End of Year One Reflection
August 16, 2025 | Photo above: Lunar eclipse day dorm photo at MKV
Introduction
I was supposed to write a blog post at the beginning of the year, but I suppose that the official end of first year works too. I'll mostly be talking (ranting) about some of the thoughts I've had on my experience here at Waterloo so far (which my roommate has had the misfortune of hearing multiple times).
P.S. Yes, I write with em-dashes, and no, I did not AI generate this blog. They're actually pretty nifty to use!
It's Not That Bad
Hot take: The Waterloo campus isn't even bad. Over the past year, it's slowly grown on me to the point where it feels like a second home. It's like the permanently negative aura associated with League of Legends, where established players warn everybody and anybody away—but why are they still playing it? There are plenty of cool facilities or amenities, and in the end, fun is the people you surround yourself with.
No Place I'd Rather Be
I keep telling my roommate/parents this. Over the past year, I feel as if I'm a completely different person than when I first set foot in Kitchener, Ontario. The people I've met here are some of the most driven and competitive. They're always building something new and hustling for the next big breakthrough. Point being, the environment here just drives you forward.
In the first four months, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was maintaining a great GPA and work-life balance while getting accustomed to university life. But I was stagnant. Enter semester two...
Obligatory Co-op Mention
Did I mention the co-op program? The job search hit me like a truck. Just as I was starting to feel complacent, the cold, hard reality shook me out of it. In what other program do students, 4 or 8 months fresh into university, get thrown into the mandatory internship gauntlet? Yes, it was extremely stressful, but it was also a necessary nudge to get me back on track. If I were anywhere else, I would be taking my good old, sweet time through college.
In recent years, there has also been this perception that finding a co-op has been harder than ever, which I can agree with. However, the fact is that many first years are able to find a placement even without substantial experience. In fact, I didn't receive a single interview from my first 100 WaterlooWorks applications, and my second interview ever went so badly that I cringe thinking about it. Yet, each reality check provides the fuel for improvement in this crucible.
The Impostor Syndrome
It can also get incredibly toxic. With Twitter/Linkedin, nowadays comparison is easier than ever. For many of the students here who competed for their chance here at this selective program, a competitive drive is almost second nature—and I noticed myself feeling the same pressure. Doomscrolling through the artificially curated achievements posted on these social networks can be extremely humbling and inspire self-doubt. In the end, though, everybody's path is unique, and the only real thing I could do was to work on myself.
Looking on the Bright Side
Over the past year, I feel as if I'm a completely different person - Me, 2025
I'm incredibly grateful for the privilege of learning at Waterloo for the next several years—and I wouldn't have it any other way. Through this first year, I've been held accountable for my shortcomings while also being given the opportunity to make something more out of it. Although I began university with only my competitive programming experience, if I'm just counting from the beginning of the year:
- I found my first internship
- I maintained my GPA (second semester job search was a struggle 😩)
- I won a hackathon (and participated in at least 3 more)
- I learned frontend and built this portfolio website
- I learned robotics from Watonomous
- I learned cloud computing and got my first AWS certification
There's probably more that I've forgotten, but I digress. By putting these brief feelings of inadequacy to work in this highly motivational environment, I've been taking little steps forward one at a time. Though I definitely haven't fulfilled my ultimate goals yet, it's my hope that one day, all the small building blocks which I've painstakingly shaped will culminate in something grander.
Here's to round two!
