orientation, Author at Engineering Science 3T0 Orientation

Welcome to the EngSci Common Room! This is a place only open to EngSci students. It offers study spaces, foosball tables, video games, vending machines, and more. Located in Bahen Centre, the Common Room is open 24/7 during the school year and to access it, all you need is your T-Card.

The “room” is actually two rooms connected by internal doors: a study space in the front (BA 2128) and a lounge at the back (BA 2124). It holds a lot of people: we once found more than 90 chairs in the room! You can see flyers, notices, and memes plastered all around the room. There are also cabinets filled with old textbooks, handbooks, and solution manuals.

Study Spaces

Study Spaces in the Common Room

The Common Room has ample space for studying, mostly concentrated in the front room. Most of the space is designed for collaborative studying with a chalkboard and several whiteboards available to use. There are also rooms for quiet study, or for group work. The Common Room can get quite noisy when it gets busy during the day, especially during lunch.

EngSci Club Office

The Common Room is also home to the EngSci Club office. If you have any questions about university, EngSci, or academic support, they can direct you to resources. The EngSci Club also offers lockers that students can rent throughout the year. This can be helpful for commuter students who want to store some of their belongings on campus.

Community

In the back room (lounge), there is a large table next to a blackboard, where you’ll see EngScis hold group review sessions, draw memes, and work on problem sets, among other things, often while having lunch. In addition, this is a space where you can play foosball or video games, stream movies on the TV, and/or microwave your lunch. This is where you can relax and hang out with friends.

Note: Please remember that this is YOUR shared space. Treat it like your home, cleanup after yourself and do not damage anything.

Etiquette

For EngSci Students Only

The Common Rooms are spaces for EngSci students only. When studying or socializing with non-EngSci students, you are encouraged to use other U of T spaces. To find study spaces around campus, you can also use the Sync Search app here.

Please do not admit students you don’t know to the rooms. This is to protect everyone’s safety.

Keep It Clean

EngSci students are responsible for keeping the EngSci Common Rooms clean and tidy! Eat only in the designated areas and clean up any mess you make. There are recycling and waste bins in each room—use them!

While caretaking staff empty our waste bins daily, they are NOT responsible for picking up trash from tables or floors.

Please help EngSci be sustainable. Sort waste and recycling materials into the correct bins.

Do not do anything that would leave stains or permanent marks on common room facilities, including the furniture. Getting carpets or upholstery cleaned is expensive and comes out of EngSci’s budget.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect others who share the space. When partaking in loud activities in the back room (e.g. watching movies, playing foosball), close the doors so others can study in the front. Talking is of course allowed, and collaboration is encouraged, but limit your volume to avoid disturbing others. The common room also shares a wall with the EngSci office and boisterous activities disturbs work there.

Never Leave Belongings Unattended

Regarding security, thefts have happened in these rooms. Never leave your belongings unattended. Do not let anyone you don’t know into the common room, and do not prop the door open. U of T buildings are open to the public much of the week. Never leave valuables unattended because laptops have been stolen. This applies to U of T spaces in general.

Security Cameras

Please note that the rooms are equipped with video cameras for everyone’s safety and security. Your activities may be recorded.

Most importantly, use your Common Room common sense!

How do you get to school? There are many ways to get to Skule™, whether you live uptown or rent somewhere far from campus. Here are some common methods of transportation, along with some tips. You may want to plan out your daily commute before the term starts, so pay attention!

Biking

Did you know biking is often faster than driving downtown? Some students bike to school because it’s healthy, fast, and fun.

Be sure to check the City’s guide to cycling in Toronto for information including maps, parking, laws, and integration with public transit. If you haven’t biked in Toronto before, it’s also worth checking out the City’s guide to Winter Cycling for safety tips, information about bike lanes and the TTC policy on taking bikes if you plan to combine biking with public transit. Lastly, for a list of bike shares, bike racks, and bike storage/parking, take a look at U of T’s Maps. Enjoy your rides and make sure to lock your bike!

Interesting to Know:

Sterling Huang, one of your blog admin Monika’s fellow 2T9s, has created a Toronto cyclist-focused navigation app called BikeTO on the App Store.

For a list of bike shares, racks, storage/parking, and maintenance spots, check out U of T’s Maps

Bike Storage at Chestnut Residence

If you have your own bike and are living in a residence (e.g., Chestnut Residence), bike rooms are available for storing your bike.

Bike Share Toronto

Bike Share Toronto is available 24/7, with bikes located across the city. U of T students also receive a Bike Share Toronto discount.

Bikechain

U of T has an on-campus educational bicycle repair space called Bikechain that offers a range of services, from free bike rentals to do-it-yourself maintenance spaces.

Public Transit – TTC

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) runs the subways, streetcars, and buses across Toronto and into the York and Peel regions. The closest subway stations to campus are Queen’s Park, Spadina, Museum, and St. George.

Queen’s Park is ideal for classes in Engineering buildings like Sandford Fleming (SF), Bahen (BA), and Myhal (MY). It’s about a seven-minute walk from Queen’s Park to the EngSci Common Room.

If you’re heading to the Athletics Centre for a workout or to physics classes in the McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP), Spadina station is the nearest.

If it’s exam season and Robarts Library is your destination, St. George is usually the best choice.

Lastly, if you’re looking to enjoy a sunny day with a run around Queen’s Park, Museum station is perfect.

Fares and PRESTO

A single ride on the TTC is $3.35 if you’re paying cash and $3.30 if you’re paying with a PRESTO card – which is a transit card for a variety of systems including the TTC, YRT, and GO Transit – or your debit/credit card. If you do have PRESTO, there’s a two-hour transfer period, meaning you can enter the TTC unlimited times for free within two hours of the first tap. Check out the TTC website for the latest information on fares and passes.

If you’ll be taking the TTC regularly, you may want to buy a PRESTO card at customer service outlets, where you can also set up a student or youth discount (If you’re under 20 you pay $2.35 per ride). You can also find details on how to get a Post-Secondary Monthly Pass here which offers unlimited travel on the TTC for a month for $128.15. The University of Toronto Students’ Union has a great resource on all the discounts you can get as a student, including transportation.

Note: Do your own calculations to see if a monthly pass will save you money based on the average number of rides you take on the TTC per month.

GO Transit

GO Transit is an option if you’re commuting from farther away within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. With Ontario’s new One Fare Program, you can transfer for free between some of the different transit agencies, such as GO and the TTC, with a two/three-hour transfer window.

If you take GO Transit to commute between home and U of T, you’ll usually transfer from GO to TTC at Union Station. When taking GO trains and buses, make sure to schedule your trips, because many of the buses only come once an hour and you don’t want to be stuck at Union Station! Unfortunately, Toronto public transit isn’t known for being the most punctual. Here are the TTC’s recommendations for staying informed.

To save time, see if you can get some light work done during the commute on the top floor of the train, also known as the “Quiet Zone.” If you need to charge your devices, accessibility coaches usually have functioning AC outlets.

Fares and PRESTO

You can use your PRESTO cards to pay for GO Transit as well. Unlike TTC, however, GO Transit offers a monthly savings system where your single-ride fare in any given month depends on how many trips you have taken that month. You can use the GO Transit Fare Calculator to find the price for your commute and details about the monthly savings system. Like TTC, GO Transit offers discounts to post-secondary students – check out details on applying for a GO Student ID here.

Walking

If you aren’t from Toronto, you should familiarize yourself with Toronto signals and laws, which may be different from what you’re used to.

You should also take more precautions during the winter, especially if you aren’t used to snow yet. Sidewalks can be slippery, and concussions are no joke. Vehicles also take longer to stop on icy roads, so give them lots of room. You should walk more slowly and plan your commute accordingly.

Tips for Commuting

Students commute from various places around Toronto, so here are some tips for how you can make the most out of your commute.

Pack Well

You’ll be carrying your backpack around most of the day, so pack light and avoid bringing extra things that are available on campus. Bring a healthy and filling lunch/dinner and some snacks. If you don’t feel like bringing your own lunch every day, there are commuter meal plans available from U of T Food Services.

Rent a Locker

You can rent lockers in the EngSci Common Room from EngSci Club (as well as from multiple other locations on campus such as the Athletic Centre), so you won’t have to carry everything back and forth. With the extra space, you’ll have access to items such as chargers, stationery, and extra clothing without having to carry them.

Paying for Public Transit

Check to see if a monthly pass is cheaper for you. Make sure your Presto card is set up for a post-secondary student discount and remember to tap off when exiting GO buses and GO trains. You may want to download the PRESTO app so you can check your balance and load funds in advance. Better yet, set up autoload!

Planning for Public Transit Delays

Toronto is known for heavy congestion and frequent traffic delays. If you’re taking public transit to get to class, check for service updates on their respective websites (TTC, GO Train, etc.) daily and always give yourself extra time to avoid delays or being late.

Aim to arrive at school at least 10–15 minutes before your classes start. If possible, avoid rush hour, which is generally from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. It’s also a good idea to know alternative routes to your destination in case of service changes or disruptions.

Commuting to Midterms/Exams

During midterms/exams, give yourself extra travel time in case of delays. Arrive early! Before heading out, check ACORN to see if your exam is relocated because it can change at the last minute.

Make the Most of your Commute Time

Prioritize your travel time, whether it’s listening to music, reading, studying, or sleeping. If you choose to work during your commute, note that reading is easier than working on a problem set, for example, so plan accordingly. Make sure you can work (or relax!) offline, as Wi-Fi may not be stable.

Prioritize Time Management

Practice your time management skills. Schedule your travel time in your calendar or agenda, which will help you figure out how much time you have to complete schoolwork, study, or partake in extracurriculars/hobbies. If you plan for it, you can still be active in clubs and design teams as a commuter.

Additional Resources

For a thorough list of transportation services available to you, please check U of T’s Transportation Guide. You can also use the interactive map of U of T here for details on all things campus-related including buildings, amenities, transportation, and food.

As an EngSci student, you’ll have access to many networking and mentorship events and programs. Take advantage of these!

All of us have struggled with something in first year, from choosing which design team to join to what résumé template to use to problem-solving strategies for CIV102 problem sets to emailing professors for research positions. You can gain a lot of insights by talking to upper-years or alumni. Getting the right mentorship can open many doors. Regardless of the topic, there are tons of people who want to support you.

It’s important to reach out not only to potential mentors, but other people in industry or research, to help you form professional connections. Networking can open many doors from helping you found a startup with your classmates to landing that dream job.

What is networking anyways?

Although it seems like a fancy term, networking can be extremely simple. Fundamentally, it’s just meeting people and getting to know each other a bit. It can be as simple as having a conversation at a professional event, in the Common Room, or anywhere else.

Your EngSci 3T0 Peers

Networking with your peers is invaluable. In addition to forming long-lasting friendships, you can learn about the cool things your peers are up to. In the future, if one of your peers needs a teammate for a school project or a co-founder for a startup, they’ll remember to ask you.

Upper-Year Peers

Upper-year students (like your Blog Admins!) have navigated many of the same challenges you’re facing and can offer personalized advice. They’re usually just a text or quick chat away, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you’re looking for someone with a specific experience, LinkedIn is a great place to find them. You can also connect with alumni and current members of the U of T Engineering community through U of T Engineering CONNECT. If you’re involved in a design team or club, your team leads are another excellent source of guidance and advice.

LinkedIn has tons of interactive search features. Here’s how you can find upper-year mentors specific to certain companies/fields!

EngScis are an exceptionally close-knit group. Whether you’re outgoing or shy, you’ll have many opportunities to hang out with your friends and meet new people in EngSci.

Classes

In Years 1 & 2 EngSci, you’ll share 23 courses with your peers. You’ll be in the same lectures as at least half the class, and will share tutorials with about 30 classmates, making it easy to meet people. You can form your own teams and study groups or simply talk to someone new on the way to/from class. Remember, it’s up to you to reach out to people and start a conversation!

Extracurriculars

You can always find a vibrant EngSci community outside of class. Want to build a real satellite, star in a comedy review, play in a jazz band, or race a solar car across Australia? We’ve got clubs for that and much more! EngScis are very involved in extracurriculars, so you can easily find classmates and other engineers in all sorts of design teams and Skule™ affiliated clubs. There are many clubs open to all U of T students. It’s easy to start a conversation at a team/club because everyone has a shared interest.

Members of the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad at Varsity Stadium [Source]

EngSci Common Room

The EngSci Common Room is a student lounge just for EngSci. EngScis from all years eat lunch, play video games or foosball, chat, or study here. This is a super comfortable space for immersing yourself in the EngSci community. Tip: if you’re nervous about talking to upper years, a good conversation starter is to ask them about their experiences in first-year courses. Upper years don’t bite, we promise!

Special Events

EngSci Club hosts large annual events such as the EngSci Dinner Dance and Nocturne Talent Show, in addition to frequent, smaller get-togethers. These events are fun ways to spend quality time with friends and make new ones! Make sure to follow @engsciclub on Instagram to stay updated regarding special events.

Regular Life

One of the easiest ways to make new friends is to just go through life normally and talk to people. If you’ll be living at a student residence, we strongly encourage you to chat with people in the dining hall, in the gym, or even the elevator. You never know who you’ll meet.

Sleeping Positions of Different Students

First year is BIG on learning time management. This skill will allow you to sleep well and set aside time for extracurriculars, health/wellness, and socializing – even on the busiest days.

How You’ll Spend Your Time in EngSci

First-year EngScis have an average of 6.5 hours of class per weekday, including lectures, tutorials, and labs.

Let’s assume that every weekday you’ll need an hour to get ready and have breakfast, an hour to eat lunch, an hour for dinner, and an hour to commute. Then, let’s factor in up to four hours for self-directed studying on weekdays. This can be learning material, completing labs and assignments, and preparing for midterms. Note that this is simply an estimate and your actual schedule will vary depending on the day/week.

Added together, at the busiest estimate we get 14.5 total hours a day spent on classes, studying, and eating/getting ready/commuting. That leaves at least 9.5 hours every weekday for you to spend outside of school. You may spend this time on relaxing, taking care of yourself, clubs/design teams, sports, hobbies, socializing, and sleeping!

Time Management Tips

Mitigate Distractions

Open your phone and check your screen time. Seriously, do it now! How many hours did you spend on your phone last month? On social media? Scrolling mindlessly?

Think to yourself: “With a busy EngSci schedule, do I really want to spend this much of my limited time on my phone? Imagine how much else I could get done in that time!” Try everything in your power to mitigate distractions, whether on your phone or otherwise. Remember, the best way to resist temptation is to remove it. Instead of telling yourself that you should use your phone less, just put your phone away in another room while you work. Research suggests that the mere presence of a smartphone even if you aren’t looking at it reduces cognitive peformance. While your methods may vary, the result should hopefully be an increased amount of time to pursue academics, extracurriculars, hobbies, or sleep.

Summer Student Tip: A lot of my friends in EngSci have completely deleted social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube from their phones to make their social media usage more intentional. If you have to open your browser to search for the app, you’re more likely to think the decision through. I also know a couple of people who have switched their phones to black-and-white mode to make them less addictive.

Make a Calendar and Block Off Time

Use a calendar, whether physical or digital. Really, give it a shot! With a digital calendar, you can import your timetable from ACORN and build upon that. On your calendar, block off time for eating, commuting, or studying for different classes. This will hold you accountable to work on specified tasks and avoid procrastination.

However, don’t forget to be flexible and don’t be too tied to your original plans! Plans can change at any time for a variety of factors, so make sure you have appropriate backup plans for how you’ll spend your time.

A tip for those from different time zones: when you get to Toronto, make sure your devices’ calendars are set to Toronto time (ET)! If they aren’t, you’ll end up with appointments at the wrong time when someone sends you a meeting invitation.

When blocking your time, make sure you dedicate time to each subject every week instead of jumping from one subject to another based only on whichever midterm is coming up next. You should be on track with all of your courses all of the time – but it’s also natural if sometimes things go a little off track. Just make sure to recognise it and to steer yourself back.

Many students block their time and keep a daily, weekly, or monthly to-do list on the side. As soon as you receive your course syllabi, you should write down all upcoming assignments, tests, and deadlines in a single calendar or document. Sketch in some prep time. You could even add a column for the grades you receive. That way, throughout the semester, you’ll have a clear system for tracking what’s coming up and how well you’ve progressed over the term.

Identify your Priorities

Not all tasks are created equal. Depending on your own priorities, you may choose to spend less time on calculus problems than design team projects, for example. Deadlines approach fast, so keep those in mind; work on a difficult task with an approaching due date as opposed to something due at a much later date. It may not be optimal to pour hours into an assignment that’s worth few marks. It’s important that you carefully make these decisions and optimize your own plans.

Given that EngSci is a direct-entry program with a heavier course load than other engineering programs at U of T, many incoming students question whether it will be the right fit for them. If you’re feeling the same way, know that you’re not alone. Some students have found that EngSci is exactly where they belong, while others have discovered that their passion lies elsewhere. Both choices are completely valid.

Remember – You were admitted to EngSci for a reason!

The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering puts all applicants through a rigorous admissions process. The admissions team selects students who they think will be successful in the program and in their work after graduation. You are one of these students and everyone here wants to help you succeed in your academic journey. To explore the student supports available at U of T visit Engineering Science Advising and Support.

Common Reasons for Transferring Out of EngSci

You may have heard about EngSci having a high ‘drop out’ rate. So first, let’s clarify terms: When people talk about “dropping out” they usually mean leaving a program (or even the university) because they failed academic courses in the program. This is very different from transferring from one program to another. In fact, the vast majority of students who leave EngSci are transferring to another program by choice, not because they did not meet the academic standards.

It is important to note that majority of first-year U of T Engineering students – including EngScis -continue into their second year within U of T Engineering and ultimately complete their engineering degrees at U of T.

It is quite common for first year students in engineering, or in any other university program, to change their direction. As you explore new topics, you will discover what excites you and what leaves you cold. If it seems like EngSci’s retention rate is lower than the Core 8, keep in mind that students can transfer between Core 8 programs during and after first year, while EngSci is a “direct entry only” program, meaning it is extremely difficult to transfer into EngSci from another program. This makes it seem like EngSci has more people leaving than in other programs, which is not really accurate.

Common Reasons for Transferring Out of EngSci Include:

Focusing on a Specific Engineering Field

Some students decide they want to focus on a specific field of engineering directly rather than waiting two years before specializing. This is the most common reason for transferring out of EngSci. After some exposure to different engineering topics in first-year courses, students transfer into a different U of T Engineering program because they discover that they are simply more interested in that program.

Workload and Time Commitment

Some students choose to transfer out of EngSci because they prefer a program with a lighter timetable and more flexibility in how they spend their time. EngSci has a heavier course load with six courses per term instead of five, which can make scheduling and time management more demanding.

However, this does not mean students have to choose between academic and extracurricular activities. Many EngSci students are still involved in clubs, design teams, research, and the Skule™ community while succeeding academically. For some students, though, a program with a lighter workload may better match the balance and university experience they are looking for.

Understanding What Engineering Is

Some students may have misunderstood what engineering is, since it is a subject that is not usually taught in high school. This means quite a few students enter engineering programs without a very deep understanding of the discipline. Once they take some engineering courses, they may realize that they are more interested in pure math or science than they are in engineering. Since EngSci offers lots of exposure to these fields, a student may realize they want to study one of them directly.

If you discover that EngSci isn’t the right fit for you, whether for academic or personal reasons, you will certainly be successful in another university program should you choose that path.

Note: You have to do this before the transfer deadlines. If you’re thinking about transferring at any point in your first year, book a meeting with your Academic Advisor (Stephen or Irma), they are here to help you navigate what that process would look like.

Whether you want to work out alone, exercise with friends, or participate in an organized sport, there is a place for you at one of U of T St. George Campus’s three indoor athletic facilities or two outdoor fields. Every indoor facility has different features and offers a variety of classes and equipment. Each has its own atmosphere, and it’s important that you find a place that is comfortable for you. You’ll have access to these facilities as long as you’re enrolled in classes – and if you aren’t enrolled during the summer, you can purchase a discounted student summer membership.

? Student Tip!

If you’re looking for something fun to do after classes, attending a Varsity Blues game with friends is a great way to spend an evening. Tickets are FREE for students!

Hart House

Hart House Fitness Centre is a welcoming oasis of wellness for all students looking to improve their health. It’s a beautiful, historic, smaller-setting gym where everyone is welcome regardless of fitness level.

Amenities

Some of the amenities at Hart House include a weight room, basketball court, pool, indoor running track, dedicated spin bike room, and Pilates reformer rooms. You also have access to locker rooms, showers, and towel service.

Fitness Classes

Hart House offers registered fitness classes and drop-in classes for all levels. Registered fitness classes often require a fee while drop-in classes are FREE for students enrolled in courses. The classes include aquatics and swimming, Pilates, strength and weight training, yoga, dance, and more. Some of these classes are also affiliated with specific clubs, such as the Hart House Archery Club.

Personal Training

You can also purchase personal training sessions with one of the Hart House personal trainers, each specializing in different areas of fitness. These sessions are great if you are looking for a more individualized experience. If you have never trained with a personal trainer before, you can also book a fitness consultation session to understand your own strength and areas of opportunities.

Athletic Centre

Picture of the facilities in the athletic center — Athletic Centre [Source]

The Athletic Centre, or the AC is the biggest athletic facility on campus. It has a large variety of equipment, with multiple machines of each type. The Athletic Centre is located on the west side of the campus at the intersection of Spadina Ave. and Harbord St – almost right next to Robarts Library.

Amenities

Some of its amenities include an indoor track, an Olympic-sized pool, dance studio, fencing salle, pedal zone, squash courts, basketball courts, badminton courts, and table tennis courts. You also have access to lockers and change rooms with both open and private cubicles for showering.

Drop-In Sports

The Athletic Centre has amazing drop-in classes ranging from racquet sports to skating. If you’re looking to learn something new, you can also register for their Learn to Move program that offers beginner-level instruction on swimming and court sports, weightlifting exercises, group fitness activities and more.

Group Fitness Workouts

Looking to work out with a group of friends or meet students from different programs with the same fitness goals? Try the group fitness workouts, including barre, yoga, high-intensity interval training, boxing, and Olympic weightlifting classes.

Note that some of these programs require pre-registration and an additional fee, while others are free for registered students and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Open Gym

The Athletic Centre houses the largest number of exercise machines/equipment on campus that you can use at your own pace. The open gym areas at AC are the Strength & Conditioning Centre (SCC), the Bruce Kidd Field House Periphery, and the Weightlifting Zone (WLZ). You can access these spaces for free as a registered student.

In addition, SCC and WLZ also offers Women-Only Hours & Programs. Open Gym hours are updated for each term here.

Instructional Programs

If you want to learn a new sport or improve your skills, you can sign up for an instructional class that matches your level. Classes are available from beginner to advanced in sports like tennis, gymnastics, parkour, trampoline, fencing, skating, and more!

Competitive Sports & Clubs

If you’re looking for a more competitive team environment, you can join a club, intramurals, or the Tri-Campus League. For more information on all sports and clubs offered, check out the KPE website here.

Engineering students can get involved in sports at recreational, intramural, or varsity levels. Recreational athletic activities are things that you can do on your own, while intramurals are organized team sports that vary in competition level. Varsity sports are the highest level of competitive sport at U of T; these teams compete against other schools’ teams.

Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sports

Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sports has a 2,000-seat fieldhouse for basketball, volleyball, and other court sports. It has nice big windows that provide a beautiful view while exercising. It’s also used as a teaching facility and includes a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning centre, fitness studio, sports medicine clinic, and research and teaching laboratories.

Many programs and classes offered at the Athletic Centre are also offered at the Goldring Centre. When browsing programs on the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education KPE’s website, check the Location(s) and Schedule sections to see if a particular program is offered at the Goldring Centre.

Chestnut Residence Gym

Many first-year engineering students live at Chestnut Residence. A huge perk of this residence is that it has its own small gym in the basement. Nothing too fancy, but it’s perfect for a quick workout that’s close to home.

Praxis II is a continuation of Praxis I. In this course, you’ll apply the concepts and processes you learned in the fall to improve the lived experience of a community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Praxis II is all about teamwork. You’ll be divided into teams in the third week, and the rest of Praxis II will be based on team activities.

Your first team project will be to construct a community profile where you’ll meet with and analyze a specific community’s baseline conditions and trends. After that comes the true heart of Praxis II. After identifying an engineering opportunity based around a specific community you’ll create a Request for Proposal (RFP), which is like the design brief from Praxis I, except far more detailed. The teaching team will then select 8-10 RFPs to share with the entire class; your team will choose one of these RFPs and develop a solution for it.

People are attending the Praxis showcase event in a hall with wooden vaulted ceilings, viewing posters and engaging in conversations. Tables with displays and informational materials are set up around the room. — Previous years’ students present their designs to professors and public attendees during the Praxis II Showcase at Hart House

Next, you’ll prototype, test, and document your solution. The difference from Praxis I is that the possibilities are far more open-ended. Your concepts can range from physical products to software to something else altogether. Most importantly, you’re expected to make much more informed design decisions and perform much more rigorous verification. You’ll also get to take your solution to stakeholders in your community and ask them for feedback. At the end of the course, you’ll present and defend your chosen solution to the teaching team at a public event called “Showcase.” You can view previous Praxis II design projects on the Praxis II Showcase website.

Professors

Professor Roger Carrick

Professor Roger Carrick is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Division of Engineering Science and the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. He completed his undergraduate and master’s education at the University of Waterloo. Before joining the Praxis team, he served as the Designer in-Residence in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University, where he helped establish the Engineering Design curriculum and completed his PhD. His research interests include project-based learning, knowledge integration through design, and integrating CAD training in engineering curriculum.

Professor Jennifer Lofgreen

Professor Jennifer Lofgreen completed her PhD in Chemistry at U of T. During that time, she also worked on writing instructions for chemistry students and teaching assistants. In fact, she used to be a teaching assistant for this course herself! She spent time in Sweden teaching academic writing for PhD students. During her time there, she started a second PhD focusing on using philosophy of science to inform research in engineering education. She focuses on the communication half of Praxis I – which is all about arguments and building strong claims!

Professor Interview

“There is a lot of theoretical understanding around engineering design and engineering communication, and learning that theoretically doesn’t really help you understand how to make use of it. You actually have to spend a lot of time practicing, iterating, running through stuff, trying things out, not quite succeeding, doing it again […] We move back and forth between a theoretical perspective and a hands-on practical application.”

Course Highlights

Cold-calling businesses, companies, and communities. It can be awkward at first, but you’ll quickly become a pro and discover that isn’t all that difficult. This is a super useful professional skill that you can use for job searching and networking later.

Praxis II encourages you to explore Toronto! You’ll go out into the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), meet new people, and encounter perspectives different from your own. While it may push you out of your comfort zone at times, it can also broaden your horizons and give you a deeper understanding of the city and the communities around you.

Prototyping and testing your solutions. Not only will you learn CAD software called OnShape, but your design concepts can also be literally anything you want, as long as you support all your design decisions with research and verification.

Praxis II Showcase is one of the highlights of first year! It’s so exciting to present your project with your team, see all the creative ideas your classmates came up with, and celebrate everyone’s hard work together. Local media have even attended in past years and featured student projects in newspapers and on the radio, which makes the event feel even more special and rewarding.

Students posing with there Lego sorting solution at Praxis II showcase

Students presenting their Praxis II designs to course professors

Students posing and smiling with their Praxis two design at showcase

Close up of Lego sorting device using motors and sensors.

Students presenting there design for praxis II showcase

Close up of Praxis 2 design. It is a chess pieces attached to a circuit element.

Students posing and smiling with their Praxis 2 design at showcase

Students presenting at praxis II showcase

Photo at Praxis two showcase. Professor Lofgreen talking to students presenting.

Week in the Life of a Praxis II Student

As with Praxis I, the weeks in Praxis II can vary significantly. Here’s a rough approximation of how a week will look for a Praxis II student.

Lectures

Much of Praxis II is similar to Praxis I, such as three lectures a week, as well as learning additional engineering design concepts. Just like Praxis I, lectures are well-integrated with the tutorials (also known as studios).

Tutorials (Studios)

Praxis II tutorials (studios) are similar to those in Praxis I. They still take place in smaller groups, are led by teaching assistants, and are where most of your team-based project-specific work take place.

Practicals

The two-hour practical blocks work the same way as they did in Praxis I. Once again, it’s simply a suggested meeting time, and you may choose to meet as much or as little as your team deems necessary on a weekly basis.

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of regularly checking in with your team. Make sure that everyone is regularly contributing and do not leave work until the last minute. Note that the workload in Praxis II significantly increases from Praxis I, so be prepared for a lot of teamwork. Through regular team communication, you can keep track of deadlines and allocate work more effectively.

Individual Assessments

In place of a final exam, there is a final independent deliverable in Praxis II: the Student Engineer Portfolio.

The portfolio is a chance for you to reflect upon your engineering design work throughout first year and understand the relationship between your positionality, i.e., your personal life experiences/perspective, and your design work. Furthermore, it offers you an opportunity to flex your engineering muscles and describe your skills and abilities which went into these projects. We were asked to talk about our engineering design process in Praxis I, CIV102 Bridge Project, as well as Praxis II, so make sure that you have been recording and organizing evidence of what you did during these projects. Note that many companies allow prospective engineers to submit a design portfolio to display some of their work, so this assignment can be an asset in the future.

In the past year, the portfolio was due a few days after showcase. It’s a good idea to work on the portfolio throughout the semester, potentially throughout the year. Taking five or ten minutes every so often throughout the year to record some notes about your design process and the concepts, tools, models and frameworks (CTMF) that you’ve used in Praxis I, CIV102 Bridge Project, and Praxis II will ease a significant portion of your burden when it comes time to submit the portfolio. Trust us when we say you’ll want to spend as much time preparing for your other final exams instead of working on your portfolio.

Group Assessments

You’ll spend most of your time in Praxis II working in one group. You’ll write the community profile, RFP, and complete the Showcase project in this group. However, there will be some individual assignments. In addition to the handbook and portfolio, your first two assignments, the community profile and positionality statement, will be independent.

How to Succeed

Nearly all the tools you used in Praxis I will be used in Praxis II. We’ve listed some more tools specific to Praxis II below.

More Details

Save Time by Seeing the Big Picture

Your team can get caught up in small details. Though discussion and debate are at the heart of Praxis, ask yourself if your team’s decision will affect your design’s use and function or your ability to defend your design. If there’s little impact, aim to conclude the debate by picking one of the possible options. If done correctly, it’s fine to say, “This part of the design was not significant, so we simply picked one option.”

Plan Efficiently and Effectively

Planning is crucial in Praxis II: there’s a lot to do and there’s limited time. Being a skilled planner will help you immensely in the course.

You should have a high-level plan before you begin working. At the beginning of each task, quickly summarize what you want to achieve and your plan to achieve it. This is especially useful when justifying your design. If you plan your argument step-by-step, you’ll have a much easier time writing clearly and concisely.

However, don’t overplan! Sometimes a detailed plan is unnecessary since you know what you’re doing. Conversely, if you’ve never done the task before, you won’t know what to include in your plan. In these cases, try to work a little first to get an idea of how long something takes or the type of work it requires – then make your plan.

Ask Yourself the Hard Questions

In high school, you may have been used to your teacher ignoring or going easy on any obvious mistakes or weaknesses in your project if the rest of it was good. In Praxis II, the markers’ job is to be critical of your design and design process, so if there’s a clear weakness, they’ll ask you to address it. It’s your job to have a well-rounded design that you can fully support. If your team seems to be ignoring something about your design, bring their attention to it. Think about situations in which the design can fail and then build some arguments for why those situations are unlikely. A little self-criticism goes a long way in Praxis!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

Praxis II is a course that really benefits from your engagement and enjoyment of the work. Since you have a lot of choices in picking your engineering opportunity, look for communities and situations that you’re personally interested in and care about. Having a genuine interest in your work will help you in lots of ways, especially by motivating you to do the little extra research or experimentation that can turn your design from good to great.

Like Praxis I, Know Your Teammates

You’ll be working with the same team for three months, so it’s important to take the time to get to know each other. Understanding things like what each member enjoys, what they struggle with, what their goals are, and how they work best can help build stronger collaboration. The key to individual success in Praxis is being successful as a team.

A useful teamwork strategy is to discuss team expectations early on, including individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as shared goals. These conversations can help shape the direction of the project and ensure tasks are assigned based on each person’s interests and strengths. This makes it more likely that everyone will complete their work effectively and stay motivated.

Many students find that the key to a successful team is building connections through team-bonding activities outside of Praxis classes. Bowling, group escape rooms, or simply having lunch together are all great ways to get to know your teammates better outside of the course. Speaking from experience, taking the time for team bonding is well worth the effort and can lead to smoother collaboration, a more enjoyable teamwork experience, and even long-lasting friendships.

That said, teamwork can be challenging. Many teams struggle not because of a lack of technical ability, but because of communication issues, misunderstandings, or assumptions made about one another. Learning to work effectively with others requires developing a whole set of non-technical skills, including communication, conflict resolution, giving and receiving feedback, and building trust.

Treat teamwork skills the same way you would a technical subject such as calculus or physics. They require practice, reflection, and continuous improvement. The ability to work effectively with others is a skill that will benefit you throughout your academic and professional career.

If your team encounters difficulties, don’t spend weeks stuck in unproductive patterns. The ISTEP Teamwork Support Program offers resources and professional guidance to help teams navigate common challenges and improve collaboration.

Have Fun!

Praxis II is one of the most unique and engaging courses you’ll take during your first year in Engineering Science. The amount of trust and responsibility given to students is almost unparalleled. Enjoy your time in Praxis II and try to get the most out of it! You could learn skills that you use throughout your life.

What Will You Take Out of It?

Like Praxis I, Praxis II gives you the opportunity to turn your personal interests into engineering opportunities. You’ll have the opportunity to do what you excel at or to learn something brand new!

You’ll get the opportunity to build on and apply the Engineering Design principles taught in Praxis I, including the FDCR principle and Toulmin model of arguments.

In Praxis II, there’s more time to spend on prototyping and testing. Use the course as an opportunity to pick up some hardware or software skills.

You’ll be designing a solution for an opportunity to support a community. This is a great way to learn about the human components of engineering, like communicating with your stakeholders, accounting for accessibility, and verifying your design.

The design skills gained in this course will serve as a basis for second-year EngSci courses such as ESC204, as well as upper-year design courses in almost all of the majors.

Praxis Showcase in the News

Media have attended some of the Praxis Showcase events. The stories in the links below detail some of the past student projects.

**Praxis Showcase 2019 Featured in U of T News**

**Praxis Showcase 2018 Featured in The Star**

Can you share about yourself and what students can expect from MSE160?

I am from Vancouver originally. I did my undergrad at UBC, and did grad school at U of T, with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. In terms of my academic appointment, I’m a teaching stream faculty member, so my primary appointment is to teach. The only research that I do is pedagogical.

“[MSE160] is meant to be a course that will be useful for you as an engineer, regardless of your future specialization.”

It’s about understanding solids, and we go through everything from mechanical to optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. There is some thermodynamics in there as well, and we try to show how all the topics are interrelated. We start with one topic, and after we build up more about it, we connect it with the next topic, so hopefully by the end of it, people have a good understanding of solid materials, how they work, and the underlying structure property relationships.

We want this course to help you choose the most appropriate material for a design, or understand how, for example, temperature will affect the properties of material, if you ever need it later on in your engineering career. You either know it or you know the fundamentals to go and figure it out later yourself.

How can students succeed in this course?

CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It depends on the educational system that students have come from. I think most people have seen the structure of the atom and electron configuration, so we go into that fairly quickly and we try to build on new concepts for most people, like the band theory of solids and semiconductors. Then there’s a little bit of reviewing. Some people have done crystal structures or thermodynamics in high school. We don’t assume that people have the knowledge, but we will go a little bit more quickly for some parts if we feel that most students have some background in it.

To sum it up, there’s a lot of topics that build on things that students have seen before. As for doing well, I would say probably one of the most important things is to keep up. There’s a lot of topics that are covered as I mentioned, so if you fall behind, it becomes more challenging. Also, you sometimes lose the ability to make those important connections I was talking about earlier.

What is your teaching style and favourite part about teaching?

I try to be engaging, and I like lecture demonstrations. What we have been doing every week is to build up to a good-sized lecture demonstration, probably on Friday. Hopefully that makes it memorable and reinforces concepts from the lecture.

“I suppose my style or philosophy is to convey excitement I have about the subject material and convey a sense that you can figure out so many things if you understand these underlying concepts.”

When I see a student get inspired, see a connection, or even have a Eureka moment. When they say “I understand this” or “I see how this relates to something in my life” or “that broke and I fixed it.” Those moments of learning or sudden realization of something that students have are probably my favorite.

How does this course connect to your research?

Currently, I’m not directly involved in discipline-based research like engineering research. I had a master student a few years back and she did an engineering design project, but the data we collected was more pedagogical in nature. We collaborated with some people growing lung tissue using a machine she designed. MSE 160 is really about fundamental topics. It is the basis for understanding so much of the world using bits of Physics and Chemistry.

“It’s all this structure/property relationship that really helps us understand so much of what’s key to engineering.”

Any advice or comments for incoming first-year students?

I have really enjoyed teaching EngScis in the past three years. They are a fantastic group, and I’m always impressed with how even from 3:00-4:00pm on a Friday afternoon, they seem energized and they’re happy to come to class and be polite and professional. It is really nice to get to know the EngScis and I look forward teaching them. I’m excited and looking forward to meeting everyone.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Philipp Seiler. I studied Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics in my undergrad in Germany, at the TU Braunschweig. I did my PhD in a completely different topic, in Material Science. After that, I went to the US, where I went to Purdue University to do a post-doc, then to the UK where I was a research associate at the University of Cambridge for 6 years. After that, I became a lecturer (assistant professor) at the University of Kent. I transferred very recently to Canada.

In my research, I work on materials under extreme conditions – for example, materials for rocket engines or gas turbines. I would like to answer questions like how we can design systems that can withstand very high temperatures. The other part of my research is about lightweight materials: how can you make these material structures light weight, but still make them very strong, stiff, and tough. For that, linear algebra is very important.

“I don’t think there is a single day where I don’t use linear algebra.”

There are many tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a tool that can predict stresses and strains that use linear algebra. This tool basically solves a system of differential equations. But instead of solving two or three equations, you’re looking at a system of millions of equations. So, it’s very important to know the underlying physics as well as the algorithms used, to understand and interpret the results.

Could you describe your teaching style and your favorite part of teaching?

CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Teaching is an integral part of being a professor. I like interacting with students, and I really enjoy seeing students grasp complex concepts during a lecture. It is amazing to meet former students a few years later and see them on track to get into their dream career.

I have an active teaching style, even with a large cohort size.

“I like going on academic detours – I would change the lectures when I see what students are interested in a certain topic.”

I do not plan lectures down to the minute. I come to lectures with a brief outline, then I see how the students follow and react. In particular, teaching linear algebra is like teaching a programming language. I start with the basic “commands,” such as vector spaces, vectors, matrices, etc., and then I apply these tools to solve equations in real world problems.

Why do engineers need to learn proofs, and do you have any tips for mastering them?

If I were to simply teach how a tool like matrix multiplication works, e.g. just by following an algorithm, students would quickly forget it. By knowing the proofs, you can understand why and how matrix operations work. Even if you forget the details, it will be easier to relearn it. Moreover, proofs can help students understand linear algebra conceptually.

“I want students to understand why certain concepts are true and why they work.”

Reading the textbook over the whole term is very important, so don’t just start before any midterm or exam. Also, continuously put work and effort into learning and following the lectures. While the learning curve isn’t steep in the beginning, it picks up very quickly, so you have to be on top of things. If you have questions, come to office hours or ask me after the lectures. I hope students are engaged and ask as many questions as possible.

Example of a Linear Algebra Proof [Source]

What can students expect from this course, and what is the key takeaway you want them to learn?

“I would like students to forget what they learned in high school”.

One by one, I will introduce the necessary concepts for them to understand what matrices are. Lectures are typically based on proofs, where I introduce a tool and explain why it works. Lectures are in general more theoretical, but there are plenty of opportunities to get examples, exercises, and additional material.

[In terms of takeaways, ] they should know the fundamentals – what a matrix is, what a vector is, what are vector spaces, and how to use them. If I teach you the concept, that way you can learn to use it and apply it to different applications.

How does linear algebra connect with your work, research, or engineering in general?

Colored finite element analysis (FEA) plot of a gear shaft, illustrating stress distribution. The legend indicates varying stress levels from blue (low) to red (high). — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Novel methods of artificial intelligence are typically highly non-linear. The question becomes, why is linear algebra still important? Linearizing a system of equations is still very powerful.

“Even machine learning technologies are all based on linear algebra.”

As I mentioned earlier, I’m doing research in materials science. If you are designing structures or materials, you are typically interested in predicting stresses and strains. One tool we use for these predictions is FEA and this is nothing but solving matrix equations. Here you could have a million-by-million matrix. Methods of linear algebra are used to efficiently solve these systems of equations. Nowadays, I don’t solve these systems by hand, but I should know how the results will look like and be able to interpret them. FEA produces colorful pictures, but just because they are colorful doesn’t mean they are true. You need to understand how stresses are computed and how the numerical solver works.

A second application of linear algebra is robotics. Let’s say you want to model a robotic arm by direct kinematics. Again, you are using matrix operations to describe the robotic system. For example, each joint of the robotic arm can be described as a matrix, representing translation and rotation. By using a matrix multiplication of the matrices of each joint, we can calculate the behaviour of the whole robotic arm.

Any other comments or thoughts to share?

For this course, ChatGPT is not a very useful tool to understand the proofs in the textbook. Currently, problems solved with ChatGPT can be false while still looking plausible.

Study Spaces

EngSci Club Office

Community

Etiquette

For EngSci Students Only

Keep It Clean

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Never Leave Belongings Unattended

Security Cameras

Biking

Bike Storage at Chestnut Residence

Bike Share Toronto

Bikechain

Public Transit – TTC

Fares and PRESTO

GO Transit

Fares and PRESTO

Walking

Tips for Commuting

Pack Well

Rent a Locker

Paying for Public Transit

Planning for Public Transit Delays

Commuting to Midterms/Exams

Make the Most of your Commute Time

Prioritize Time Management

Additional Resources

Networking Events & Platforms

Engineering Science Education Conference (ESEC)

You’re Next Career Network (YNCN)

U of T Engineering CONNECT

Design Teams and Clubs

Mentorship Programs

NSight Mentorship Program

Alumni Mentorship Program

Upper-Year Insights

How You’ll Spend Your Time in EngSci

Time Management Tips

Mitigate Distractions

Make a Calendar and Block Off Time

Identify your Priorities

Move On to the Next Task

How to Spend Your Breaks?

Managing Sleep & Staying Healthy

Routine

Wind Down Time

Stay Active & Exercise

Remember – You were admitted to EngSci for a reason!

Common Reasons for Transferring Out of EngSci

Common Reasons for Transferring Out of EngSci Include:

Focusing on a Specific Engineering Field

Workload and Time Commitment

Understanding What Engineering Is

? Student Tip!

Hart House

Amenities

Fitness Classes

Personal Training

Athletic Centre

Amenities

Drop-In Sports

Group Fitness Workouts

Open Gym

Instructional Programs

Competitive Sports & Clubs

Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sports

Chestnut Residence Gym

Professors

Professor Roger Carrick

Professor Jennifer Lofgreen

Professor Interview

Course Highlights

Week in the Life of a Praxis II Student

Lectures

Tutorials (Studios)

Practicals

Individual Assessments

Group Assessments

How to Succeed

More Details