't feel like my technical skills are as strong as other people's.
Lots of very impressive people around me make me feel guilty for having fun or not grinding
getting a coop in the US consumed my entire life for first, second and third year which strained my relationships and friendships. I got the job though, but at what cost? It was not worth it.
Always had to put in significantly more time than others around me to keep up on the same level in academics
It's tough being one of four girls in lectures and constantly hearing male classmates talk about their grades and leetcode score
pivoting into UX from CS was crazy, thinking that i was terrible compared to SYDE/GBDA/other programs just to get my foot in the door.
What has been your experience with imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome seems to be most commonly experienced when it comes to co-op. It is important that unless you literally played unfairly, then if you got something, you must deserve it - luck is a part of strength. Furthermore, remember that everyone has their own paths, and you don't have to compare yourself with others.
being more empathetic in class in terms of assignment deadlines, etc.
Yes
Talk about it
More free food events
I wish UW could reduce the wait times for counselling.
Make it easier to get mental health support or make these options more well known to the average student instead of relying on them to seek out help themselves. Also, people should be encouraged to be more empathetic and reach out to their friends and recommend they see mental health services if they notice something off about them, instead of just keeping it to themselves if something seems off
spend more on their mental health funding, more events + opportunities to meet ppl
Host student events
The social environment at this uni is dreadful and isolation is real, have more opportunities for students to connect with each other.
Better staff/counsellors at Health Services
Open more spots for counselling
Idk
Having people be put in the same classes for many terms in a row so they get to know each other and be a friend group
Give the math students a cohort
Better deadline flexibility from CS/MATH profs
Let us CR/NCR some limited number of courses and they wont affect our CAV if we do.
Fix the grass everywhere or add more green spaces with decent sunlight in the day
I think the short term absences were a great idea. I think UW needs to make more of an effort to reach out to students and give them flexibility to live life. I know UW is competitive and prestigious, but people also need to live life.
counselling services is understaffed — my experience with my counsellor has been good, but it took me a month and a half to get an initial appointment. from what I've heard from friends, they also do not have policies protecting people from being institutionalized for expressing suicidal ideation, which is harmful
What do you think UW can do better to accommodate your mental health?
Many people have concerns with counselling services being understaffed or find it hard to book a slot. Others have concerns regarding the competitive environment at Waterloo and the lack of flexibility from math and CS professors.
Do you have any general comments about mental health in university and/or at UW?
Waterloo's reputation is a bit exaggerated, particularly online. I think similar issues would persist regardless of the university.
Not much to say, other than please make things easier for people? never had any experience with the system here
The difficulty of UW's STEM programs plus its co-op system with diverging sequences is not a good combination for student mental health. But Campus Wellness has actually been very helpful to me, and there are clubs that can give you a more reliable sense of community.
Reach out to people, talk to others. We all help each other to get through this.
You need to make an effort to make a community here or else you will go insane
UW (especially CS/ENG) will destroy you if you let it. Even if you succeed in class and get a sick co-op, you will end up feeling completely empty and unfulfilled if you let the toxic rat race culture define your time here. Most of getting good jobs is luck and being a nice person to the right people, but many here will try to imply that getting a good job is a reflection of your personal worth.
Co-op/Job wise, I've seen UW and the toxic environment affect people's mental, and I get where it's coming from, but the university provides the opportunities and if anything the people are what make it toxic. I don't know if anything can be done to change/fix it, kind of just seems like it's bound to happen with a cohort of super smart people vying for the same jobs. Academics wise, courses can be hard but doable, just need a good support system I guess?
your health is more important than anything else, its not a race to the bottom. take care of yourself and go at your own pace
The co-op system here is UW's greatest asset but also its biggest downfall. I remember feeling like my next co-op was the only thing that mattered, and many of my friends felt the same way.
I try very hard to not lead conversations towards people's jobs / coops but it requires both of us to have non-coop hobbies
A few friends is enough, do what makes you feel happy, check in with friends to gauge if you're getting off track with your health, adjust if necessary, repeat.
People are struggling a lot more than they show
UW isn't really known for mental health
UW desperately needs a less intense hustle culture. I know far too many people who only want to compare grades/coops/full-time offers/TC. Despite this, I never compared grades/coops with my closest friends. There is more to life than min-maxing the pay you'll get from your capitalist overlord. Just do your best and enjoy life while you're at it.
It gets much better after you stop caring about grades. Most employers will not care about your grades.
mental health needs to be taken more seriously. I've fortunately seen a majority of people I've interacted with in my time at UW treat it as an important matter and treat people with mental health issues respectfully, but the grind culture still promotes an unhealthy prioritization of results and accomplishments over mental health
Meditate, go out on a walk, grab a sweet treat, hang out or talk to my bf
Do fun things and dont compare myself to others
therapy :)
Badminton 🥰 smash the bird couple times and you're good
Gaming, talking with friends and family.
do things other than school and work. play on a sports team, join a club, anything to give yourself a chance to focus on things other than stress
reflect
Devotions
Go on walks
Sleep
Lots of sleep, prioritizing my health and wellness
CBT and mindfulness strategies, counselling, looking at advice and tips online, opening up to others about it, joining clubs based on shared creative hobbies and finding some community there
I write down my goals, ambitions, and picture the ideal life I want to live. Then, I start breaking down these overarching goals into small, bite-sized pieces which seem minuscule from day-to-day, but they actually help us accomplish massive goals in the long run. However, I realized that I also need more balance in my life because I lock in on one goal so much that I lose sight of other things in life, or put them in a backlog, all of which contributes to mental health challenges.
sports, talk to friends, eat and sleep well
Optimize your time based on your priorities, not necessarily all on school
Talking to friends, family.
Shower, grind and try to get enough sleep
Exercise, reflection, and time with friends.
Don't buy into hustle culture and avoid LinkedIn, focus on what is important to me and my happiness
Time outside and being around people in general
Smoke a lot of weed, drink, play league of legends and transition.
Sleep
Spend time with friends and touch grass
thug it out
Having someone you can trust to talk to
unironically just think about it long enough and wither in your shit until you come out the other side with a constructive argument for why you're not a bad person.
I don't, just live with it.
Get back to work/study
breaks
Hang out with friends, grow up.
Medication, rest, self-compassion
Workout and eat healthy
Talk to people I trust
Go to the gym and talk to friends
Take sertraline, wake up early, sleep 8-9 hours
Journalling
Natury walks (ideally outside of Waterloo) or straight up jorking it
Talk to my family, friends and partner.
yap yap yap
Participate in activities that distract me from the thing stressing me out
I go to therapy monthly, even if I'm doing well mentally. Just having a space to reflect and work through my thoughts has been very valuable.
Take walks, stop caring about grades
Have a good friend group who you can rely on.
Meditation, long walks
What do you do to help manage your mental health challenges?
The graduating class of 2025 utilizes a wide range of coping strategies to manage mental health challenges. The most popular strategies include getting more sleep, talking it out, or other self-care activities such as journaling, working out, etc. Overall, the class demonstrates a strong sense of resilience and the importance of maintaining a good support system and healthy habits.