The Best Universities

[Alexander]

Sure, it depends, but frankly speaking, what schools are at the top tier? I can't find much but biased statements, so I won't pollute all your opinions with what I found. Personally I have a 94%~ average, in grade eleven and for my coming year, I want to solidify my options. I'd like a university with a name to it, but also where I can have fun. What universities are at the top of the pyramid?

[gvc]

Best for what? Waterloo has the biggest computer science program in Canada, by far. Is bigger better? I don't know. Toronto is the biggest university in Canada, and is top-notch in many areas. UBC is also internationally recognized. Alberta has a strong CS program. They are particularly strong in games -- not video games, but strategy games.

One reason to consider going to a "name" place is that you will have accomplished peers. A reason not to is that you might be joining a rat race.

I'm a CS professor at Waterloo, so calibrate what I say accordingly.

[Turing_Gamer]

Define strategy games if it is not a videogame genre

[faethor]

gvc @ Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:49 pm wrote:

Toronto is the biggest university in Canada, and is top-notch in many areas.

Alexander also wants "fun". Going to U of T is not the best for fun. I live in a build that are all students. It's almost split 50/50 Ryerson and U of T'ers and the U of T'ers don't go out often, don't do much and therefore i assume they don't have as much fun as others. That being said I guess you don't need to go out to have a good time...

[jbking]

Maclean's university rankings would be my suggestion for a source as to what universities are top tier in some ways. It isn't a perfect system, but at least it isn't completely anecdotal evidence.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Yah gvc, strategy games are video games unless you mean something else. Please clarify or face:

-1 Dissed strategy games karma!

In a while. A long while. But not long enough for you!

[Alexmula]

isn't chess an strategy game?

[SNIPERDUDE]

A "Strategy game" does not explain the medium, as Alexmula has pointed out.

[Tony]

USEC_OFFICER @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:47 pm wrote:

Yah gvc, strategy games are video games

gvc @ Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:49 pm wrote:

...not video games...
...
I'm a CS professor at Waterloo...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory

[Alexander]

Well, I'm thinking since UofT is the biggest in all of Canada, theres bound to be girls. A lot of them. And it's one of the best. So in sheer terms of a better wholesome experience, would UofT be the winner?

[gvc]

http://games.cs.ualberta.ca/

[Alexmula]

they help EA with the AI for FIFA awesome

they like playing lots of games . slackers

[Turing_Gamer]

Tony wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory

Ok that cleared things up... I think...
Can you simplify what they are trying to tell me?

[jbking]

Alexander @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:48 pm wrote:

Well, I'm thinking since UofT is the biggest in all of Canada, theres bound to be girls. A lot of them. And it's one of the best. So in sheer terms of a better wholesome experience, would UofT be the winner?

Within the Greater Toronto Area, sure there are lots of women. However, if you mean girls within CS at U of T, that may be wishful thinking to some extent. I remember when I was at Waterloo that females made up about 20% of the population in the Math, Science and Engineering faculties. Of course the ratio would be flipped in other faculties so that overall it was nearly 50/50, so it depends a bit on what criteria you want to use.

As for the last question, I am almost tempted to want to ask this question, "How bad could it suck to be at an almost the best school?" as really would it be so horrible to not be at the awesomest school in the universe? While I can understand wanting perfection, I doubt that anyone can easily say that they have analyzed the 1,001 possible outcomes of going to each and every university in Canada and here are your top outcomes. Life doesn't work that way. You take a chance and see what happens. I know when I started university I had a plan and that involved me ending up with a different degree but due to life experiences like co-op not working out, some of the advanced Math being harder than I thought and government cuts I ended up in a different place. Not worse or better, just different.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Yes, you don't really know what something is like until you experinse it. (CURSE YOU BAD SPELLING!!!)

Also:

No -1 karma for dissing strategy games!!!!
Plus I gave someone else karma today so. Yah.