Letter from the Incoming Editor

I’m going to tell you something that no other editor is going to tell you: your life is over. If you have had no life prior to coming to university, then you have nothing to lose. For those who spent more time outside of school changing the world (or just entertaining yourself), then you’re in for a rude awakening.
You’re starting your first year of university – for most of you, away from home and more importantly, away from mom’s home-cooked meals and her laundry services. You are also missing your high school friends, your family, and your car and now fear the unknown of university and whether you’re going to survive.
You’ve finally arrived and have started to attend Orientation Week events…so many people or more daunting, SO MANY NAMES! How in the world are you supposed to retain 150 names on top of all the information that everyone seems to be throwing at you from all directions? After all the madness of O-Week (which I’m not going to spoil for you!), you’re in pain, your voice is gone, and your tomorrow is your first day of classes.
Fast forward a week of classes and you’re freaking out! The professors go so fast and one of them decided to show you a problem on partial differentials (what?) on your first day. On top of that, for you 4-streamers, you now have to worry about finding your first co-op job! Now that I’m reading back, this is sounding really depressing but, hey, at least I’m giving you a heads-up. You’re now into your second week of classes and Club Day(s) is being held at the SLC and you’ve resolved to maintain a semblance of a life, no matter what!
By midterms, you’ve managed to figure out how to keep up with your mountain of homework and still attend club/team meetings. Oh, but wait! Midterms (i.e. Hell Week) are here! You’re now in the same state of mind as when you first got here: scared beyond belief. Nevertheless, you’ve gotten through midterms (however it has scarred you for life). You’re getting to know your fellow first years on your floor and you now have a group of friends (that popped out of nowhere) who you now hang out with. You’ve begun to explore the campus a little more and have now found a path that takes you across the campus without going outside (this is the mark of a true engineer!). What’s even better is that now, you’re going out on weekends with friends without a curfew! You’re finally getting settled in when, oh no! Final exams! You’re back to that same state of fear that you know so well. You start studying hard (and/or learning how to study) and you find that a couple of your friends are great study partners.
You’re done! You’re making your way home to see your parents, high school friends and your car (I missed you so!). You’re proud to say that you now do your own laundry, cook/buy your own food, and do your homework all at the same time! You blink and your holiday has flown by! You’re now heading back to the physical/mental rollercoaster that is university; however, this time, you’re ready for it!
This thought process through my first term of university can be matched to many Waterloo engineers who, at one point, were in your position. My advice to you (that I wish I took during my first year) is the following: do not be afraid to talk to upper years and ask them questions; imagine how much less of a mess my head would have been if I’d talked to someone! With that said, don’t be afraid to talk to your Don, talk to some upper years or see a counsellor if you think this is getting to be too much or you just need someone to listen. Join a student team or a club that interests you. This can especially be said for student teams because this will guarantee you a learning experience that you won’t get anywhere else. More importantly, you’ll get to meet people who have the same interests and use your energy to create something amazing! Also, find the time to participate in as many events as you c whether it be within Engineering or outside. Finally, I advise you to hang in there if things get tough; I, and many engineers here, can easily say that this will turn out to be (pardon the cliche) the best five years of your life.