Science faculty

I'm in the faculty of science, the program of biotech/economics.

Only after entering the program did I realize that Economics is actually full of numbers and abstract concepts that can be really different from what Mr. Lekakis teaches.



A general tip to those who are thinking about coming to the east coast: dress warmly.

(a shout out to AZhou03: I totally understand your notable experience: 03-07 endured the harsh Ontario weather.)

are you taking economic in Waterloo. ???
hows it ???

hm...well, economics here has been somewhat stressful. i think waterloo's math faculty is pretty distinguished in canada, so it follows that economics can be pretty stressful sometimes, especially the ones that has calculus pre-requisites.

just like any other courses though, there's usually some past exams, and those help a great deal. i get to familiarize myself with what the prof likes to test, and whatnot.

what has been pretty helpful is that there's an economics help centre. sometimes the profs can't teach, so i go to the books. when i still don't understand, then i go to the help centre, where they have tutors or another prof to help out.

are you looking to study economics in waterloo?

well..i am not sure still..maybe not
cus i wanna get into University of Toronto..but lots of my friends said that there are more about self-study ,like the profs wont teache everything.
i just want to know if Waterloo had the same.
btw, why u chose to study econ in Waterloo, any reasons.??

speaking of self-study. i'm not sure how the APs are now, but I remember doing a lotta self-studying back in highschool. sometimes it's 'cuz i didn't really understand what happened in class, sometimes it's 'cuz the material wasn't even taught in class, or most of the time it was 'cuz i slept through it all...

i think as a general guideline for all sorts of post-secondary education, all the teachers teach, but at the same time, they don't teach. they teach what they think is important, and they tell the students to read up on the rest of the stuff that they don't think is important. sometimes, the prof just plain suck, and they tell you to study on your own 'cuz they can't teach period. the thing is, regardless of institution, this sorta independent learning stuff happens. i've come to realize that you have to attend the lectures to understand what they prof thinks is important, and study on your own to clarify the concepts underlying the lectures. sometimes you may even have to go beyond the lecture notes to really understand the significance of the lecture.

(in fact, that's what post-secondary education's about. it's no longer about soaking up what the teachers want to teach you; it's about you learning what you think you should learn.)

also, waterloo's a small school. if you have a question and you'd like to ask a professor, ur gonna get more attention. it's also easier for you to be recognized by the profs in waterloo than by the profs in U of T. The Waterloo profs takes care of less people. (UBC and U of T have lecture halls for thousands, but Waterloo's max is around 400?)

The negative side of being in a small school though, is that you don't have the facilities. it may not have all the state-of-the-art facilities and the top notch professors that U of T has. as an undergrad, i wouldn't be that concerned about these problems; however, if you're thinking of building long-term relations with a prof and staying in a world-renowned lab, or if you want to go beyond the textbook, and really really understand the field you're studying, the schools that are more renowned for the specific field may be the better way to go. (since i haven't heard waterloo being known for economics, i'd assume that U of T's the better choice)

so, 1) self-studying is a must, regardless of institution; it may be harder to reach the prof to clarify the concepts in a larger school than in a small school like waterloo 2) if you are looking for really in-depth learning of your field, i'd look for a school that's known for the field of interest.



haha, why'd i choose econ?

gee, um..personal conflicts really. doctors seemed like a good choice, but i was also interested in commerce. biotechnology/economics seemed like a fit for both, so that's why i went for it. waterloo was the only school that offered this joint-degree program, but now i am hearing from my friends that double majors in sci/art or a single minor in art may have been a better choice.

i hope that helps out a little bit. = )

that helps a lottt !! thank you =]
speaking of the self-studying, i think i know what it will look like. actually i was taking chem 11 honor, and the teacher just teaches the main point of the section and leaves us to read the rest, which may be similiar to what i am expected to do in the university. but i think when i get into the university,it will be so hard to find the profressor and ask him to explain everything, which is the thing i quite worry if i get into U of T since like what u said, there are much more students ... One of my friends told me that if u arrived late for the lecture,, u will probably cannot find a seat and you have to stand there..><
um...i wanna be in the commerce and it may probably going to be my career too. I choose commerce because i eliminate the other fields. No doctor, No engineer, No bio/chem/phy, and No art!!
Also, i dont think U of T is being known for commerce..actully....i am not sure which university in Canada is being known for commerce.=( I choose to go to U of T is because it is renowned. I want to work outside of Canada and i would better to choose a post-secondary that is more renowned so that people outside Canada will know it...
um..back to the questions, you know anything about the co-op program in Waterloo.. like the U of T, they will have co-op with some renowned companies in the World..
Also, u know the minimum TOEFL socre for getting into Waterloo.????
Once again..thank youuu.!

= ), awesome. I'm glad I helped out. you might wanna check out your question concerning commerce schools in the "general school questions" forum. SCho06 answered it pretty thoroughly.

About the international fame, I think McGill and U of T are the big two, pretty much anywhere in Canada, but neither of those were mentioned in the post. If I were to choose, I would pick the schools known for the program, rather than the internationall-renowed school. (ie, i'd pick UWO/York over U of T) mainly because I think undergrad is a time to firm up the foundations, and I'm sure that there are international exchange or international networking opportunities like conferences available at all these schools (UWO, UBC, SFU, York, UW) There's an abundance of networking opportunities and conferences specially if you are attending a school in the Ontario. I think there's one every month or two organized by different schools or organizations.

haha, yeah, well...filling up the lecture halls happens at waterloo too. the biggest halls were meant for the biggest classes, and i think when they built the halls, they took into account that some people would be skipping, so when people are late for class, it's always a disaster for them to find a seat.

The following's the TOEFL requirement that I got from School of Accountancy. I am not sure if this is the same for your program of interest though. I'd suggest you looking up the program that you want to get into, by accessing the Waterloo's Undergrad calendars, then contact the program advisor by phone or e-mail to ask about the TOEFL requirements.

In addition to the TOEFL requirements, everybody has to write an English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE), in which you write an essay pretty much. if you fail that, no biggie, just take a course.


10. Can I be exempt from TOEFL, TSE and TWE?

Please see GSO Application procedures.

http://www.grad.uwaterloo.ca/students/applyingonline.asp#other

TOEFL requirements are not to be viewed as discriminatory, but instead, since the University of Waterloo is English speaking, satisfying the TOEFL requirement will ensure that you are able to understand the language of instruction; being tested on the program material, not the ability to understand English.



If you are currently enrolled in an English-speaking institution, and your TOEFL/TWE has met our minimum TOEFL score of 600/5.0 (250 for computer version) at the time of being admitted to that institution, you will not be required to write TOEFL again.



11. I have taken English courses in high school/university. Do I have to satisfy the English language requirements?



English courses in high school/university do not replace the English Language Requirement.



12. What if my TOEFL score or TWE score meets the university standard but falls slightly short of the Department standard?



In this case, only extremely strong applicants may still apply to our programs. If admitted, the Admissions Committee may require you to upgrade your English skills, prior to beginning studies, or in the first term of your program. For example, you may be required to take the “English for Academic Success” course through Renison College (see the web site at http://www.renison.uwaterloo.ca/content/eli/efas.html ) or an equivalent course specified at the time of admission.




um...lol, coop program, yeah, i do know about. do you have a specific question about it?

last time u said If you were to choose, you would pick the schools known for the program, rather than the internationall-renowed school...ah hah..thats what my mom is thinking...she does not want me to go to the east, live by myself and suffer the harsh winter...><
i heard some of my friends said york and queens are quite known for their business program. you know anything about this??

opps.
its off topic..><

lol, yeah, i understand what you mean by your parents wanting you to stay home instead of going to another province.

um...here's a post by dwu04 to swang1 concerning leaving for UC berkeley.

[Studying away from home] is a great experience that teaches you many personal lessons that cannot be [learned] while you are sheltered in the comfort of your long-time friends and family. But as to whether it is worth it, that is obviously your personal decision. Regardless of your decision, you will probably go through that experience [once you finish your undergraduate studies] anyway.

so, it's ultimately up to you. haha, the harsh winter. some people never get used to it, but some people do. i think it's just adds more to the college experience. you know, i'll have more of a tale to tell my kids if i have suffered some kinda extreme storms = P, makes me seem more heroic than had i not experienced it. the first winter's always the worst, but after awhile, i started to realize that everyone's in the same boat, all suffering from the chronic cold, so instead of complaining about it, i kinda just said "meh" and blended in with the crowd. i hope that helps?





yeah, york is definitely known for their business i think. i'm not so sure about queen's though...

yah yah..thx thx !!
your help is appreciated.. xD.