Community

University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering

Guide to First Year

The U of T Engineering experience is much more than lectures and labs. You are joining a vibrant community, full of passion and innovation. As a first-year student, you will have 25 to 30 hours of class per week, leaving you with enough time to study, stay healthy and get involved in co-curricular or extracurricular activities. Long before you graduate, you’ll enrich your experience through the connections you form and the activities you pursue.

Your new community is overflowing with diverse and bright minds who share a passion for engineering innovation. This is evident through the hundreds of clubs, teams and events that engineering students lead each year. Here are just a few ways you can get involved:

Engineering Society

The Engineering Society (also known as EngSoc or Skule™) is the student government for undergraduate engineering students at U of T. Founded in 1885, EngSoc engages in academic advocacy, allocates funding to groups and initiatives in the community, and provides a wide variety of services and events to students. EngSoc publishes the F!rosh Handbook and an online events calendar. They also run F!rosh Week.

Design Teams

Design is at the heart of what engineers do. That passion trickles into many activities outside the classroom, resulting in canoes built from concrete and race cars powered by the sun. Many of our design teams — such as the Blue Sky Solar Racing Team pictured here, the Concrete Canoe Team, the Robotics for Space Exploration Team and more — participate in competitions worldwide.

Arts & Music

Engineers often combine their technical abilities with creativity and artistic vision. If you are an aspiring musician, artist, photographer, actor, dancer or writer, you’re in good company! You’ll find bands, orchestras, dance troupes, arts festivals, a sketch comedy group and even a juggling club. Did you know the Myhal Centre has a multimedia music room?

Discipline-specific Clubs

One of the best ways to get to know engineering students in your program is through discipline-specific clubs. Every program’s club provides services to their members, such as social events, academic advocacy and mentorship opportunities. Every program also has a common room, giving you a relaxing place to unwind between classes.

Athletics

Whether you aspire to compete nationally as a Varsity Blues athlete or try a new sport for the first time, our community is filled with fun ways to lead a balanced lifestyle. From the Iron Dragons dragonboat team to the Skule Badminton Club, staying active has never been easier. Remember: you’ll have access to outstanding athletic facilities across all three U of T campuses.

Cultural & Faith-based Groups

It’s no surprise that our vibrant community, located in one of the most diverse cities in the world, has a wide range of cultural and faith-based groups open to all engineering students — from the Bangladeshi Students’ Association, the Association of Chinese Engineers (UTACE), the Latin Engineering Students' Association to the Skule™ French Speaking Society and the Indian Students’ Society. Each hosts a range of social events and serves as a wonderful way to meet new friends.

Photo by Lily Kim and Emaan Fatima.

Social Service & Community

From Engineers Without Borders and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to Women in Science and Engineering and Queer Sphere, community and service-based groups strive to create a welcoming environment both on campus and beyond. Students in these clubs often serve as national or global ambassadors, helping to raise awareness of critical issues that impact the engineering profession and the general public.

Entrepreneurship & Leadership

Transform your passions into life-changing innovation through two unique hubs located in the Myhal Centre. The Entrepreneurship Hatchery is a hothouse for budding entrepreneurs, providing services to get new business ideas off the ground. The Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering offers programming and events to help you excel in your studies and well beyond.

Student Orientation Week | August 26

Also known as F!rosh Week, Student Orientation Week is your opportunity to participate in a wide variety of social and academic events organized by the Engineering Society.

With the purchase of a F!rosh kit (optional) in August, you will receive access to events, great food and some cool swag. You’ll also receive a yearbook and a ticket to Skule Nite, a hilarious live show produced by engineering students. Please stay tuned for updates on Orientation Week!

First year engineering students posing while walking on a sidewalk wearing their orientation week t-shirts.

Photo by Skule Photography.

Additional Community Resources

U of T Engineering CONNECT

Your community extends beyond peers and professors. When you begin your studies in the Fall, you’ll receive an invitation to join U of T Engineering CONNECT, a rich online social network of alumni from all over the world. They can offer you mentorship, industry-specific career advice, work opportunities and more. You can also connect with other U of T Engineering students, staff and faculty through this platform.