OMG:
As an international student, I feel totally underrated. I hear a lot of people complain about fees and part-time jobs, when I have to worry about the huge tuition fees, much less staying in the country. Not all international students are wealthy you know. My family is dirt poor after sending me here, so don't talk about UW like it's shit because I sacrificed a lot to be here.
As an international student, I feel totally underrated. I hear a lot of people complain about fees and part-time jobs, when I have to worry about the huge tuition fees, much less staying in the country. Not all international students are wealthy you know. My family is dirt poor after sending me here, so don't talk about UW like it's shit because I sacrificed a lot to be here.
Posted on
Wednesday, July 25.
You can leave your response.
July 25, 2012 at 12:33 PM
Why did you come here then? There are ostensibly universities in your own country you could have gone to. Reputation doesn't mean everything you know. Even then Waterloo grads don't have that much of a chance against Harvard or MIT grads, so it's all relative.
July 25, 2012 at 12:47 PM
@1: Not necessarily true. Bill Gates once said he hires from UW over any other university, MIT and harvard combined. They may be academically stronger schools, but UW is also extremely academically strong, and never underestimate the massive advantage the co-op program gives its grads.
@OP: That said, it's barely true that UW is a world-class CS school, and it's not world-class for anything else. I'm sorry if you sacrificed a lot to come here but that doesn't make it a world-class university. Overall, it's not even in the running for the best university in the country (U of T, McGill, UBC, and U of A are all better than it, a lot of other universities are likely better than it as well).
July 25, 2012 at 1:53 PM
@2 That statistic is used by UW marketing to entice new students. The fact of the matter is that Bill Gates was counting co-op students, of which there are far more at Waterloo than other university at a similar level. Even then, the actual quote was "Most years, we hire more students out of Waterloo than any university in the world, typically 50 or even more."
Don't get me wrong, I love UW and the education I got here, but UW has always been extremely misleading about its reputation.
July 25, 2012 at 2:09 PM
I am an international student too.
WORST DECISION OF MY LIFE.
40k for a place like this can never be justified.
July 25, 2012 at 3:22 PM
as an international student,i ve been wondering why international students are unscrewable in waterloo since i came here.i dont feel irritated when ppl on omguw or reddit or whatever u name it bashing international students' spoiled life,"freeride" in terms of finance or whatever simply because i am studying hard and working my tails off to make ends meet when i have coop term and internship.also i met some really awesome ppl here and made a massive number of friends.frankly,i really enjoy waterloo and i will send my kids here in the future lol...
July 25, 2012 at 4:29 PM
@1: There were definitely universities in my country but they were nowhere near as good as the ones in Western countries; how it goes is if you study there, you pretty much stay there, and I didn't want to stay there. Also, I got accepted into many 'world class' institutions, but a) they were more expensive than Waterloo with no co-op program or opportunity to make money and b) there was no co-op program. :/ That being said, Waterloo isn't that bad, I just feel like people bash it a lot more than they should. The professors are actually quite good, depending on which class you go to and how much effort you apply in class.
@4, I'm sorry you feel that way! I feel super bad about spending this much money too, but tell myself it'll be worth it when I emerge with no loans and a job in my pocket from co-op!
July 25, 2012 at 5:27 PM
couldnt agree more man! international student here! aiii
July 25, 2012 at 6:35 PM
The massive tuition fee was suppose to be an intensive to GTFO, but they just don't get it.
July 25, 2012 at 9:58 PM
8 speaks the truth. If international kids had the same tuition fees as domestic students, MC would have all of its signs in Chinese.
July 25, 2012 at 10:22 PM
^ yeah and the university would be full of useless white trash. Why don't people realize how productive and hard working the immigrants are. Look at what race all the profs belong too and look at what all these janitors are.
July 25, 2012 at 10:48 PM
^ The janitors are mostly eastern europeans at UW.
July 25, 2012 at 11:35 PM
^ but white.........
July 25, 2012 at 11:36 PM
@8 - incentive to GTFO of the country that you shouldn't be on in the first place...you stole shit from the people of the new world, stop talking like we are aliens, cause you are no different!
-@brownPrince
July 25, 2012 at 11:45 PM
^ that's your rationality? to steal land from others who have held it for a few hundred years? are you israeli?
July 26, 2012 at 12:36 AM
@1: It is not "all relative"! Some things are just better than others. Try going to a university in a third-world country before you undermine the sacrifices international students & immigrants make for a good education, you dipshit.
July 26, 2012 at 9:29 AM
@15 Excuse me, it's not my fault if people make misguided choices to sacrifice everything and come here. Fact of the matter is half of the profs and grad students here come from universities in third-world countries. My best friend's parents have degrees in engineering from a third-world university and they make ridiculous amounts of money here.
I know it's more difficult otherwise, but in *most* cases becoming an international student is not the only option to lead a relatively successful life.
July 26, 2012 at 9:32 AM
@8, learn to spell
July 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM
@16 You think making sacrifices for a good education is "misguided" because you can make money just as well without?! Without a good understanding of the concepts that you're supposed to learn, you can still learn the practical skills, get a job, and make money. What you're not going to be is innovative. You're not going to prove new theorems or solve open problems. Why do you think developing countries are "developing"?! (If you think it's because there's a dictator stealing everyone's money, you really don't know much about the world.) People with your attitude are the reason phrases like "white trash" exist. (That said, I've met many Canadians here who are just as passionate about learning as I am.)
July 26, 2012 at 1:35 PM
@14 - I dont want to steal land, nor was there any shadow of such intentions in my previous statement.
-@brownPrince (Indian Royalty!)
July 26, 2012 at 1:42 PM
congrats on working hard!
July 26, 2012 at 3:10 PM
@18 I don't understand why you're throwing around words like "white trash." Did I not say that half of the professors and grad students at Waterloo are from universities developing countries? Even within the country, most of the grad students I know attended "lower quality" universities and don't have the same breadth of knowledge that Waterloo students do. Yet, somehow, they manage to prove theorems and innovate. Could it be that you don't need to attend an established, high quality university to solve open problems?
July 26, 2012 at 4:39 PM
@21:
1. Being a grad student does not automatically translate to "innovator". As a matter of fact, it has been shown that most research done by grad students is entirely inconsequential (it can be more or less consequential depending on the field you're in).
2. Because you're talking like you actually know something about universities in third-world countries when you don't know jack. What you're saying is: "This is not perfect enough for me, so your sacrifice is meaningless". This is something a spoiled kid would say. Again, you're completely disregarding the fact that if the graduates of these universities actually were innovators and independent thinkers, their countries would not be 'developing'. Yes, education makes it or breaks it. Not to mention the selection bias at play here; the people you meet from these universities are the ones considered most successful by their peers.
3. Most immigrants/international students come to Waterloo for Math/Engineering, and those two departments are pretty damn good here. Maybe it's you who's made some misguided decisions and expected the same from other departments due to the university's reputation, without conducting proper research about the reasons why it has a good reputation.
July 26, 2012 at 7:31 PM
OK guys, let's not get racist here..but I pretty much picked UW because of its co-op program and its flexibility to mix up programs in comparison to other schools. I am a fine arts student (don't start another argument), but I didn't feel OCAD was good to provide me with decent employment in the future. Hence, Waterloo.
I also find it extremely degrading to suggest that we 'immigrants' should just stay where we are, and go to our own schools. They are developing for a reason; like I said in a previous post, if you study in that country, you stay in that country because how could you possibly hope to compete in other more prestigious companies when the norm is to go to a really great university? You're also kind of forgetting that Canada is built up by loads and loads of immigrants; there are barely any 'true' Canadians left. Even 'white' people had to immigrate to Canada at some point right? It's not a bad thing, competition provides for the great economy that Canada has today in comparison to other countries. I really hate it when people get all defensive about Canada, like we internationals are a bunch of hooligans who want to take Canada for everything its got and just wanna push them out of business; we just want to do our best and succeed in life. If it makes you feel better, I don't plan on leaving Canada any time soon so you don't have to worry about a 'brain drain' from me.
I'm not saying that geniuses/talent can't emerge from lower quality universities. However, they are, admittedly, given less chances to learn, and they have to make up a lot of that work themselves. Vice versa with a high quality uni - you can go and still learn nothing if you choose to. It depends on the individual; but I plan on making the most of the resources at UW to help me achieve my goals and become great at what I do - and not be constricted by where I am.
July 26, 2012 at 7:31 PM
OK guys, let's not get racist here..but I pretty much picked UW because of its co-op program and its flexibility to mix up programs in comparison to other schools. I am a fine arts student (don't start another argument), but I didn't feel OCAD was good to provide me with decent employment in the future. Hence, Waterloo.
I also find it extremely degrading to suggest that we 'immigrants' should just stay where we are, and go to our own schools. They are developing for a reason; like I said in a previous post, if you study in that country, you stay in that country because how could you possibly hope to compete in other more prestigious companies when the norm is to go to a really great university? You're also kind of forgetting that Canada is built up by loads and loads of immigrants; there are barely any 'true' Canadians left. Even 'white' people had to immigrate to Canada at some point right? It's not a bad thing, competition provides for the great economy that Canada has today in comparison to other countries. I really hate it when people get all defensive about Canada, like we internationals are a bunch of hooligans who want to take Canada for everything its got and just wanna push them out of business; we just want to do our best and succeed in life. If it makes you feel better, I don't plan on leaving Canada any time soon so you don't have to worry about a 'brain drain' from me.
I'm not saying that geniuses/talent can't emerge from lower quality universities. However, they are, admittedly, given less chances to learn, and they have to make up a lot of that work themselves. Vice versa with a high quality uni - you can go and still learn nothing if you choose to. It depends on the individual; but I plan on making the most of the resources at UW to help me achieve my goals and become great at what I do - and not be constricted by where I am.
July 26, 2012 at 9:36 PM
Wow 19 must be so loaded.
Congrats to OP on working hard and trying their best. You will likely live a more fulfilling life than buddy that is '[classless] Indian Royalty!'
July 27, 2012 at 1:47 AM
@25- not really, I was a prince, but then i replaced myself with a look-alike who was a pauper...it all worked out in the end, living life like a normal kid without the responsibilities of leader of the people.
@the rest - Hah! you peeps talk about sacrifices and money, i gave up a crown to come to waterloo and play star-craft! LOL
-@brownPrince
July 27, 2012 at 9:14 AM
@22 So, your point is that since their original, possibly brilliant, research is inconsequential, they didn't get a good understanding of the basics by attending a highly regarding university? Just trying to clarify here.
Also, I don't believe I ever said "this is not perfect enough for me." My point is, if I had the choice to do it all over again, I would choose a school with better scholarships and lower tuition. I'm a math grad student, and judging by my peers, getting in to grad school and subsequent success with research has extremely little to do with what university you attended (including third-world universities).
That being said, I in no way meant to suggest that international students shouldn't study here if they choose. Just that studying abroad is not the only path to success, even though some of the other paths may be harder.
July 27, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Holy shit guys, stop complaining. Nobody is holding a gun to your head making you stay.
July 27, 2012 at 8:11 PM
@12 - most Eastern Europeans ARE white.
July 28, 2012 at 4:26 AM
OP: Thanks to @25! Support is always great. :)
And to @27, I understand your skepticism. I based your argument of 'the ranking of the university I choose has no effect on my subsequent success'. I agree with you there. But some of us want some co-op experience, experience in the work force so we can decide better what to do with our lives in the fields we like best. Also, my mother wanted me to be practical and take up business. and Waterloo was one of the cheaper universities compared to the others I got into (Toronto, York), and better in my field than others (UBC). I also understand that I shouldn't complain if I wanted to be here - what I AM complaining about is people giving shit about the school, and others acting like it is nothing, and playing Tetris during class. And THEN complaining than internationals are stealing everything in Canada xD That just seems ridiculous to me, especially when we want to succeed in life just as much as everyone else - like I mentioned
July 30, 2012 at 12:17 AM
@ brownprince: Stfu. Nobody gives a crap about your class or your money. And I bet all this crap about being royalty is bullshit just so you can get kicks out of other peoples reactions. Get a life.
July 30, 2012 at 12:25 AM
@ OP: I'm an international student as well. But I honestly do not care if people talk crap about Waterloo. How does it matter if they talk shit? You'll find people talking crap about every university no matter where you go. So stop complaining.
I agree our fees is high and your family is sacrificing a lot. Why don't you go out and get a part-time job as well rather than bash people who complain about part-time jobs? Might help you feel better about how much your family is sacrificing.
July 30, 2012 at 4:53 PM
@31. Thanks for the advice, I've already worked on applications for three different jobs in Waterloo. Hopefully I'll get into one of them. And yeah I guess I am ranting. Pressure kind of gets to my head easily, especially when I realize that my success is riding on the efforts of others. It's a bit tough with that weight on your mind; but everyone has that eh. :P I just tend to hold guilt a little easier than others which is self destructive.
August 3, 2012 at 1:04 AM
@31 - thanks a bunch for posting your pointless comment. Since you don't give a crap about my money or my class why are you even commenting. Seems like someone does give a shit! And I am royalty and at least not another anonymous poster. I have a life...you need one bro!
August 3, 2012 at 6:52 PM
^ I kinda share 31s opinion. How does it matter if you're royalty??? I honestly don't care if you are or you aren't. But I don't see the point of announcing it to the world.