
The best $100,000 investment of my life
Enthusiastic new alumnus Bo Peng (BCS '18) shares how his ݮƵ degree and connections are invaluable.
Enthusiastic new alumnus Bo Peng (BCS '18) shares how his ݮƵ degree and connections are invaluable.
By Bo Peng (BCS '18) Alumnus“Is a degree from the University of ݮƵ worth paying $100,000 in tuition fees and living expenses?”This is a question I’ve heard many students bring up, including myself. Having studied at ݮƵ for over three years now, I’ve realized why this $100,000 investment is absolutely worth it.
The main return on investment of a UݮƵ degree is thenetwork of ݮƵ alumni, staff, and students. In my brief university career, there have been numerous moments where the ݮƵ network has helped me out. Here are four memorable experiences where I’ve realized the value of the ݮƵ network effect first hand.
1. Unlocking career opportunities through the ݮƵ network of alumni.
Thanks to the hard work of ݮƵ staff and alumni, there’s thousands of co-op postings on ݮƵWorks (formerly Jobmine). I’ve also found great success by tapping into the ݮƵ network. During interviews, I’ve heard several times “Oh you’re from ݮƵ, one of our engineers is also from ݮƵ.” Just like that, I’ve gained instant credibility from mentioning I was a ݮƵ student. In my last two co-op terms at Axon and Addepar, I even helped convince my employers to hire UݮƵ students through ݮƵWorks.
2. Building long-lasting friendships.
Through my studies at UݮƵ and co-op terms, I’ve met many incredible people, and built great friendships. Due to ݮƵ’s well recognized co-op program there were always other ݮƵ students to connect with in the cities I traveled to for work, so making friends was a less daunting task. In ten years from now, I’m certain that some of my best friends will be the individuals I met as a student at UݮƵ.
3. Exploring the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with a ݮƵ Math lecturer.
During my recent co-op term, I travelled to Boulder, Colorado to visit my friend Justin, a fellow ݮƵ student who was interning in the area. Coincidentally, we discovered that Martin (our former MATH239 lecturer) was also in the area, so we planned an impromptu trip up to the Rocky Mountains. As you can probably tell, it was quite chilly and windy at an altitude of 12,000 feet!
4. Diving into the world of entrepreneurship through the Velocity community.
During Fall 2015, I lived at the Velocity Residence, which offers students an opportunity to live in an innovative and entrepreneurship focused environment. Although I didn’t work on a start-up, it was an amazing experience living with other ambitious students. I’ve built strong friendships with many of the people I’ve met, and I’m sure our paths will cross again. In fact, two residents from the fall cohort were namedfor their entrepreneurial ventures!
So here I am today, I have no regrets in choosing ݮƵ. Thank you alumni, staff, and students for all the work done in building the ݮƵ network. I hope you’ll join me in continuing to strengthen the network and provide new opportunities to current, past, and future students.
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The University of ݮƵ acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.