Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

joshuakalp.in

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 65 posts

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#31

Post by uiri »

Part of this is that Co-Op terms are 16 weeks long. There are 52 weeks in a year, 16*3 eats up 48 weeks, if there are 2 or 3 weeks for Christmas it simply isn't possible to have more than a week or so between the winter and spring/summer and between the spring/summer and fall terms. I feel like 12 weeks is a better length for an internship, but I believe that the University Co-Op rules require that it be at least 16 weeks.

I feel that a lot of the packing and moving stress which the author describes is self-inflicted. If one is moving every four months it makes sense to pay the extra money for a furnished place rather than criss-cross the continent moving one's furniture and cookware around. If one is going from Waterloo across the continent, then it makes sense to take only stuff which one will be able to take on the plane. It might make sense to have a storage locker in Waterloo to throw excess stuff in (books and other entertainment-related things come to mind). The author claims to have done 3 co-op terms in the US, I would hope that he had this down to a science by now. At least some checklists or something to streamline the process. And given the number of Waterloo grads at this point, I would hope that even freshman have moving checklists.

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#32

Post by rocky1138 »

kapin wrote: post #30

Want to add some footnotes, comments, or whatever you want to call them. 1. I wrote this about the program in general, not about co-op terms or internships. 2. I used "curse" in the title because well, it fits in a writing sense (contrasts). Downsides, cons, whatever it is all the same. 3. I understand that real life is working 8 hour days, but at the same time it isn't surrounded by constantly moving and school. 4.…

I move often (once a year for the past three years). Once in Kitchener, twice in Waterloo. I'm moving on the first of May. I've been a professional software developer for 10 years now. Moving and never being stable in life is a reality for me. It does not get easier.

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#34

Post by ripley12 »

ryanobjc wrote: post #2

I did software coop at UBC, and I can say without a doubt that the coop model is purely an invention of a highly conservative business culture. For those with the skills and the desire, I say skip it. The loss of community with the rest of your class is huge, and the extra time is not worth the money compared to a real post-graduation career. Additionally, most post-college hiring here in the Bay Area, and elsewhere,…

Wow, that is hugely different from my experience at UBC CS. I graduated in 2011, when did you finish?

"The loss of community with the rest of your class" - I didn't notice much community to begin with. It's a big program and a big school and people don't always take courses in the same order. Plus, the majority of people in CS were in co-op and my friends were often off on co-op at the same time as me.

I've also noticed a huge difference in job outcomes after graduation for people staying in Vancouver. Employers here seem a lot more likely to hire someone with coop experience.

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#36

Post by rll »

terrilldent wrote: post #35

It seems that the author has overlooked the option of staying in Waterloo and working for one of the many companies that are actively looking for talented students. Edit: I was a UW co-op student and did all my terms in Waterloo.

I couldn't wait to get away from Waterloo for my work terms. Winters in Waterloo are extremely unpleasant! My last two work terms were in Brazil and I actually ended up working for this Brazilian company after I graduated but like most of my peers I could have called on any of my former work term companies and instantly gotten a job without putting my resume in amongst the pile of unknown new-grad resumes.

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#37

Post by rudi-c »

rll wrote: post #6

I did Waterloo engineering co-op as well and yes, it is a bit hectic, but at that age you can handle it. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I had interesting jobs in a number of different countries. I invested my interest-free student loan in energy mutual funds which turned into a goldmine at that time and combined with my salary I finished university with lots of experience, no debt and a ton of money in my ba…

It seems like the use of the word "curse" is a bit suboptimal. As a UWaterloo co-op student myself, I agree with everything in the article. I just refer to the negative points of co-op as a "cost".

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#38

Post by devanti »

I didn't go to Waterloo, but I predominantly hire from them, and I work with their graduates on a daily basis.

Yes. They get the best work experience. They will have no problems finding a secure job in engineering.

A problem I see is their lack of "university experience" and social growth. For some people with natural social abilities this is not a problem, but for others, university is a once in a lifetime experience to cultivate all aspects of personal growth.

This is very important especially for engineers, where the majority of us are introverts. I was one myself, and I learned invaluable things in university not related to work or school.

These days, it's actually quite easy to find a good job in engineering, no matter what school you're from, as long as you're smart enough to pass technical interviews.

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#39

Post by pilgrim689 »

ori_b wrote: post #22
kapin wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you've taken my words at being solely towards co-op, not a co-op program itself. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a co-op program. Having a stressful work term, that is when you are supposed to be on break from school, is part of being in a co-op program. It's hard, some handle it better than others, but it's naive to say that the downsides are trivial and have little to do with being in a c…

> I think you've taken my words at being solely towards co-op, not a co-op program itself. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a co-op program. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a program. Co-op or not.

I'd say moving and looking for employment are two very stressful things for any individual, and for Waterloo co-ops we have to do at least one of those things every 4 months. Never-mind the "deadlines and school".

Re: Waterloo Co-op: A Blessing and a Curse

#40

Post by potatolicious »

pilgrim689 wrote: post #39
ori_b wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think you've taken my words at being solely towards co-op, not a co-op program itself. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a co-op program. Deadlines, school, and stress are part of being in a program. Co-op or not.

I'd say moving and looking for employment are two very stressful things for any individual, and for Waterloo co-ops we have to do at least one of those things every 4 months. Never-mind the "deadlines and school".

As someone who went through Waterloo co-op, I consider those one of the greatest takeaways.

It's taken me a while since graduating to realize that most people - tech or otherwise - consider interviewing to be stressful and unpleasant. Waterloo ground that out of me early on, I enjoy interviewing. Going into an interview room doesn't even begin to stress me out - and that's gotten me much further career-wise than anything else.

My interviewing and job-searching ability, and my confidence in it, has given me insane leverage in the market.

I for one am glad that Waterloo's trial-by-fire job-hunt (find a job in your 1A term? sheesh) happened to me. Negotiating, interviewing, and networking are 3 skills that most people leave school knowing almost nothing about, but a Waterloo student can easily rack up 70+ interviews by the time they walk out the door, and negotiated a dozen or so offers.

Post reply on HN