I am very pleased that you have chosen the University of Waterloo to pursue your postsecondary education. Once again, we have attracted an impressive cohort of the brightest students to our first-year engineering programs, and you should take pride in joining our Faculty. You will be in the company of top researchers and teachers, dedicated staff, and motivated undergraduate and graduate students.
The Faculty values the importance of a vibrant, engaged student body, and the contributions our students make to Waterloo Engineering, the university, and the community.
The success of our students—academically, on co-op work terms, and in extracurricular pursuits—is a major contributor to our excellent reputation, and so we look for students who are well-rounded and passionate. The result is an involved student body, home to active student societies, competitive student teams, service-minded organizations, as well as newspapers, clubs, and bands. I encourage you to get involved in one or more groups or activities that inspire you and will enrich your Waterloo Engineering experience. Over the course of Orientation Week, you will be introduced to many new faces, a lot of new information, and a diverse offering of new opportunities.
During this week and throughout the year, you may feel overwhelmed at times, adjusting to new expectations for academic and workplace performance, learning the ropes of our co-op program and choosing among the abundance of extracurricular activities.
Always remember that there is a strong support system available to you. The First-Year Engineering Office is an invaluable service, here to help with your transition by offering academic and personal counselling, as well as tutor sessions and upper-year mentors. Your professors and teaching assistants are also excellent resources, and upper-year students can provide important insight. Take the opportunity this week to connect with your orientation leaders. After all, they were in your position not that long ago!
In the next few years, you will be presented with different career possibilities. Whether you aspire to work for a specific industry, get involved in innovative research, start up your own company, or all three, there will be opportunities to pursue your aspirations within your undergraduate program. Get involved and learn as much as you can. Once again, class of 2020, welcome to our Faculty and enjoy your Orientation Week!
Sincerely,
Pearl Sullivan
Dean, Faculty of Engineering
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