University Of Waterloo

[Guest AiMango]

I'm in grade 11 and the courses next year include math, calculus, chem and bio but I'm thinking about going into APM-PA in Waterloo now. What's the required average to get into that program? I'm also wondering why all APM-PA students chose that program and what courses I would need if I were to change my gr 12 courses around?

i definitely suggest changing chem or bio because those 2 courses have heavy workload. unless you believe you might get pretty good marks. since you are thinking of going into PA you probably want to pick a few business courses in gr 12 to see if you actually like the business stuff. hopefully youve already taken gr 11 accounting because grade 12 accounting will be beneficial. other courses i would take incl. internat'l business and economics. some schools also have financial securities as a course and business leadership (although i dont think it really benefits for an accounting program). the only courses you need for sure are english and i believe you need advanced functions and 1 of data OR calculus.

hope that helps~

[Guest `__m a y ! ♥]

Is it hard to change faculties for waterloo?

They offered me an alternate offer to Geomatics (... I have no idea how this relates to comp. sci)

Should I just go and change faculties?

[Guest Minime22]

How hard would it be to transfer universities?

I got into waterloo planning + ryerson arch...

and I might want to go to architecture.

would it be hard to transfer into 2nd year arch at waterloo?

[Guest kaydeex]

yayy I got a 4k entrance bursary

[Guest everlastingxx3]

yayy I got a 4k entrance bursary

I mailed in my bursary application form late like 2 weeks ago...but they said that they would still accept it.

How did you find out that you got the bursary?

[Guest kaydeex]

I mailed in my bursary application form late like 2 weeks ago...but they said that they would still accept it.

How did you find out that you got the bursary?

I just got the letter in the mail o.o Though the bursaries are 'conditional' since they may adjust it if the information on your OSAP application is different than what you said in the bursary form.

[Guest fionahh]

on the bursary letter, it says that they can adjust your amount if your parents income/assets were inaccurately reported. Does anyone know where I can contact them to do so? Or are they just going to change it based on your OSAP applications?

[Guest eightdoubleone]

Kay so I might be going to Waterloo next year and I was just wondering how different the work load and marking is?

I'm going to be in AFM-FM so I was really hoping someone could comment D:.

Also, is second year really that difficult? I've talked to some people and they say 2nd year is supposed to be really hard. Is it just more work or is the marking more difficult as well? How are is it to keep up a 75 average + ? Is the AFM math hard? T_T Sorry for all the questions but any help would be appreciated >.<

[Guest lmfao]

I'm gonna ask again (haha)...HOW IS THE SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE AT WATERLOO? I've heard people (or maybe they're just from Laurier??) describe it as a bit "sad." How true is this?

[Guest chiho]

on the bursary letter, it says that they can adjust your amount if your parents income/assets were inaccurately reported. Does anyone know where I can contact them to do so? Or are they just going to change it based on your OSAP applications?

I think you do that via OSAP form or registry office (basically back to the OSAP thing). If you can't change the form then maybe you can ask the registry office (call them) --> one @ needle's hall. Last time I did that because i wrote something wrong and OSAP gave me 2k less >.>". Horrible experience

[Guest Minime22]

Hey, could anyone tell me how the Planning program is like? I asked before, but im unsure...would it prepare you for a Masters in architecture?...or even a transfer in 1st year?

[Guest moonyah]

hey

can i have some info and details about the AFM proram?

i'm debating over waterloo and ryerson

is wloo realy math intensive? :s

[Guest AiMango]

^ I believe the only maths you have to take for AFM are calc and stats? its not that bad cause its math for arts students.

btw for prospective students, i suggest going to forums.studentawards.com theres a ton of info there for applicants

[Guest Georgianna]

@eightdoubleone: At this point, whether you're in FM or PA won't effect your workload. This year, the faculty changed the average requirements. We are no longer required to maintain a 75 major cumulative average, it's now been lowered to 70. So rest assured that this is definitely an average that is maintainable. However, keep in mind that in order to enter the Macc program (Masters of Accounting), a 75 is required...although I recall someone mentioning to me that it's only for the third and fourth year. Please do not quote me on this though and do your own research. Second year is definitely supposed to become more difficult but from what I've observed and discovered from upper years is that it's difficult mainly because the courses become more difficult, with reason, as it is becoming higher level and because we have to worry about getting a coop position (first coop term is in Winter of 2nd year). So if you can multi-task and handle all of these, on top of whatever extracurriculars you might be participating in, then you'll be fine in second year. As for math difficulty level...please read on?

@babycee: I just finished my first year of AFM last month so the math level's still fresh. Since new requirements require Calculus and either Advanced Functions or Data Management as prerequisites, you'll have taken at least Calculus and Advanced Functions (since Advanced Functions is a prerequisite for Calculus). As such, I can say that if you did well in Calculus in high school, you'll be able to handle AFM math. Our calculus course is mostly review of high school calculus (minus the vectors) and introduction of integrals (which I believe schools usually will not teach, unless they do a section on anti-derivatives). I hope this helped!

Hope to see you guys in September!^^ Please let me know if there's anything else you guys wanna know about the AFM program.

[Guest moonyah]

thanks for the reply!

which dorm did you stay in? and how was your workload,

this may be a silly question, but what job opportunities do you have when you finish the AFM program

because i know for cooper we can't get certain jobs cause it's for the PAs?

& do you have to find your own job for coop?

[Guest Georgianna]

@babycee: I stayed in UWP (UW Place), however, if you're in accounting the university has something called a living learning community and it's run by the faculties and the housing department. If you choose to go with it, then the accounting and finance living learning community is located at V1 (Village 1). What happens, is that you're placed in a building or a floor with other people in your program (in this case, other accounting students: afm, math/ca, cfm, biotech/ca). This doesn't mean that the entire floor or building will be accounting kids though. Also, in your group of 10-15 students, you are assigned to a peer leader. A peer leader is an upper year student that's also in your area of study (in this case, accounting) and they guide you through the year. They do things like resume critique, group dinners, study sessions, etc. I can't give you a personal account since I didn't do it but a lot of my classmates did it and a lot of them opted to continue on with upper year living learning, located at UWP. It's just a really easy way for you to get to know people in your program and to get homework help. But my recommendation is to go visit the campus if possible, it's definitely a great idea to visit the residences to get a feel for what you like. For example, the suite-style residences tend to be a lot quieter (since they're all self-contained) and the traditional ones tend to be easier to meet people (since you share the washroom and eat in a cafeteria). Sorry if this is a big ramble...I worked as a tour guide for the year so I tend to give my whole spiel every time residence questions come up...>.<

The workload is definitely manageable. In your fall term you take: Introduction to North American Business (just general business, a little bit of everything, accounting, marketing, management, etc.), Financial Accounting, Psychology, Microeconomics, and an elective. If you've taken high school accounting, then you won't need to worry about financial accounting, it's basically review of what you did before. And the other courses should be fairly manageable as well. Winter term you take: calculus, managerial accounting, macroeconomics, computer science and an elective. The things that might be new to you is managerial accounting (which is not the same as financial) and perhaps computer science. After microeconomics, macro will feel easy because it's a lot of the same material. Computer science doesn't involve programming, you learn Excel, Wikis, Search Engines, HTML, and...maybe something else..don't remember. However, if you've taken computer science in high school, you can be exempted from this and can take another elective.

I can't really speak for what jobs will be available for after the AFM program, since I myself haven't graduated yet. However, you are correct that we cannot obtain PA jobs (ie. the BIG 4 accounting firm jobs). By not able to obtain, I mean that we cannot view their job listings through our job postings site (jobmine). This does not mean that you cannot obtain a PA job. Many upper years that I know, have been able to obtain Big 4 jobs despite being in the FM stream. It just means that you will need to apply for those externally. There was only one student that was able to obtain offerings for all 4 Big 4 firms, and this student was an FM student. So definitely don't despair if that's something that you were afraid of. Also, if you're interested in finance, this is something that only students in the FM stream can achieve because the way that our coop terms work, only the FM students can take the finance courses.

As mentioned before, we have a jobs posting site, so we apply to jobs through that. If you are able to obtain a job on your own, then you are more than welcome to do that as well.

I hope I didn't ramble too much...hope this helped and definitely feel free to ask for clarification if needed!

[kerpao]

What electives did you guys take in first year? Interesting courses, bird courses..?

[Guest everlastingxx3]

Everyone here seems to be in AFM, engineering or other math programs. loll Im in honours arts. xP

Does anyone know if waterloo offers a writing centre for students? :S

[Guest moonyah]

@babycee: I stayed in UWP (UW Place), however, if you're in accounting the university has something called a living learning community and it's run by the faculties and the housing department. If you choose to go with it, then the accounting and finance living learning community is located at V1 (Village 1). What happens, is that you're placed in a building or a floor with other people in your program (in this case, other accounting students: afm, math/ca, cfm, biotech/ca). This doesn't mean that the entire floor or building will be accounting kids though. Also, in your group of 10-15 students, you are assigned to a peer leader. A peer leader is an upper year student that's also in your area of study (in this case, accounting) and they guide you through the year. They do things like resume critique, group dinners, study sessions, etc. I can't give you a personal account since I didn't do it but a lot of my classmates did it and a lot of them opted to continue on with upper year living learning, located at UWP. It's just a really easy way for you to get to know people in your program and to get homework help. But my recommendation is to go visit the campus if possible, it's definitely a great idea to visit the residences to get a feel for what you like. For example, the suite-style residences tend to be a lot quieter (since they're all self-contained) and the traditional ones tend to be easier to meet people (since you share the washroom and eat in a cafeteria). Sorry if this is a big ramble...I worked as a tour guide for the year so I tend to give my whole spiel every time residence questions come up...>.<

The workload is definitely manageable. In your fall term you take: Introduction to North American Business (just general business, a little bit of everything, accounting, marketing, management, etc.), Financial Accounting, Psychology, Microeconomics, and an elective. If you've taken high school accounting, then you won't need to worry about financial accounting, it's basically review of what you did before. And the other courses should be fairly manageable as well. Winter term you take: calculus, managerial accounting, macroeconomics, computer science and an elective. The things that might be new to you is managerial accounting (which is not the same as financial) and perhaps computer science. After microeconomics, macro will feel easy because it's a lot of the same material. Computer science doesn't involve programming, you learn Excel, Wikis, Search Engines, HTML, and...maybe something else..don't remember. However, if you've taken computer science in high school, you can be exempted from this and can take another elective.

I can't really speak for what jobs will be available for after the AFM program, since I myself haven't graduated yet. However, you are correct that we cannot obtain PA jobs (ie. the BIG 4 accounting firm jobs). By not able to obtain, I mean that we cannot view their job listings through our job postings site (jobmine). This does not mean that you cannot obtain a PA job. Many upper years that I know, have been able to obtain Big 4 jobs despite being in the FM stream. It just means that you will need to apply for those externally. There was only one student that was able to obtain offerings for all 4 Big 4 firms, and this student was an FM student. So definitely don't despair if that's something that you were afraid of. Also, if you're interested in finance, this is something that only students in the FM stream can achieve because the way that our coop terms work, only the FM students can take the finance courses.

As mentioned before, we have a jobs posting site, so we apply to jobs through that. If you are able to obtain a job on your own, then you are more than welcome to do that as well.

I hope I didn't ramble too much...hope this helped and definitely feel free to ask for clarification if needed!

thanks a bunch for this !!

AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE, i really wanted to take psychology too ^^

[Guest o1honey]

so... just wondering, when do you apply for osap for 2nd year and onward..?

I got rejected last year and i want to apply again >o<"

Do i have to go to needle's hall anytime soon though? because i'm currently out of the country haha xD