Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) is known around the world for their Mathematics and Computing Contests (Fermat, Hypatia, Euclid, etc) and the workshops they arrange for students and teachers.   Since proficiency in mathematics is so important for engineering, we always support and recommend participation in those things.

More recently, CEMC has launched some online courses that are of potential interest, especially the Grade 12 mathematics and introductory computing courses.  There are two math courses, “Advanced Functions”  and “Calculus and Vectors”, and these are based on what Ontario high school students take (and similar to other Canadian provincial curricula).  “Advanced Functions” is what some curricula (like in the U.S.) would call Pre-calculus.

Our first-year engineering curriculum is based on the assumption that our in-coming students have a strong background in these two courses.  So for students starting engineering this September (whether at Waterloo or any other Ontario university) it might be a good review or test to go through the material and see how well you really know it.  For students starting Grade 11 this September, if you want something to do you could start working through the Advanced Functions course for a head start.  Maybe it will help boost your marks.

As I mentioned in another post, for students with no programming experience the CEMC introductory Python course would be useful, and having some experience with Web basics might be a good skill to have for future jobs.