Recurring Important Tasks

• Reapply for AFE if you are a Québec resident.
• Register/Drop your classes for Summer, Fall and Winter semester.
• Add your courses and check out how it will look like via: "Student Center" > "Class Schedule Builder"
• Renew your student ID if it's close to expiration date before the semester starts.
• Get your reduced OPUS fare online and get it shipped to your place. August 1st is when you can start to apply for the upcoming year's card.
• Check out where your classes are and have a general idea of what your schedule looks like.
• Pay your student fees by the end of the first month.
• How to access WiFi at Concordia?
• Opt-out of Concordia's health and dental insurance if you don't need it.
• Check out the Academic Calendar.

Freshman's Starterpack // 1st Year Undergraduate

Important Tasks to Complete for 1st Years

• Get your student ID. You need your admission letter to get your card. Head over there 1 to 3 weeks before the semester starts. 1st place in super crowded location during the start of the semester.
• Get your reduced OPUS fare. You can get this online: MyConcordia > Student Services > Online OPUS card request. But, you have to be full-time for that semester and have your student ID photo taken so, get your student ID first. This is another place with an awfully long line.
• Get your ENCS student account. You need this to log in to the school's computer and to submit your assignments online. Head over to the Student Centre.
• Register and take the Engineering Writing Test if you are in Engineering or Computer Science(ENCS). If you want to register for ENCS 282 which is a requirement for your higher-level classes, you need to take the test and pass.
• If you want to use your calculator for midterm/finals, you need to get an ENCS approved sticker. Check if your calculator is on this list and get that approval sticker.
• Books? If you are absolutely sure that you need those books, order online and pick them up in-store. Yeah, don't go to the bookstore during those first two weeks. The lines are dreadful.
• Want to get some Developer goodies? GitHub Student Developer Pack.
• Keep this handy Academic Calendar saved somewhere. Note down at least when the payment deadlines, drop/DISC deadlines and holidays are.
• To register for ENCS 282, you need to pass the Engineering Writing Test.

ENCS Exclusives

• Dropping a class and it's past the DISC deadline?
  • Up until the final exam, you can drop a class. There's something called a late-DISC. If you are really sure that you will fail the final and the class because you were swamped with other classes, don't fret. Apply for a late DISC, give a reason and it will get accepted. You won't fail the class. It would just show up as DISC on your transcript. Just don't go taking that final after you get approved.
• All possible ENCS Courses.

Registration

• Literally have no clue what courses you have to take? Check out your department's respective course sequence.
• Register for your courses as soon as you can. When registration is open, it's open for Summer, Fall and Winter. Spots do fill up.
• General electives for Computer Science can be found here. These are the preapproved ones that you will get credited for as general electives. Other ones, you should ask your advisor about the credits unless you just want to take the class because well it's fun.
• Actually have a choice of which prof to take? Checkout RatemyProfessors.
• Unless you are a morning person or live literally under 30 minutes away from school, don't take 8h45 classes. Heck, even 10h15 classes feel early at times. Likewise, some classes can end at 23h30 so check out when your tutorial/labs end and adjust your schedule if you can. Some labs and tutorials are not mandatory so you don't have to go. Just make sure to see if it's worthwhile by attending them during the second week of class.
• Cannot enrol into a mandatory class? Send an email to your program advisor. You can find your respective advisor if you scroll down in your "Student Centre" page. Before that: check out if you are missing the requirements.
  • Co-requisite: You have to be enrolled in the respective courses at the same time.
  • Pre-requisite: You have to take the course before enrolling in this current course.
• Restrictions: Some courses give priority to certain majors. So if you are trying to enrol in a Software Engineering section and you are in Computer Science, you are most likely not going to get in that class unless there are free spots at the start of the semester. Even then, some class sections won't open up so check back during the beginning of the semester.
• Waitlisted? Just wait around and be patient. People tend to drop classes around during the first two weeks of school before the DROP deadline.

Finance and Budgeting

• Loans and Bursaries: AFE (Aide financière aux études) for Québec Residents
  • Program Code for those forms.
  • You need to get that Guarantee Certificate from the university. That is what you will use to show the bank in order to get those loans.
  • You need to be full-time / take 12 credits per semester to stay eligible. The bursaries stop after your 30th month and you will only get loans afterwards. If you happen to go part-time (take <12 credits/semester) and are not back to being full-time after 6 months, you will be expected to pay back the loans.
  • You get $$$ in September and January. AFE will check that you are full-time at the end of September and January to make sure that you are still full-time.
  • NOTE: If you drop your classes after the drop deadline, you will still be technically considered full-time since you have to pay for those classes.
• In need of money, but want a job at school? Check out Work-Study.
• Already have health and dental insurance? Don't forget to opt-out at the beginning of the semester from the StudentCare.
• Want to trade some of your time for money? You can opt-out from some club's levy-fee. But, be aware that there's no online opt-out for these fees. You have to go visit each club you want to opt-out in order to get some money back. There is an opt-out period during the beginning of the semester so keep a heads up for this. UPDATE: You can send them an email and OPT-OUT now!
• Settling Payments? You can pay your school fees online. But, avoid using Visa/MasterCard for payment unless you want to pay the convenience fee which is 1.75%.
• Payment Due Date: You have until the end of the month to pay your tuition fees without getting hit by the late fees. So for Fall, the payment becomes due on September 1st but the final day for payment is September 31st.

Books and Supplies

• CS Freshman classes: COMP 248, COMP 232, COMP 233, COMP 228, SOEN 287
  • You don't need to actually buy the books. You can live with using online resources. If you need those books, Libgen and get the PDFs. Older editions are OK. These books are heavy and a pain to carry around so if you must refer to books, go for these PDFs.
• Complementaries / General Electives:
  • It really depends on the class. Some classes actual require them so make sure to attend the first class of the semester and see what the prof says.
  • Amongst the electives that I have taken, the ones that needed books or it was highly recommended: LING 222, PHIL 210.
  • Ones that I have taken without needing the book: ENCS 282, ENCS 393, PHYS 284, INST 250.
• School Supplies: If you are hunting for school supplies, be on the lookout for deals around late-July until late-August. You can get yourself a $0.10 CAD Hilroy notebook at that time.
• Buying Books? Please if you don't want to hate yourself, don't go to the bookstore for the first two weeks of school. The lineup will take you around ~30 minutes because all the students have the same idea as you: to get their books when the semester starts. You will have to wait to get into the store and to pay. If you are absolutely certain that you need those books, order online and pick them up in-store.
• Don't forget to check out for secondhand books. Most profs don't require you to have a specific edition of a book so you can save $$$.
• Clickers: Some profs use this as attendance trackers, but hey it's potential free points. Pricey to buy as new. Scout for a used one on FB, Concordia's subreddit, Kijiji or Concordia's Bookshop. You need to register them on Moodle or MyConcordia.

Classes

• Attend the first class at least. If you are going to skip class afterwards, that's up to you. But, the first day of class is important because you can acquire the following goods: knowledge about whether your prof can teach, whether you need the book, potential friends/teammates, passwords for the prof's site where they post their notes ...
• Course Outline and Syllabus: You are looking at your class's roadmap. If you want a guide om how to keep up with the class, this is a good indicator of what you will be taught.
• Moodle: This is where professors put up their lecture slides, reading recommendations, assignments... Profs will tell you where they will be updating their notes so if it's not Moodle, it might be their personal site that is locked with a password.
• Tutorials and Labs: Sometimes they are mandatory and other times no. No tutorial and labs for the first week. Tutorials and labs start during the second week of class. You're the judge. See if they bring value to your learning. If not, well, change sections or use that time to do whatever you like.
• Assignments: If you are in Computer Science or Software Engineering, there are theoretical and coding assignments. Most of the coding ones are submitted are either on Moodle or on EAS.
• Midterms: Most of the time it's during the 7th week which is around the end of October for Fall and before/after Reading Week Winter. That's one of the busiest weeks of the semester so set up a reminder at least a week before midterm so you can actually study and not cram study. You can call it hell week because having assignments due on that week, plus having classes and examinations. You can see what I mean.
• Finals: By around week 4 or 5 of the semester, you can check your "My Student Centre" for when your finals are. Check if there are any conflicts. Worst case is that you have 2 exams on the same day... But unless you happen to have 3 exams within 24 hours, you cannot really change that.

Online Classes

• These classes open up at the start of the semester. Bookmark this page.
• These are still classes. You just don't have to be physically there for class. You still have to study for them and it requires more discipline to stay on track.
• Assure that you set aside some time to actually listen to the online lectures and participate. Treat it like a regular class and schedule a time slot for it if you must.
• You may have to pay additional fees to access the course's site. This fee tends to include a digital textbook with it so before buying that book, check that out before spending another $100+ on a textbook.

Online Special Edition: COVID-19

• Your professors would probably being using Zoom to teach so it's best to download the Zoom app.
• Don't forget to mute your video and camera before entering the lecture!
• Most professors would be recording their lectures on posting it on Yuja but you don't have to worry too much about knowing what Yuja is.
• Zoom versions of "Tutorials" tend to not to be recorded, but ask your TAs and professors to make sure.
• Examinations: They tend to be on Moodle. But, some professors might use the infamous Proctrio to administer their examinations. Check your syllabus for this. If you are unsure, feel free to ask your professor.

Stress, Grades and Time Management

• So a new adventure awaits. A heads up is that most classes in Computer Science and Software Engineering are curved. Even if you get a legit 28% on the midterm, don't fret. If the class average is around 40%, you are more or less alright. You still have a high chance of passing the final and the class.
• Pay special attention to how you are graded for the classes. Sometimes, you can get away with not doing an assignment and it will only dock you 5%. Time is a commodity. Figure out what you want to prioritise or you will be doing a half-arse job on everything.
• Percentage grades do not directly translate letter grades.
• So do those assignments to your best ability because you actually learn more applying the material. Keep up with the lectures. Take the midterm. Take the final and you will be alright. There might be times that you have to do some readings but most of the time you can survive without reading the textbook. Well for CS-related classes that is.
• If you really do get stuck with the class material, visit your professor's office hours. They can help you clarify part of the material. Just make sure you know what you don't understand instead of asking for a review of the entire class.
• A small heads up about letter grades for 200s level courses: if your upper-level course requires this class as a prereq, you need to get a minimum C-. "D+" means you passed the class but you have to retake this class again later or you will get stuck and not be able to register for some of your required classes.

GPA

• GPA: So you need an annual GPA of 2.00 to be considered in acceptable standing. That's a "C" average which isn't as difficult considering that the classes tend to get curved to at least a "B-" average. Just be around class average and you are more or less good.
• If your GPA is 1.50 to 1.99, you would be put in conditional standing. But, this GPA assessment happens only if you attempt 12 credits within one year(Summer/Fall/Winter). So you messed up your first semester in Fall, you still have the Winter semester to boost up your GPA. More information about Academic Standing.
• You are in trouble if your GPA is < 1.50 though.
• NOTE: During your 1st year, your GPA can easily go up and down since you haven't taken that many classes. As you begin taking more classes, your overall GPA(cGPA) would stabilise somewhere. If your general average is around a B, getting an A- won't bring your GPA up by much in your 2nd or 3rd year. Likewise, getting a C- wouldn't kill it as much as getting it in 1st year.

Sophomore's Starterpack // 2nd Year Undergraduate

Important Notes for 2nd Years

• You can get stuck with registering for your classes this year if you land on these conditions:
  • Missing prerequisites. Ideally, before taking your 300s classes, you should have completed most of your 200s level ones.
  • Having taken a 200 level class, passed it with a "D+ or lower" and it is a prerequisite for your higher level class. You have to retake the class and get at least a "C-" before being able to register for the upper-level ones.
  • Trying to register to 400s level classes without completing all your 200s level classes.
  • Registering for classes and they are offered once a year. Be on the lookout for which classes are offered all year round and which ones are Fall-only and Winter-only.

Classes

• Congrats on making it to second year. You have gone through most of your intro classes and lived. This year is packed with much more fun classes. They will require more work than your first-year classes so anticipate that. This is also the year where you start to take your specialisation/major-related electives.
• Each specialisation has to take a different amount of credits for electives. There are four types of electives: General, Math, Computer Science and relating to your specialisation. Check out how many elective credits you need.
• UPDATE - December 2020: Restrictions based on your specialisation (e.g. having to take mandatory Computer Games option classes) will cease in the upcoming semesters. Those who have been admitted in Winter 2021, or who would like change their concentration to the General Program may do so. More details about this change can be found over here for COMP and over here for SOEN. Being in the general program means that you can take upper level classes in whichever specialisation given that you have the pre-requisite for it.
• Starting this year, you will find more opportunities to work in groups as some assignments require you to be in a group.
• COMP 352 - Data Structures and Algorithms: is the most important class that you will be taking in your Computer Science Core. This is the class that you need to pay the most attention to. It may 3 credits, but it will not feel like the 3 credits classes that you have taken in the past. Failing this class will prevent you from taking higher-level classes until you pass it.

Grades

• If you are done taking your 200s level classes, you are now free from the "C-" is a pass condition. Although, you shouldn't be striving on getting "D-" in a class at this stage since it will slightly hurt your GPA. However, getting a "D-" in your 300s level classes is considered a pass.
• It's always easier to drop your cGPA than it is to raise it. You can still influence your GPA at this stage. It shouldn't drastically increase unless you happen to go from a cGPA which is around a "C" to getting mostly "B+"s in your class. If you can try to keep your cGPA above 3.00 which is B if you want to apply for some bigger tech companies or if you are aiming for graduate school.
• Trust the curve. You will pass the class if you are somewhere near the class average and do the assignments.

Projects and Portfolio

• As you progress during this year, you will have some projects that can add to your GitHub. Even if they are school projects, they definitely look better than no projects.
• If you have no clue what Git is... Time to learn. If you are going to work on projects, knowing some basic commands like "git add", "git commit", "git push" is important.
• This is also the year where you stand a chance of getting internships because you have gone past the basic Java class. If you completed COMP 352, you will at least know some terms that the interviewers will use during the interviews.
• If you don't feel particularly ready or confident in your coding abilities, you can spend this time working on side-projects. Pick a programming language that you are interested in and try to work on a project in your own time. The most important part is to dabble around first to find something that you are interested to work on then commit time to work on it. It's easier to just dabble around and partially complete stuff but that's not very fulfilling.

Junior, Senior and Beyond Starterpack // 3rd Year Undergraduate and +

Important Notes for 3rd Years +

• So, welcome to your third and potentially final year. You'll probably be getting a couple of emails about graduation despite not having enough credits to graduate yet. To see how many credits you have up to date, check your "Unofficial Transcript". Student Centre > My Academic > View my unofficial transcript
• Have no clue which courses you have left to take?
  • Check out your Academic Requirements via: Student Center > My Academic > View my advisement report. The courses might be a bit off especially in the general elective and computer science electives section, but what matters is you figure out what you have left to take.
• UPDATE - December 2020: Restrictions based on your specialisation (e.g. having to take mandatory Computer Games option classes) will cease in the upcoming semesters. Those who have been admitted in Winter 2021, or who would like change their concentration to the General Program may do so. More details about this change can be found over here for COMP and over here for SOEN. Being in the general program means that you can take upper level classes in whichever specialisation given that you have the pre-requisite for it.
• You will get stuck with your classes this year if you don't check out which classes are offered in which semester. Some Computer Science specialisation like "Web Services and Applications" only offer certain upper-level courses in either Fall or Winter but not both. If you are missing prerequisites, you might end up waiting another year to take that required class.
• You can start running out of classes to take and become part-time this year. If you are getting $$$ from AFE, this is not good unless you want to start paying interest and student debt before graduating. If you really have no other classes to take and want to still be full-time so you don't have to pay those debts back, take extra courses. Try to take something that is at least interesting since you'll be paying for it.

Missing literally one credit from ENGR/COMP elective to graduate?

• You are eligible to apply for ENGR 411 - Technical Report. You will need to get the approval of your Undergraduate Program Director and your advisor.
• Note: If you are planning on applying for this, you should submit the request earlier because there's a deadline before the semester starts normally.
• In short, you have to write a 20 page research proposal on the topic of your choice. The topic should be related to Engineering/Computer Science and it needs to get approved by the UPD.
• The format is similar to the essays that you wrote back in ENCS 282 and ENCS 393. Just stick to a referencing style such as APA, MLA.... Provide the problem that you will be trying to resolve then the solution that you propose. Of course, you need to add in the details, full bibliography and potential diagrams.
• The deadline is the last day of the semester that you'll be potentially graduating at.

Projects and Portfolio

• This is the year where:
  • Your class projects are résumé and portfolio-worthy.
  • You will be taking mostly your specialised classes and you will be spending more time on assignments than class material.
  • You will have to work in groups most likely. Some profs that will let you work alone on the assignments but they will be time-consuming. It's probably better to work in a group to complete it and divide up the work.
• Side-projects? It would ideal if you have some additional non-school projects to add to your portfolio. Interviewers like to ask you about them especially if you don't have any work experience. You do not need to have a ton of projects. What is most important is that you have 1-2 projects that you have worked on from start to finish. It doesn't have to a super long project either.
• Too many programming languages/frameworks/technologies and too little time?
  • In the ideal world, a programmer would know about every single framework, programming languages and IDE before starting work. But, we don't live in such an ideal world.
  • Work on the programming languages that you have to work with for class and learn what you can from them.
  • No one is forcing you to study a certain framework/language outside of class and work. It's up to you to build your knowledge in the area that you want to become stronger at. Pick the ones that actually interest you.

Graduation Info

Congratulations on almost getting to the end your degree! Or well, you'll be completing it very shortly at least!

• Before applying for graduation, check if you will have all the requirements to graduate this semester.
• Student Center > My Academics > View my advisement report
• After you check that you have all the requirements. It's time to apply!
• Here's a link on how you can apply for graduation
• Note: You need to clear your potential payment debt that you have by a certain date!

When you are approved, congratulations! You'll be officially done with your degree after this semester!

Good Luck and enjoy rest of your last semester!

This might be end of your undergraduate's journey, but I wish you the best for the start of your career and future endeavours!

Keep your head up and I'm certain things will work out better than you expect even if you're feeling lost right now!

Opportunities

• Before jumping to hunt for opportunities, you should have a general idea of your priorities.
• You should consider taking some time to think about these following questions:
  • Which programming languages do I enjoy? Which ones do I dread? Which ones do I just not care?
  • Which industry am I aiming for after graduation? What languages are they using there? Do I need to have a portfolio?
  • Which companies are the ones that I really want to apply to and would accept the job offer if I was given the opportunity?
  • What about that company do I like? Is it just the $$$?
  • Which companies would I dread working at? What makes me not want to apply there?
  • Am I willing to relocate to work there? How's the living cost in that city?
  • What is my lowest accepted paid per hour? What about my highest?
  • How long am I willing to work each week?
  • These types of questions will help you set the standards of your ideal job listing.
• First time applying for a job as a developer? You might not have the opportunity to be picky with the type of job you want unless you have illustrated stronger programming skills via self-study, side-projects, internships and competitions...
  • It's literally a number game.
  • Compile a list of the top companies that you want to work at. Compile a list of companies that you don't mind working at. Compile a list of companies that you don't want to work at.
  • Just go down the list and apply. Unless you need the $$$, don't apply for the companies that you don't want to work at. Having money is nicer than no money, but nothing crushes your soul faster than hating yourself each day to go work at a place that goes against everything you stand for.
  • Aim for applying around 10x listings a week. You can easily tire yourself out with applying if you do 5+ applications each day. See it as a side-job. You are more testing your water to see what type of replies you get.
  • It can literally take up to 2 months before you get a response so if you aren't getting any reply within 2 weeks, don't worry. Just keep on applying. You'll get some kind of response.
• Remember COMP 352 - Data Structures and Algorithms? Well, this is where that class comes into play. Time invested in reviewing topics from that class will greatly favour you. Some companies won't ask about any of this but some companies like to take their interview questions from this particular book.
• ENCS Career Fair happens once a semester so if you just want to explore your options, check back for some events.
• Tips to write a résumé or cover letter?

AFE's Loan Repayments

• Conditions for Loan Repayments:
  • #1 - Graduating.
  • #2 - If you are taking less than 12 credits per semester before DROP deadline.
• When? The 6-month Government Interest Rate starts the month after your final semester at Concordia or the month after DROP deadline.
• This 6-month option is the DEFAULT option among the 3 methods of repayment. If you don't contact the financial institution where you got your loans, your repayment method, this is the default. It is not interest-free. You will start your repayment after those 6 months with your student loans + interests. You can contact your respective financial institution to discuss your repayment options.
• If you have $$$ to pay off those loans in full, you can do so by going to the financial institution, upto the day prior to the "end of total exemption". This can be found when you log onto AFE > Your File > Full-time loan
  • On the bottom of that page, your loan amount is indicated. Make sure to recalculate the loans from your previous awarded years.
  • AFE > Your File > Student debt load > "Debt load for award year"
  • AFE > Your File > Assistance award
  • Your total loans from those two areas should add up. If not, you need to give AFE a call.
• The last option is just paying the interests for those next 6 months.
• The 6-month period ended and you are having trouble financially? You can try applying for "Deferred Payment Plan".

Glossary

• AFE: Aide financière aux études - Provides loans and bursaries to permanent Québec residents.
• Annual GPA: GPA accessment for the academic year (Summer, Fall and Winter).
• cGPA: Cumulative GPA
• Co-requisites: Courses that you must be enrolled to concurrently.
• Computer science core: Courses that must be taken by all Computer Science students regardless of their specialisation.
• CS: Computer Science
• DISC: Withdrawing from a class with "DISC" written on your transcript. No effect on GPA.
• DROP: Dropping from a class with no trace on your transcript.
• EAS: Electronic Assignment Submission - Site where you will submit your assignments if your prof doesn't use Moodle.
• Electives: Courses that you take in addition to your core classes. You have a choice of which classes you want to take.
• ENCS: Engineering and Computer Science
• Fall semester: September to December.
• Mid-term break: 1 week without classes in winter semester.
• Moodle: Site where professors put up their lecture slides, reading recommendations, assignments...
• Pre-requisites: Courses that you have to take before enrolling.
• Summer semester: Early-May until late-August.
• U#: Undergraduate and Year. For example, U3 - 3rd year undergraduate.
• Winter semester: January to early-May.
• Y#: Year of Study. Most of the time, it's related to the types of classes you are taking. If you are in Y3 or 3rd year, regardless of how many years you have been at this university, you are implying that you are taking upper-level classes. Interchangeable with U3.

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