U of T Engineering offers many ways for students to get involved outside the classroom. Even before you get to campus, you will probably hear a lot about different clubs and design teams that you can join. This raises an important question: how do you actually get involved in design teams and clubs?
First year students are allowed to join the teams and are even encouraged to do so! You usually don’t need any prerequisite knowledge or skills to join, because you will be taught by upper years. Design teams connect students from various engineering disciplines and years, and they even run specific recruitment initiatives to engage first-year students.
The Skule club directory divides clubs into athletic clubs, community involvement clubs, fine arts clubs, hobby clubs, musical clubs, and professional development clubs. You can also find a complete list affiliated design teams here. There is a club for everyone, nobody can be involved in all clubs. It’s important to review your options before selecting which clubs most interest you.
Steps To Join
While different design teams and clubs will often have their own recruitment cycle, in general, the steps to getting involved are below.
Before committing to a team, you should explore the available options. There are around 1000 clubs and design teams at U of T and most design teams also have different sub teams (mechanical, electrical, project management, etc.). This means that the possibilities for involvement are almost endless, so check out skule.ca for a complete list.
Attending Club Fairs (which will occur near the end of August during F!rosh Week), will introduce you to each team/club and teach you about their work. You also get to see exactly what you would get to do in the team/club and speaking to the team leads in-person at these events is the best way to demonstrate your interest.
As mentioned earlier, first-year students are allowed and even encouraged to join design teams and clubs. However, you shouldn’t feel pressured to do so right away. Given the demanding schedule of EngSci, you might be wondering whether you will have enough time outside of school to engage in extracurriculars. That is a valid concern, but at the same time, you should know that many EngScis before you have managed to excel in academics while also dedicating time to design teams, clubs, and personal projects they are passionate about. We encourage you to ask upper-year students for advice. Hearing from them will not only inspire you to pursue your own passion projects, but you can also pick up on a lot of time management and learning skills to help you realize your goals outside of academics.
Some of you may have a clear career goal and know which design teams to join for experience. If that’s the case and you want to dive right in when classes start, go for it! Others might be exploring career options and prefer to focus on academics at the beginning of your first year. If you find yourself in the latter group, rest assured that design teams and clubs at U of T recruit students regularly, typically at the start of each term (fall, winter, sometimes summer). So, if you prefer to settle into university life and EngSci during your first year, you can join these teams at any point throughout your journey at U of T.
Once you have decided which teams/clubs most interest you, follow them on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn) and sign up for their mailing lists so that you don’t miss further information. This is usually how teams send out important announcements regarding recruitment.
Almost every design team/club will have a general information session, during which the leads will describe the team’s/club’s structure, timeline, sub teams (if applicable), and available opportunities. We recommend attending sessions for multiple teams to strengthen your overall understanding. Once you decide which design team(s)/club(s) most interest you, we recommend unsubscribing from the mailing lists of other design teams/clubs. Otherwise, all the constant emails may cause you to miss the information you value!
*Specific to design teams:
Every design team has different subteams. It is important that you learn what these options are andpick the one that fits you best. You may choose to join certain subteams to learn specific skills (e.g. joining a mechanical subteam to learn CAD or a software subteam to learn C++), or you might just see something that looks cool and go with that.
*Specific to clubs:
Some clubs (especially those related to music and sports) will have limited spaces. To enter these positions, you will likely have to try out and demonstrate how your musical, athletic, or other abilities make you a great candidate.
If you’d like to hold a position on the Engineering Society (EngSoc) you will likely have to run a campaign and get voted in by the student body. To learn more about the various ways to get involved with EngSoc, visit skule.ca.
*Specific to design teams:
Some teams such as aUToronto, UTMIST, and the Computer Vision subteam of UTRA’s Autonomous Rover Team, will have limited spaces on their roster. To enter these positions, you will likely have to apply, describing how your prior experiences and interests align with your desired position on the team. Depending on the selectivity of the team, you might have to pass a technical interview. Don’t be discouraged if you do not acquire your desired position; try a different opportunity and apply again next semester/year with your newfound experience.
*Specific to design teams:
Congratulations on making it onto your desired team and subteam! Some teams will require you to complete an introductory task to gauge your familiarity with the team’s work. The task may be integrated into one of the early team meetings, or be separate. It could range from setting up the correct software environments on your computer, to completing a brief design challenge, to completing an online course. While this may sound daunting, keep in mind that you’re already on the team, and you are encouraged to seek support.
The point of this task will be to ensure that new members will put in the time and effort to learn the necessary skills – it isn’t meant to test what skills you already have. Do not let the task deter you from staying on a design team!
The only way to gain practical experience through design team or club positions is to put in the effort! Attend every meeting and work session, engage actively in your tasks, complete any assignments on time, and maintain a positive attitude towards your fellow members. Balancing academics with extracurriculars and other responsibilities can be challenging, but with determination and effort, you can manage it.
Design teams seek driven first-year students who bring fresh ideas and a willingness to learn and grow in their roles. As long as you have a genuine interest in your work, you can make the most of this amazing opportunity.
Clubs offer another avenue to become a well-rounded engineer, allowing you to engage in diverse activities and develop skills in ways you might not have imagined. By participating actively, you can expand your horizons and enrich your university experience.
*Specific to design teams:
What would design teams be without competitions? By putting in the work and proving your commitment, you might be invited to join the team for competitions not only in Canada, but in the U.S. and around the world! Competitions are amazing environments to partake in fast-paced and high-stakes engineering work and provide you with opportunities to network with other universities and potential companies.
Your team/club leads will eventually need someone to take over their position; apply to sub team lead or other positions within your design team/club to grow your leadership abilities.
University-wide clubs and teams
U of T also has hundreds of clubs outside of Skule. Joining a non-engineering-related club is a great way to broaden your horizons, meet new people from other faculties, and engage in some unique activities.