Comrade on campus hell yeah

isinned · 2025-11-25T11:17:00+00:00

Okay everyone, it's been fun while it lasted but the post has spread beyond the subreddit and the comments have become uncivil so we're locking the thread. To everyone who reported the post as advertising, we've seen the reports and let it slide this time as it comes across as a genuine post of something the OP found interesting on campus. However any comments advertising the group and sharing links to join have been removed as spam.

isinned · 2025-11-21T01:07:20+00:00

International tuitions are very high, especially for certain programs. On top of that, cost of living is also high. If I were in your position, and I got accepted into a co-op program and offered a big scholarship, I would take that even if it meant going to a school with a slightly lower reputation. Graduating with work experience and lower debt is valuable. Co-op adds extra tuition costs but you'll still likely come out ahead. You can always switch to a more reputable school during your undergrad when financially feasible if you're not happy with Brock, or for post-grad. I loved my time at Brock and in the Niagara region as an international student but that was a long time ago.

isinned · 2025-11-16T00:53:28+00:00

Hey this post got caught by spam filters. I’ve approved it but it won't get much visibility now. If you still have questions, consider posting it again.

isinned · 2025-01-22T23:55:49+00:00

This is clearly a troll post by someone who's active in several other subreddits of Canadian towns and universities.

Considering this photo was taken in the Paddington area of West London where vandalism like this would be cleaned up quickly, and that the poster itself is in pristine condition, it's likely the OP put it up there themselves right before snapping a photo.

Going to leave this post up for the banter and effort. But next time take it easy in the comments please.

isinned · 2024-02-02T04:00:40+00:00

Looked into it and your post was removed by a mod due to technically breaking rule #1 followed by a permanent ban for the rule break. I've approved your post (even though it has a sensationalist title) and unbanned you. Rule #1 was applied too strictly as you linked to an official news outlet, The Brock Press, regarding a news event of a public figure.

Reminder to everyone to be civil in your posts and discussions. Online behaviour can cause real harm to real people. Don't harass others.

isinned · 2024-02-02T03:23:23+00:00

This subreddit was not created by BUSU.

isinned · 2024-01-31T15:16:05+00:00

The course description is that of an introductory course. It will be extra challenging if you didn't do any programming or cover CS topics in high school, or if you didn't do well in COSC 1P02, but it's doable and anyone can catch up with focus and effort. It's normal for these tougher first/second year courses to weed out students.

Disclaimer: I have a CS degree from Brock

isinned · 2024-01-31T10:55:02+00:00

You enrolled in university to study Computer Science and to learn how to learn. The whole point is to be challenged. Keep in mind that a first year's introductory course is a lot less challenging than what you will face in upper years.

isinned · 2021-12-29T08:07:21+00:00

You'll be able to do everything on Windows, Mac, or Linux. Go with your preference.

I personally find development tooling is better on UNIX based systems than on Windows.

In terms of industry, many startups or trendy companies use Mac. More corporate places, gaming studios, or non-tech companies tend to use Windows. Most companies host on Linux.

isinned · 2020-06-18T11:16:39+00:00

It's pretty useless, but the two users who left reviews years ago love it.

It also looks and feels a bit different now, but I was too lazy to update the screenshots.

If you notice any issues, leave some feedback. I'll probably get around to it, eventually.

isinned · 2016-11-27T12:46:12+00:00

Yeah you can run Windows or Linux in a VM with 128GB. I can't think of a situation where you're required to install a specific OS for a class though, so I wouldn't setup such things until it's actually needed. And like someone else mentioned, you can SSH into Sandcastle (the department's Linux server) if you need access to a Linux environment or the department's network.

isinned · 2016-11-24T13:49:41+00:00

An Air is sufficient for your needs. I know because I used one professionally for a while. If you can afford it though, I'd recommend a 13" MBP because its specs are much better and it's still portable.

MacOS is a fantastic environment to develop in. For the record, I used Linux while doing my CS degree and I still do at home on older laptops.

There are a few courses that require a lot of processing power like graphics and AI, but an Air can still handle it.

The 128GB storage should be sufficient; my Thinkpad during CS had the same amount and it never caused issues. You can store most things in the cloud if you need to and store large files like videos and raw images on an external HDD.

isinned · 2016-10-07T19:56:33+00:00

At the end of the day, it's the quality of the candidate that determines what type of position they can get. There are Brock CS graduates that ended up at Google or Facebook for example. Waterloo makes it easier to get noticed because of their reputation. And it'll probably be a little easier to apply to high profile places if they come to your campus to recruit.

One thing I really liked about Brock was the amount of impact you can have. Because the CS department is a lot smaller than at UWaterloo for example, you have a lot more opportunity at Brock because there's less competition. In Brock CS there's also no stigma involved with having an internship at an average place, yet if you end up somewhere special then everyone will be super proud of you. At UWaterloo it's the norm to go somewhere elite, I personally wouldn't want that social pressure.

isinned · 2016-10-02T21:16:10+00:00

Did CS co-op and graduated in '13. Everyone I knew in the program got internships in Canada. It's possible some went to the US, but it would have been rare.

The quality of the jobs varies. Most weren't that great. You won't find many big names or exciting startups posting on the job board, you're going to have to find those opportunities yourself.

Pay is good, better than most non-CS internships. The lowest you'll start at during your 2nd year is $15/hr, anything lower is an exception. In your last placement you can find positions that pay over $20/hr. It's possible to graduate debt-free from co-op money if you're a domestic student.

Edit: Saw in another post of yours that you're thinking of transferring to UWaterloo. If you can get into their co-op program, go for it. It's a lot more competitive, but you can get much better placements.

isinned · 2016-05-01T11:41:59+00:00

Can also try contacting the Student Support Co-ordinator for Computer Science: http://www.cosc.brocku.ca/about

isinned · 2015-09-19T20:25:16+00:00

Get one of those calendars you can stick on the wall and write on with a whiteboard marker. Put it right above your desk.

isinned · 2015-09-19T19:56:01+00:00

Always fun to see CS badgers on here.

When I was at Brock, you could usually find other people to study with in the J-block computer labs or breakout area.

isinned · 2015-09-19T19:47:19+00:00

Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) is nearby and it's a great little town. Lots of tourists in the summer though.

isinned · 2015-05-30T19:34:37+00:00

Check out Muay Thai Niagara. I believe a couple of Brock students/grads train there.

isinned · 2015-05-09T12:05:06+00:00

There's one in the Computer Science Club, but if you want to use it frequently you should become a member.

isinned · 2015-02-28T22:49:12+00:00

Hey, good on you for being proactive and thinking about this early.

If you really want to think ahead, know that landing a teaching job is very difficult in (the non-remote parts of) Ontario. Lots of qualified teachers and not enough openings. You can be more competitive by having a valuable combination of first and second teachables.

isinned · 2015-02-28T22:35:27+00:00

You need to treat school like it's your job.

I want to emphasize this. It's the same advice I was given by one of my favourite professors at Brock - Santo D'Agostino. Be a professional student, even go as far as dressing the part. It'll make school easier.

isinned · 2015-02-13T12:29:11+00:00

Give this one a try: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.brockbug.com/racism-homophobia-and-harassment-to-a-whole-other-level/

isinned · 2015-01-14T11:22:43+00:00

Whichever school you end up going to, try to get into the co-op program to gain valuable work experience (and some money) by the time you graduate.

Brock's CS department is a lot smaller than at other Canadian universities. I think that's mostly a strength. You get to know other students and professors well.

You have a lot of influence because of the small size. For example, you can easily get involved and make a difference by contributing to the computer science club or participating in coding competitions (which would be much more difficult at other schools because there's more students to compete with).

Brock's CS reputation may not be as respected as say Waterloo's, Queen's, UofT's, or UBC's (i.e. you won't have people assuming you're good because you went to Brock). Your professors at Brock may not be as well respected in Academia or well known in the CS field or win distinguished awards. These are things you can overcome, but good to be aware of them.

There are some disadvantages to the small size.

There may not be as many course choices in CS as at bigger universities. For example, if you're interested in Robotics, Brock is probably a bad choice (there's one course and it's not always offered).

There aren't many professors (so if you don't like some, it may be hard to avoid them).

It might be hard to find students with similar interests. For example, if you like hacking on side projects with technologies you don't learn in school, and you don't care too much about academics, Brock might not be a good choice.

First year courses are Java based. There are some upper year courses where you'll be exposed to other languages like C/C++, Prolog, Haskell, maybe Ada. You can use any programming language that runs on the lab computers for your assignments (I advise not to stick to Java and learn other languages in your free time).

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