When people find out I’m not very good at building circuits, they’re shocked!  Circuits are the building blocks of all electrical devices – including the device on which you’re reading this. In EngSci’s introductory circuits course, ECE159, you’ll be introduced to circuit properties such as current, voltage, and resistance, as well as circuit components like sources, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and op-amps. You’ll learn about DC (direct current) and AC … Read More

A uniform beam walks into a restaurant… The waiter asks, “What would you like?” The beam replies “Ummm… just give me a moment.” CIV102 is one of the most iconic and challenging courses in first-year Engineering Science. It even contains material normally taught to upper-year Civil Engineering students. But we promise we aren’t trying to scare you away: in this course, you’ll learn a lot … Read More

Q: What do you call an old, reused calculus joke?A: Derivative humour Photo Credit: Dreamstime ESC194: Calculus I is the first calculus course you’ll take in Engineering Science. It’s arguably the most important course in Fall semester — it’ll change the way you look at mathematics and lay the groundwork for your future Engineering Science courses. From rigorously logical proofs to challenging … Read More

Q: What happens when a mosquito and a mountain climber cross paths?A: Nothing — you can’t cross a vector and a scalar! Photo By 3Blue1Brown ESC103 is one of two math courses (ESC194 is the other) you’ll be taking in the Fall semester. Get ready to learn about linear algebra and computational methods.  The first … Read More

To the optimist, the glass is half full To the pessimist, the glass is half empty To the engineer, the glass is twice as large as it needs to be Primary Engineering Design Framework used in Praxis I and II Praxis I is an introduction to engineering design processes and theory. The course focuses on communication, … Read More

For a summer checklist, textbook info, school supplies info, and much more, check out U of T’s Engineering Guide to First Year. The right school supplies are essential to your university experience. You’ll use them to take notes in lectures and tutorials, complete problem sets and practice questions, perform calculations and engineering design, and much … Read More

Once you’ve got your timetable, you may be wondering what you’ll actually be doing throughout your day. This page will teach you about lectures (LEC), tutorials (TUT), practicals (PRA), and office hours – plus what to expect for each one.    Note: Not every course will exactly follow these descriptions. For example, some instructors may encourage more questions during lectures and fewer during tutorials. Make sure you follow these instructions. If you’d like to learn more … Read More

You’ll have a timetable for each semester of university. In first year, your timetables are made for you. You can access your timetables in late June on ACORN, U of T’s student information service and a hub for everything you need to manage your student life. Your timetable provides the times, locations, and sections for … Read More

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 … Read More

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? Aristotle: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads. Isaac Newton: Chickens at rest tend to stay at rest, chickens in motion tend to cross roads. Albert Einstein: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends on your frame of … Read More