Waterloo coop sequence?

[desertfox]

I got an offer from waterloo coop compsci now im just choosing the coop sequence.

so im just wondering which sequence has the highest chance of getting a job.
The link to the coop sequence is here. http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/prospect/cooporregular.shtml
Thanks in advance.

[jcollins1991]

If you choose sequence D you'll have more experience by the time you have to start looking for jobs which could be useful... But don't just depend on your co-op sequence, getting good marks and working hard is far more important for finding a job... Just choose the co-op sequence that you think will suit you best personally, taking 3 terms in a row at the start just for more experience may be ok for some people, but in general a break from school would probably be better...

[mcpherrinm]

All of these are fairly safe for getting a job. If you have a few more terms under your belt you'll have a bit better chance, but really, employers are mostly looking at work experience & real world skills. Sequence C is nice if you're not sure if you're ready yet and you want to take a summer at home or something. Sequence D gets you that extra school term (2A, which has a c++ course, which could be helpful for getting a job), but you're in school nonstop for 12 months, which might burn you out.
Sequence B is a bit nice too, since you'll have more school terms before your second work term.

This is a choice you'll have to make, though. I'd choose it based on things other than just *how likely am I to get a job* though.

[CodeMonkey2000]

You won't burnout with 12 months of school Sequence D is nice, mostly since everyone else is out for sumer break or coop. The campus isn't that crowded anymore And apparently it's easier to get a job in the fall, since everyone will be coming back to school in the fall.

[mono-1-rulz]

A little off topic but if someone went into sequence D would they be allowed to stay in rez over the summer? Or do they have to reapply?
@desertfox How are you choosing the sequence now? Through ouac?

[jcollins1991]

mono-1-rulz @ Sun May 16, 2010 5:33 pm wrote:

A little off topic but if someone went into sequence D would they be allowed to stay in rez over the summer? Or do they have to reapply?
@desertfox How are you choosing the sequence now? Through ouac?

You would have to reapply, but you'd probably get in since there isn't that much demand for housing in the summer... I'd suggest off campus though, it'd be a lot cheaper since people are trying to sublet when there isn't much demand, I've seen an ad for a place for only $200/month, where even during summer the UW residences would still be at least $500/month...

[Tony]

Sequence D seems like a good choice to get started with, as there's a lot more competition for the entry-level jobs in the summer terms, from all the non-coop students (from many other schools).

Back when I've started school, I went with 4-stream: 1A, work, 1B, work.... I guess that's not offered anymore.

[jcollins1991]

Tony @ Sun May 16, 2010 8:46 pm wrote:

Sequence D seems like a good choice to get started with, as there's a lot more competition for the entry-level jobs in the summer terms, from all the non-coop students (from many other schools).

Back when I've started school, I went with 4-stream: 1A, work, 1B, work.... I guess that's not offered anymore.

They still do 4-stream for some engineers... IMO it's stupid though, since they end up forcing the engineers to learn C++ in first term at a level probably like high school (do this, do that, doesn't matter why) and then in 1B they learn proper stuff in C (lists, recursion, I dunno what else)... At least that's my impression of how it works...

[Tony]

The first job typically does not involve much serious development anyway. The extra term of school (8-stream) is quite offset by the summer-time competition.

Although applying for jobs a month into University makes for quite an experience.

[aqazwsx1]

whats a typical first job you can get? What do you do there?

[Tony]

A typical entry-level job is QA -- Quality Assurance. You test software in ways that was not automated, and/or write test scripts.

Some sort of IT is also a choice -- maybe help-desk assistance, or setting up computers/networks/software.

There are also some positions where co-ops are hired to write/maintain internal tools. The kind of software that makes some specific task for the team easier. At my first co-op job, I wrote tools for automatic archival of media to DVDs (this was pre-cloud era) and website monitoring for very specific updates. Of course for the first while I was doing those archive and monitor tasks manually....