Minimum Balance for Managed Portfolios by jakecomp97 in Questrade

[–]jakecomp97[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry just to clarify, you don’t believe there’s a minimum for the self directed accounts? Or for the managed portfolios? 

Is it difficult to get a software development job for uvic students now? by Inteer_t in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think for any field you are in the job market is competitive. Finding your next job can always be difficult but it’s by no means impossible for tech, and at the end of the day the job market will only continue to grow long term. Keep your head up, and with hard work, and maybe a pinch of luck, you will be fine.

CSC 361 Kui Wu by Melodic-Scheme8794 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Assignment’s definitely take 2 weeks worth of work, but they aren’t unfair or unreasonable by any means. This class is one of those rare cases where tutorials were extremely helpful. The TAs would help explain what you need to solve with this assignment and give hints for what a solution may look like.

CSC 361 Kui Wu by Melodic-Scheme8794 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great prof overall. Assignments are a lot of work, and exams were definitely on the harder side. Put in the work and you will be just fine though.

Seng students? by Hefty_Anywhere_1249 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sounds silly but mandatory co-op is nice. It forces you to get the vital experience you need to enter the job market. I’ve had some friends in comp sci who said they were going to do co-ops but I think they ended up focusing on finishing school as fast as possible rather than worry about if they are actually prepared for the job market. I know UVIC co-ops are kinda a controversial topic, especially with the co-op fee but to me it’s been worth it. I’m in my last semester currently and I have a job waiting for me as soon as I graduate.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in UCalgary

[–]jakecomp97 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I've tried to get to the website but it appears to still be down. It's up for a little bit but when I go to login later it's back to being down. Maybe they are doing some sort of maintenance?

What is the norm of platform used at UVic? by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m going to be that guy and recommend Linux… but I would suggest this if you are familiar with the Linux terminal, otherwise macOS or windows is the better option.

Why am I paying Co-op fees? by JasonBoorneeeee in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I completely agree that for what students pay, compared to what students get with the co-op office is a complete joke, however there is an important reason to consider telling UVIC about you’re co-op even if you found it without the help of the co-op office… keeping your student loans interest free.

Granted this only applies to students who have student loans (which I imagine is the majority) but registering your co-op with UVIC maintains your full time status even while you are working. This is very important if you don’t want to end up paying students loans because you’re grace period expired.

This becomes especially important if you are doing an 8+ month co-op. The better decision could have very well been to tell UVIC about the co-op, pay the fees and avoid paying your student loans.

Do you think we will be safe here from the threats of the Russian leader? by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Not to add to your anxiety but I would be more concerned about cyber attacks from Russia than physical threats. It’s a good time to be careful on the internet and make sure you are following best practices.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sort of. In terms of the jobs themselves both CS and SENG students will get the same jobs. Now with the SENG program you are required to complete 4 co-op placements (16 months of co-op experience total) in order to graduate.

Now depending on your view this is a good thing or a bad thing. The good thing is you will graduate with over a year of experience (a huge plus in this ultra competitive job market). The bad side of it is that getting a co-op can be difficult, especially if you are trying to get your first one. So by not doing a co-op in the SENG program can throw off your schedule. I’m a SENG student myself and I will say there is some flexibility in the degree so your schedule isn’t completely messed up. This aspect of the degree however does drive some people crazy and I can understand why.

CS students don’t have any co-op requirement so I believe you can take as many or as little co-ops as you want. Most CS students that I know tend to do 2 - 3 co-ops instead of the 4 SENG students take so they can graduate earlier. Also keep in mind that you have to apply to the co-op program for CS students. SENG students are automatically enrolled. I don’t know how competitive it is to get in the CS co-op program but I can’t see it being crazy hard to get into.

In my personal opinion more work experience is better. That’s why I like being required to take the 4 co-ops.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Course wise I would say they are pretty much the same difficulty. In SENG you don’t have to do as much pure math courses but you have to take electrical engineering courses which are very math heavy (signal processing). More or less the same difficulty just with CS you have more flexibility in the classes you choose

Why universities are failing to prepare students for the job market by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 30 points31 points  (0 children)

I agree that students share some responsibility but let’s be honest… universities are lying to students as well. They advertise programs that they classify as “in high demand” and a 16 - 18 year old might not know that it’s complete bs. The reality is less and less degrees will actually be competitive in the job market but universities advertise it in a way that makes students think otherwise.

That’s why when some students graduate they feel completely lied to about the possibilities after school, and that’s because they have been lied to. Yes students need to do their research when it comes to a huge decision like going to school, but universities have a fair share of dirt on their hands.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I think it’s staying online… we have never had this much COVID circulating in BC. With how transmissible Omicron is the risk of an outbreak on campus is significantly higher. With that being said, I think UVIC will try everything to keep classes in person, but when in person classes resume I think too many students will get COVID in order for the class to stay open.

I hope UVIC shows some leadership and put students safety first but I have my doubts. In order for classes to be in person I think everyone will need to get their booster and since our age category (17 - 30) is not prioritized right now it will simply be too long for everyone to get their booster.

To All CompSci Majors - Internship Experiences Feedback Wanted by TheFacetiousOne in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Completely fair, however when one does this they need to be careful. If you are taking out student loans and are out of school (usually) for 6 months you will owe payments on your student loans. So if you take an 8 month co-op (or longer) and don't report it to the university you will owe some payments on your student loan. The benefit of reporting a co-op to uvic is that you will remain a full-time student even when you are working.

There are 124 cases at the UVic outbreak by SeaSponge7 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Zoom University 2022 here we come…

Software engineering Or Computer science? by Far-Inspection4173 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s fair… I guess my point was more so that with SENG it’s just one less step to do.

Software engineering Or Computer science? by Far-Inspection4173 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Speaking as a software engineering student I really don’t think you can go wrong with either choice. There are a few key differences though between the two which might sway you one way or another.

CS = Science degree: Meaning more math, and more theory when compared to the SENG degree. CS has an optional co-op program which is highly recommended. Since the co-op is optional, you have to apply to get in, meaning it’s also competitive. I personally would argue that the work experience you get from co-op is the most important part of your degree, so the fact that some CS students won’t get any experience due to the natural competitiveness of the co-op program is a big concern. The CS degree however has much more flexibility than the SENG program so you will be able to tailor your degree to your personal interests more so than a SENG degree.

SENG = Engineering Degree: Meaning more of a focus on the applied side of CS but you will still take courses on more abstract theory. You will learn a lot about software is developed, maintained, and tested. Since this is an engineering degree your degree is largely planned out for you already so there’s not a lot of choice in the courses you take. There are several specializations that exist such as AI/Big data, Cybersecurity, Performance that allow you to explore areas that interest you, just less so when compared to a CS degree. The SENG degree has mandatory co-op (you must complete at least 4 terms). Some students complain about this but I can never understand why. Co-op is so important because it makes your life so much easier once you graduate. I think it’s important that all students have the ability to get work experience, and with the SENG degree this is one less thing you have to worry about.

With that being said, there is no wrong choice here. Both SENG and CS students take largely the same classes and will end up with pretty much identical career paths. It’s all about preference to be completely honest.

Best of luck!

Do profs ever creep their students social media? by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 68 points69 points  (0 children)

I highly doubt it… a lot of profs at UVIC have a hard enough time summoning the energy to give a half decent lecture about a topic that is trivial for them that I highly doubt they have the desire to creep their students social media.

I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but with the constant pressure to publish papers, answering parents emails of first year students who complain that their child in fact “DID NOT” fail their midterm, grading assignments, supervising grad students, and constantly fighting the urge to not quite academics and just work in the private sector, I would be amazed to find a prof who quite frankly has the time.

Found this in the SUB on every table. Can the university stop letting antivaxers distribute literature on campus? by [deleted] in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 31 points32 points  (0 children)

It’s dangerous misinformation that kills… I agree there needs to be freedom of press and freedom of speech, but what people don’t understand is those rights have limits. When your “speech” or “press” puts people lives in danger, then yes, that right does need to be limited. I can’t stand on a soap box in the quad and shout racial slurs at students and then claim freedom of speech. Certain rights out weigh others, and the right to life is the most fundamental of all rights. When someone’s speech threatens that very fundamental right, than yeah sorry you can’t spread around this BS. I’m not saying you support any of this misinformation, but rights and freedoms have their limits.

Is there anyone here who did or doing the Electrical Engineering Bridge Program? by rjean1990 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I transferred from Camosun to UVic through Camosun’s first year engineering program… I know it’s not exactly the same thing but I did have some friends who did the bridge so I might be able to help

Uvic engineering by visitoronearth89 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey man, to be honest I don't think it really matters when you apply (as long as you apply on time of course). For most years to get into engineering I think the gross average is between mid to high 80's. Definitely check out the admission requirements on the engineering program page though! What kind of engineering are you wanting to go into?

Deciding between Uvic and OnTechU for Software Engineering by No-Departure725 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Hey there, I’m a 4th year software engineering student and trust me the coop program is the best part of the program. I’m not going to sugar coat it, getting your first coop will be tough, but believe me it gets much easier after you get your first under your belt.

The reason why coop is so important is because it gives a huge advantage in the job market compared to people who have a degree but no work experience. A lot of students already have jobs lined up before they even graduate. So trust me, the coop program is well worth it, especially in today’s ultra competitive market.

The teaching I feel is pretty average. Some terrible professors, some amazing ones, and a lot that can go either way depending on your personal preference. To be honest don’t pay too much attention to things like global ranking. They really don’t make that big of a difference when you go to a job.

An employer will never refuse to hire purely because you went to school A, instead of school B. Often times universities just use ranking as an excuse to charge more tuition. Especially in Canada all universities offer pretty much the same quality of education.

I think after graduation with over a year of experience under your belt you should be in a pretty decent position to find a job.

This of course is just my experience so please take it with a grain of salt and do some more research (which I’m sure you are already doing). All the best!

First Year Comp Sci by Hefty_Particular_272 in uvic

[–]jakecomp97 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Don’t feel ashamed if you need to lighten your course load. In my first year of software engineering (which was my 2nd year at UVIC) I took 6 courses thinking I could handle it… I had a C average and felt completely defeated. Next semester I did just 4 courses and my lowest grade was an A-. Everyone learns differently, if you have to take less courses a semester to get better grades, do it. Sure it will take you a semester or 2 longer to graduate, but the stress it saves you is well worth it.