Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!watmath!watcgl!bmacintyre From: bmacintyre@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Blair MacIntyre) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: University of Waterloo Message-ID: <10611@watcgl.waterloo.edu> Date: 10 Jul 89 14:16:16 GMT References: <8907100559.AA11482@jade.berkeley.edu> Reply-To: bmacintyre@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Blair MacIntyre) Organization: UofW Computer Graphics Lab Lines: 97 In article <8907100559.AA11482@jade.berkeley.edu> you write: >Amir Michail in <4584@crash.cts.com> writes > >> I'm going to the University of Waterloo for computer science next fall. >> I have heard that it is impossible to have a modem connection in residence >> (it is not allowed). Is having my own computer useful at all there? > >If Waterloo s residences are like Ottawa s, then a receptionist routes all >calls made to you through an internal phone network. But you should also be >able to have Bell install your own phone line in your room. Ok, I just called the kind people at the Student Villages ( the University residence ). It is true that in those residence, they do not allow you to have modems. Oh well. Of course, not all the residences have those rules. But, there is no internal phone network ... two rooms share a party line. So, I suppose if your phone-mates didn't object, you could use one anyway! ( who said that?!?! ) And you cannot get another phone installed. >In any case, it will be very useful for you to have a own computer in your >room. Most CS assignements you will get will have to be written in Turbo >Pascal. Metacompost Pascal is comes close enough, but using the Transformer >to run Turbo on your Amiga is even better. Try also getting an A1010 (5.25 >drive. No, that is not true. In 4 years I used Pascal for 3 courses and it was always WP ( Waterloo Pascal ). Now the first year courses are on MacII's ( we had VM/CMS and PC's ) and they use god-knows-what ... the second year course ( last term ) was on a Vax8600 ( or 11/780 ) running a BSD Unix variant. They use a cornucopia of languages ( Pascal, Ada, Prolog, C, Fortran, etc. ) none of which is ( thank God ) Turbo Pascal. What have I used my computer for? Editing, word processing ( you will have to take >10 non-math courses while you are here and a large number of math courses even require essay-type assignments ), games!, and ( of course ) dialing up the school. Of course, I didn't live in the Villages, so I didn't have the problem of not being allowed to use my modem. Of course, why bother? I'd rather walk to the school and use the computers. There is no shortage of terminals ( we have _tons_ of them ) and the 9600 baud Sytek network is much faster than either 1200 or 2400 baud dialup ( no, you couldn't dial in at 9600 baud even if you wanted to ). Not to mention the fact that in first year, since you will use MacII's, using a modem is not even an option. And don't bother with the 5 1/4" drive. You won't use PC's and even if if you need to, there are lots of 3 1/2" drives around. >Now let me give you a mild warning. Waterloo will first make you a >mathematician, then a Computer Scientist. In the first two years, you will get Which, of course, is the best way to go ... :-) >clobbered with Math courses, and allowed to take only a couple of CS courses >per term. I have two friends which enrolled into CS at Waterloo, they got great Well, not clobbered ... mildly assulted maybe ... but the point is correct. You get one CS course a term for 4 terms, and 2-4 math courses a term over the 1st 4 terms. >grades in first year, but then failed so miserably in their second that they >got kicked out for good. Waterloo CS is well known for its brain blasters. And >remember that unlike in EE, your are not automatically enrolled into Co-op. If >you dont make it into Co-op after the first year, I strongly suggest that you >transfer to another University. Like Ottawa for example. Our co-op programme >is also selective, but somewhat more accessible. Wrong here. You are in Co-op when you get here, or you are not in Co-op. You can try to get in after 1st year, but it is hard. If you are not in Co-op already, and want to be, talk to someone _as_soon_as_you_get_here! You are not automatically enroled, you have to apply. But you do it before getting accepted. >Remember that all Canadian Universities are somewhat equal in quality, we dont >have the discrepancy existing between the American ones. It is the co-op >programme which gave Waterloo its reputation (or that quality of students that >it thus attracted) so you are better off getting into another University s >co-op programme that getting into Waterloo s regular stream. Shhhhhsh ... come on Valentin, you'll ruin everything!!! :-) Actually, I partially agree with that analysis. But one thing which doesn't relate to the quality of students is the UW has a good rep in the the business world, so regardless of how good you are, the piece of paper will help you get a job when you get out ( in southern Ontario/Ottawa, at least ). Of course, I could care less. I'm starting my Masters in the fall ... :-) Blair -- = Blair MacIntyre, bmacintyre@watcgl.{waterloo.edu, UWaterloo.ca} // = = now appearing at the Computer Graphics Lab, U of Waterloo! \X/ = = "There's nothing the matter with BR that a shot gun blast wouldn't fix" cge = = "It's not my fault, fatboy!" - Felder, pilot of TL Student Driver On Board =