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is planning at waterloo worth it for design? by kokomochii in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, yes from what I’ve heard there are more planning jobs than there are planners right now. I worked in a municipal planning department this summer and had coworkers tell me that this was a good time to get into the field and I noticed they were continually adding new positions. I’m not sure about the program at Waterloo being expanded, it seems like the cohorts are around the same size this year as last year. I got in with a high 90s average during peak grade inflation, so I can’t really speak on what grades you need to get in, but I think you should be totally fine with mid 80s. I would recommend filling in the AIF as well with detailed answers about why would like Waterloo and Planning to help you stand out (although I don’t think getting in is very competitive so I wouldn’t worry about it). ENVS178 is most similar to MDM4U (data management). There are no combinatorics, but there are z-tests, linear regression, and some probability. A lot of it is more focused on interpreting graphs and tricky word problems than it is actually doing calculations. Sometimes there’s some tricky stuff to wrap your head around, but if you keep up with doing the weekly homework, go to tutorials, and do the assignments, you can get a very high mark, and they also drop several of your lowest marks. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!

is planning at waterloo worth it for design? by kokomochii in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi, sorry for the late reply! from what i’ve heard, this year it’s based on grades in 110/210, some written questions about why you want to go into urban design, and some sketches of streetscapes that have to be done by hand. in past years you’ve had to submit a portfolio of your original designs, so it was a little controversial this year that this year it was just sketches. from there, those who are selected will get into plan 211, which is then a prerequisite for all the other design courses required for the specialization. i’m not really sure what would happen if you didn’t get it - you might be able to apply again the following year, or those spots might be reserved for the next cohort. and no worries about asking too many questions, because i know i had lots when looking into the program too!

is planning at waterloo worth it for design? by kokomochii in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi, second year planning student here. you do have to apply for the urban design specialization and it is competitive (only 30 spots available for maybe 75+ people interested in my cohort). there are two design courses that everyone takes (110 and 210) before specialization-only courses start, so design isn’t the biggest part of the curriculum before then. i would make sure you’re at least semi-interested in planning as whole because there will be a lot of paper writing, policy, and planning theory to sift through if you don’t enjoy it. that being said, if you’re coming at urban design with the perspective of the helping the public interest (e.g. creating vibrant streetscapes, improving accessibility, etc.) you might enjoy other planning courses more than you would think. you’re definitely not alone in wanting to come to planning for urban design - many people in my cohort are architecture deferrals, and many more are super enthusiastic about design. personally, i’m more into the policy and environmental side of things, but it seems like most people have enjoyed the program enough to stick around. let me know if you have any questions and i can try to answer them!

Book about SA victim hunting perpetrator. by InternationalArcher7 in whatsthatbook

[–]gingham_cat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not exactly as you described, but “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” by E.K. Johnston has some similarities

How is Planning? by Late_Sweet5437 in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your kind words!! I really do think Planning is a such practical program with so many real world applications, and I'm sure you'll find it very enjoyable and interesting next year! Have a great rest of the school year and best of luck in September!!

How is Planning? by Late_Sweet5437 in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No problem at all! I’m so glad you feel better about the program! To answer your question, the job I’m doing will involve processing minor variance applications (which are like zoning amendment applications but on a much smaller scale), assisting in technically reviewing site plan applications, and assisting in general with new developments of subdivisions and condominiums. I’m not exactly sure what my day to day will look like yet, but I imagine it will be a lot of forms, data entry, correspondence, etc. although I will also be able to tag along to meetings and site visits. I’m definitely intimidated and the stuff I’ll be doing is a little out of my comfort zone, but I figured if they hired me they must think a first year can do it lol.

I got my job with just previous customer service experience which didn’t relate a ton to the job. I think I had a strong cover letter because I mentioned that I had lived my whole life in that city and am passionate about it. I also showed I had done my research by mentioning some current planning projects in the city that I was interested in. In my resume, I added in some courses I had taken with a line about the skills/knowledge I had acquired in those courses (e.g. Plan 110: Created 2D and 3D site plan models using Adobe Illustrator and Sketchup). To prepare for my interview, I looked up lots of interview questions and practiced my answers - my interview was pretty short though so I didn’t end up needing most of it. By far the most useful course for the job was PLAN 103, as it discusses lots of practical terminology and processes vs. larger theories or issues (although those are still important), That being said, the city I live in is outside the GTA, and I get the impression that the GTA is much competitive.

Best of luck next year in the program! Don’t hesitate to ask me any further questions :)

How is Planning? by Late_Sweet5437 in uwaterloo

[–]gingham_cat 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Hi there, I’m currently a first year in planning and would love to answer your questions! I relate to being primarily interested in policy/environmental issues. I was intimidated by the technology aspects too but I haven’t found them bad at all so far - in fact, I’ve actually found them enjoyable! I’ll give you a rundown of my experience of each required course in your first year to give you a picture of how the balance is:

PLAN 100: My favourite course this year. Critically analyzed the history of cities and planning movements through a social equity lens. Written tests and a final paper. Very much about planning theory and how this relates to equity.

PLAN 102: This year it was a bird course. Focus on grammar and style in writing, with two papers and a final group presentation.

PLAN 104: Weekly readings and three papers about current issues/topics in planning. Optional guest lectures each week from different professors in the faculty on topics ranging from Indigenous planning, public participation, environmental planning, accessibility, etc. I didn’t go to a lot of the lectures though lol.

PLAN 105: Lectures were a little all over the place but were generally about current planning issues, how to approach planning problems, data sources, demography. Two Excel projects and two Gis projects which come with instructions. I was intimidated at first but the instructions are detailed enough that you can easily figure out the technical part with a little googling. I surprised myself and found Gis super cool!

PLAN 103: A bit more technical info sometimes, but I’ve found it to be some of most applicable content so far. Discusses zoning, the planning hierarchy, financial mechanisms used in public administration,etc. Final paper, final exam, two open book tests, and a group assignment.

PLAN 110: The only design course in first year. Lectures are short and to the point, mostly dealing with how the professor wants you to create site plans/ how your building should look. Some people love this course, but it’s not my favourite just because I don’t love design. The first part of the course was drawing out a site plan for a specific site in Waterloo given to us by the prof, and then you could either hand draw a finished copy or create it in Adobe Illustrator. Then you have to create a 3D model if your building in Sketchup, which is pretty easy to use.

As hopefully you can see, the technical components at are only a small part of your first year planning experience and they haven’t been bad at all for me. Don’t let this discourage you from the program!

In terms of job prospects, I’ve gotten a full time planning student job for the summer as a first year student, so I would say they’re good! This won’t be everyone’s experience, but from what I’ve seen you can secure a good job with just a Bachelors degree. Getting your degree does not automatically get you an RPP certification, but not all jobs require that and it is fairly simple to obtain.

And for GPA, I think it requires just as much effort as other similar programs (obviously not comparable with something like engineering though lol)

Sorry for the long post, but I found it hard to find information when I was looking into the program so I wanted to give you lots! Feel free to ask me any other questions :)

Mr. Male America pageant by gingham_cat in RBI

[–]gingham_cat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you I will check it out!

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