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How important is a school's reputation?

Syed1

Syed1

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So as some of you may know that I was planning on shutting up shop and going back to Pakistan permanently in September, but unfortunately things happened in my life which have prevented me from doing so. While I'm 'stuck' here in Canada I figured I should do a part-time masters while working to build up my credentials that may help in my transition to Pakistan.

Now I only applied to two schools and got admitted in both. I stand infront of a forked road and hope that friends here on PP can help me make the decision.

The options are:


1. University of Toronto - Masters in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Very, very well-renowned and prestigious school. Ranked as the best university in Canada (overall and in engineering). Plenty of contacts with major employers. Unlimited budget and excellent research projects ongoing. Just a 20 minute drive from where I live, massive issues finding parking.



2. University of Ontario Information Technology - Masters in Automotive Engineering

A very new university (just 12 years old) but is rapidly rising through the ranks. Many people are still unaware about it. Their automotive engineering program is funded by General Motors and currently the school is involved in developing autonomous vehicle for GM. Graduates from this school has also managed to earn employment at other big car manufacturers like Tesla, Honda, Toyota etc. The campus is about 45-60 mins away from where I live (remember I will continue to work full-time). Finding parking isn't an issue.



My two main interests in life are automotive and robotics and hence the two choice of programs. I'm myself inclined towards option 2 since it opens alot more doors. The only drawback is UofT is a highly prestigious school whereas if I tell someone I did my masters from UOIT they will be like where????? :danish
 
Edit:

It is called University of Ontario Institute of Technology


:facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:


see this is why reputation matters, I'm admitted there and I still got the name wrong.
 
I did my master of engineering from UfT, but my decision was based on the content of the course.
personally, i do not care much about reputation of the institution, but in Pakistan, name does matter.
 
Black Zero said:
I did my master of engineering from UfT, but my decision was based on the content of the course.
personally, i do not care much about reputation of the institution, but in Pakistan, name does matter.
Click to expand...

May I ask what kind of engineering was your masters in and how did it help you in your career goals?
 
Syed1 said:
May I ask what kind of engineering was your masters in and how did it help you in your career goals?
Click to expand...

First, let me make a confession that I am very well be the worst (conventional) career adviser ever. (George Carlin is one of my Guru and I am very loyal to my Guru's teachings)

Master of engineering in telecommunications (Major: MANET...., also included cryptography and few business courses etc.)
I just checked, this program is not available now.

As I am not writing research papers so I would say it did not effect my career. (though i get discount on my auto insurance ).
 
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION], didn't you attend McGill? After McGill, won't this University of Ontario Institute of Technology place seem like a major step down, and look bad on resumes for a good while, even if it is up and coming? Toronto is much more reputable.
 
Nostalgic said:
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION], didn't you attend McGill? After McGill, won't this University of Ontario Institute of Technology place seem like a major step down, and look bad on resumes for a good while, even if it is up and coming? Toronto is much more reputable.
Click to expand...

Yes I went to McGill and this is why UOIT seems like a step down.
 
Nostalgic said:
I would go to Toronto. Take Ubers or hitch rides if need be, since parking is an issue.
Click to expand...

Thanks.. that what my friends and family were suggesting too. You are in the software side of things, how hard do you think it is to pick up C++?

I have done C during my undergrad, but I was looking at Machine Learning courses and those generally prefer C++..

I looked up online and there is website called SoloLearn that promises to teach you the ins and outs of it in quick time. Obviously it depends on how much time and effort one makes.
 
Syed1 said:
Thanks.. that what my friends and family were suggesting too. You are in the software side of things, how hard do you think it is to pick up C++?

I have done C during my undergrad, but I was looking at Machine Learning courses and those generally prefer C++..

I looked up online and there is website called SoloLearn that promises to teach you the ins and outs of it in quick time. Obviously it depends on how much time and effort one makes.
Click to expand...

I'm actually a hardware designer by training, by passion, and by temperament. Verilog is my language. However the last two years have been spent in validation, involving heavy use of C.

C wasn't too hard to pick up, even after not having done it for close to fifteen years. My only course in C was in my freshman undergrad year, and I hadn't touched it since. It is close enough to hardware that I just get it, but of course there's no substitute for experience. Simple and elegant approaches, knowing what works and what doesn't, the various nuances, the many implications of code, can only be learnt through experience.

C++ in my (admittedly limited) experience requires a completely different mindset, which I don't have and don't plan on ever cultivating. It involves thinking along lines that RTL coders like myself just don't do. Someone else may be able to tell you. [MENTION=136588]CricketCartoons[/MENTION] perhaps? A good book is far better than online courses though, and that applies to any language.
 
I think Python is the best language for ML if you want rapid prototyping, although C++ will beat it in terms of speed. Python will also be easier to learn. Anyway, ML is less about the language and more about the concepts.
 
CricketCartoons said:
I think Python is the best language for ML if you want rapid prototyping, although C++ will beat it in terms of speed. Python will also be easier to learn. Anyway, ML is less about the language and more about the concepts.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks... yeah I've heard C++ and Python are the go to languages for ML. As a mechanical engineer I wouldn't need to worry a great deal about the coding aspect, but knowing a programmable language is an added benefit while working in robotics.
 
Nostalgic said:
I'm actually a hardware designer by training, by passion, and by temperament. Verilog is my language. However the last two years have been spent in validation, involving heavy use of C.

C wasn't too hard to pick up, even after not having done it for close to fifteen years. My only course in C was in my freshman undergrad year, and I hadn't touched it since. It is close enough to hardware that I just get it, but of course there's no substitute for experience. Simple and elegant approaches, knowing what works and what doesn't, the various nuances, the many implications of code, can only be learnt through experience.

C++ in my (admittedly limited) experience requires a completely different mindset, which I don't have and don't plan on ever cultivating. It involves thinking along lines that RTL coders like myself just don't do. Someone else may be able to tell you. [MENTION=136588]CricketCartoons[/MENTION] perhaps? A good book is far better than online courses though, and that applies to any language.
Click to expand...

Thanks that is really helpful. My roommate from uni uses Verilog. He works for AMD and designs microprocessor chips for them. Seems interesting work, but it flies over my head.
 
If you can code in 1 programming language then learning new languages is not a big problem imo [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION]
Just requires time. Also for machine learning there are good courses on youtube, coursera, udacity
 
Go for University of Toronto. If you went to McGill then you don't want to see some new univ later in education section in your resume. Now this is just a general advice and I have no clue if it will make any difference in Pakistan.
 
Tbh I dont know much about engineering schools so take my opinion with a pinch of salt but as a layman I will say this:

McGill --> to this new Ontario school, would raise a red flag to anyone who doesnt specifically know about the merits of this particular program. And Im assuming majority of the people even in your field wouldn't know about this. Also it seems that there are very specific benefits of the program at this school which lacks a legacy and things can change any year. UofT has its own network and prestige which matters especilly if staying in Canada indefinitely isnt your thing

Though Id say more one thing. Distance and parking shouldnt be a consideration in most cases I would think. As is Im sure most of the classes will be weekends and at most one weekday evening so make the sacrifice which comes your way.
 
Slog said:
Tbh I dont know much about engineering schools so take my opinion with a pinch of salt but as a layman I will say this:

McGill --> to this new Ontario school, would raise a red flag to anyone who doesnt specifically know about the merits of this particular program. And Im assuming majority of the people even in your field wouldn't know about this. Also it seems that there are very specific benefits of the program at this school which lacks a legacy and things can change any year. UofT has its own network and prestige which matters especilly if staying in Canada indefinitely isnt your thing

Though Id say more one thing. Distance and parking shouldnt be a consideration in most cases I would think. As is Im sure most of the classes will be weekends and at most one weekday evening so make the sacrifice which comes your way.
Click to expand...

Thanks that is very helpful.
 
Buffet said:
Go for University of Toronto. If you went to McGill then you don't want to see some new univ later in education section in your resume. Now this is just a general advice and I have no clue if it will make any difference in Pakistan.
Click to expand...

Yeah UOIT pales in comparison to McGill. UofT would be equivalent or a step up.
 
A lot of my friends went to excellent universities but for pretty weird programs. Just like me, my friend also got into Univeristy of Toronto for computer science but he opted for a weird historical arts program for which he got into Cambridge. I think I did the right thing tbh. It's not just about what university you go to but what program you get in for and how good the program is at that university. In my program U of T is among the worlds best whereas in my friends case, Cambridge is not.
 
UofT.

I earned a Commerce degree from there but it's well-recognized for engineering too (you mentioned the advantages already). Reputation wise it's not even a fair fight tbh!

But I have friends who have done well after getting their degree from UOIT.
 
Quit everything and start playing Ludo professionally. You can be the first one in your field and be counted as one of the contributing innovators of our time. [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION]
 
I'd suggest stay clear from Automotive. I'm from Detroit...and while Automotive is stable right now there will be major changes in the next decade. Yes changes bring about opportunity, but as I mentioned before I'm surrounded by automotive companies and professionals and they keep complaining about getting pigeon holed in the industry. Meaning it gets pretty hard to switch over to a regular manufacturing firm or any other industry after you've spent a few years working in Automotive. But if that's where you want to be than go for it.

Another option is pursuing an MBA. You already have an engineering undergrad and if you want to move up within the corporate structure a mix of engineering and MBA is ideal..you can work in roles like Strategy, Corporate Development, or even Operations Management. Not a bad option to consider if you eventually want to be a big boss some day at a large Fortune 50 since you'll need some business background.
 
Syed1 said:
So as some of you may know that I was planning on shutting up shop and going back to Pakistan permanently in September, but unfortunately things happened in my life which have prevented me from doing so. While I'm 'stuck' here in Canada I figured I should do a part-time masters while working to build up my credentials that may help in my transition to Pakistan.

Now I only applied to two schools and got admitted in both. I stand infront of a forked road and hope that friends here on PP can help me make the decision.

The options are:


1. University of Toronto - Masters in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Very, very well-renowned and prestigious school. Ranked as the best university in Canada (overall and in engineering). Plenty of contacts with major employers. Unlimited budget and excellent research projects ongoing. Just a 20 minute drive from where I live, massive issues finding parking.



2. University of Ontario Information Technology - Masters in Automotive Engineering

A very new university (just 12 years old) but is rapidly rising through the ranks. Many people are still unaware about it. Their automotive engineering program is funded by General Motors and currently the school is involved in developing autonomous vehicle for GM. Graduates from this school has also managed to earn employment at other big car manufacturers like Tesla, Honda, Toyota etc. The campus is about 45-60 mins away from where I live (remember I will continue to work full-time). Finding parking isn't an issue.



My two main interests in life are automotive and robotics and hence the two choice of programs. I'm myself inclined towards option 2 since it opens alot more doors. The only drawback is UofT is a highly prestigious school whereas if I tell someone I did my masters from UOIT they will be like where????? :danish
Click to expand...
Your interest is in automotive so I would recommend UOIT as its program matches your interest. UOIT is in Oshawa and GM has a huge presence in Oshawa thats a big plus.
 
Syed1 said:
Thanks, I'll give it a try. Last night I was going through Python tutorials and it was alot easier than I thought. I have done C in my undergrad so this seemed piece of cake infront of that.
Click to expand...

Yes and Python is good for data science / machine learning. I should also start taking python tutorials.
 
No point driving to downtown without buying a permit, and for a 20 minute drive, just take the subway.

It won't take you more than a day to get familiar with C++ syntax. If you're already comfortable with pointers/memory management, only oop will be new in terms of syntax.
 
Update:

Going to UofT for Masters in Mechanical Engineering with two emphasizes Robotics & Mechatronics and Aerial Robotics.



Classes start January. Allah bachaye :59:
 
A school's reputation allows for it to charge 40k a year. That's why they accept minorities so they can brag about a " diverse student body " and charge more. There's a reason why the Ivy League schools are so esteemed, just look at their alumni and history.
 
Syed1 said:
Update:

Going to UofT for Masters in Mechanical Engineering with two emphasizes Robotics & Mechatronics and Aerial Robotics.



Classes start January. Allah bachaye :59:
Click to expand...

Good luck - will you be working alongside also?
 
Doing the same, taking 2 classes this semester while working 40 hours 9-5. Its really tiring but I think I'll survive.
 
Best of luck jigar. [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION]

Get a good degree and come back, with CPEC, lots of jobs coming!!!!
 
CricketCartoons said:
I think Python is the best language for ML if you want rapid prototyping, although C++ will beat it in terms of speed. Python will also be easier to learn. Anyway, ML is less about the language and more about the concepts.
Click to expand...


I have used R, Python, RapidMiner and saw others using TensorFlow and Kali (for parallel/deep learning and audio intelligence) for ML.
 
If you are interested in ML and robotics, Python is probably the best language to learn as its not too hard and has libraries for both ML and robotics.. Also, wherever efficiency is needed, there are CPython modules(Python modules written in C) are available.

As a side note, UofT's machine learning department was set up by Geoff Hinton, who is one of the leading, if not the leading researcher in Deep Learning.
 
Syed1 said:
Update:

Going to UofT for Masters in Mechanical Engineering with two emphasizes Robotics & Mechatronics and Aerial Robotics.



Classes start January. Allah bachaye :59:
Click to expand...

Best of Luck, bro :)

Chasing dreams is not easy, especially in this day and age, therefore I must commend your determination.
 
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