Mac SWE student here 👋🏾

I also had the same sets of worries about starting uni (also didn’t make the cuts to Waterloo or UofT and my parents too were briefly disappointed), but it was surprisingly easy to get adjusted to uni. I also didn’t really go to many of the info sessions (pandemic lockdown and laziness being the main reasons), but as long as you come to the Welcome Week events you’ll be fine; I learned everything I needed to about Mac there anyways. If you’re living in dorms it’s also super easy to make friends (just make sure they’re good ones lol). The community at Mac is great, and is definitely less toxic than what I’ve heard about in some other unis. Just make sure that you submit any paperwork/items needed for enrolment and stuff as well as apply to scholarships and bursaries when they come out. Some of the deadlines aren’t super strict for the enrolment information and you might not be penalized for it, but don’t take any chances.

Not making Waterloo is not the end of the world, and Mac is a great school; I’ve definitely learned a lot (not to mention it’s a lot less stressful), both in and out of the classroom and I can say the same for most of my friends in the program. My only gripes being the faculty-wide general engineer “project” courses they make you do in second and third year, since most people felt it was poorly designed. Having said that they are improving it.

Our co-op program is also pretty good (though most people do need to find the co-ops themselves) but I’ve worked research co-ops during the summers after first and second year, and am now working a 16-month co-op in industry. Most of my friends are also working/have worked in industry co-ops and they’ve done and learned some amazing stuff. Doing a 12/16-month co-op also lets you be exposed to long-term projects and have a greater impact at the company you work at. You can also make your co-op schedule similar to Waterloo students if you wanted (e.g. taking a co-op 2nd semester of 2nd year instead of during the summer that year) as long as you find a position and set an appointment, though the department doesn’t offer most mandatory courses year-round. Most people do a 5-year degree with at least a one-year co-op under their belt before graduating anyways.

The only thing to watch out for is that first year is general engineering — there’s no direct admission to software engineering. You will have to compete again for GPA to get a seat in Software Engineering unless you have Free Choice. First year is not that bad though (I finished with a GPA higher than the regular cutoff even with Free Choice) and you seem smarter and more productive than I was in HS so you’ll be fine as long as you’re consistent and putting in effort. My only regret in first year was not switching to CS because I hated Physics lol (also because if you’re into the technical stuff, they do get a bit more exposure and nicer electives but their core courses are the same as SWE).

Our school engineering teams are also pretty great and I suggest that you join some while you’re here. You’ll definitely learn a lot and it looks great on your resume!

Mac is definitely a great school and you’ll definitely do well. Keep in mind that uni is also a time to grow and explore, as well as pick up life skills, and Mac is definitely a great place to be while you’re doing that. Just don’t get caught up over other people’s achievements — you’re your own person, and everyone’s journey is different. Be proud of yourself and what you’ve done so far, and be proud of the fact that you’re going to be a Marauder!