Making Friends

Posted on 2023-07-172026-07-10 by orientation

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.

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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.

Upper-Year Insights

“EngSci requires you to sacrifice a lot of time and energy if you want to do well, but you can still maintain a social life if you’re smart with how you manage your time. I had a small friend group during first semester, and I managed to gain more friends and acquaintances during my second semester. Although I primarily hung out with these people in class, I was still able to spend time with them outside of EngSci in activities such as, shopping, eating out, and going to the movies. If I didn’t invest in a social life during my first year, my mental health and wellbeing would suffer a lot. While you definitely won’t be partying every weekend, the connections you make will become an essential part of your support system.”

“As an international student, when I first came to Canada, I didn’t know anybody. My network here consisted of exactly zero people. Now that I’ve been here for two years, I can promise you that, with time and a bit of effort (starting conversations and making time for people), you’ll end up with lots of amazing people around you.
I think it’s completely normal if, during the first week, you don’t feel like anyone is 100% your person. Over time, especially through group activities and the shared journey of the program, you’ll get to know the people around you better and realize how cool they are. Suggesting that you study together with someone can be a great way to start building a partnership.

I’m sure you’ve got this! And remember, you already have two EngSci friends you can always come to… Me and Amanda (your Blog Admins)! 😊”