Hey hey hey, my name is Theodora Girgis and I am a student in the notorious Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto and I am currently working towards an Aerospace Engineering Major with an Engineering Business Minor. I’m definitely going to ramble a lot here but feel free to shoot me an email at girgis.theodora@gmail.com for any more questions about admissions or the program itself— I’m always happy to chat!
About the University of Toronto
You’ll probably hear a lot of scary talk about UofT and the community here, and initially I was a little worried too based on what I had heard before accepting my offer. However, my experience with the University of Toronto has actually been phenomenal thus far. Attending the largest Canadian university situated in the most exciting Canadian city definitely has its perks, but it goes without saying that there are some downsides too. So here they are:
PROS
Opportunities and Connections
Currently ranked as number one in the country, UofT is an extremely well established and well-known university for its research and innovation (but don't make the name your highest priority, it's just a little bonus). You will have so many opportunities to meet people and make valuable connections, not only on a professional level, but also with people who share your interests and hobbies.
City Life
I attend school at the St. George campus, meaning that I am in the heart of downtown Toronto every single day. Being super close to places like Chick-fil-a, Kensington Market, the Distillery District, Chinatown, and Harbourfront (just to name a few) can make your university experience very exciting. There is always something new to try and somewhere new to eat—so rest assured, you won’t ever get bored. You will also almost always have a view of the CN tower while walking from class to class, and I mean… who wouldn’t love that?
Close to Home
Depending on the type of person you are, there is a chance you might really love going home to the comfort of your own bed every night. I personally loved having the ability to stay out with friends in the city but still have the Subway and GO train to take me home at almost any time. Besides, downtown rent is crazy expensive, so think of how much you’re saving! Mean Girls was filmed here - So its basically Hollywood. Enough said.
CONS
Commuting
If you will be commuting… just know that the commuter life can really suck at times. You will come across a lot of TTC delays, especially in the winter months. It definitely does take up a big chunk of your day—my commute was about an hour and twenty minutes in each direction; however, your commute can also be a great time to nap, listen to a good Spotify playlist, or do some last second studying.
Social and Party Life
This one really depends on you. Since UofT is so big and most class sizes are huge, it can be very difficult to get to know people well, especially if you don’t live downtown. Some programs are more close knit and make socializing with classmates a lot easier (like Eng Sci), but otherwise, getting involved is your best bet. UofT also doesn’t have a huge party culture and doesn’t have celebrations like Homecoming, but don’t forget… you’re in Toronto, so the possibilities are really endless.
About Engineering Science
I absolutely love Eng Sci with all my heart, but I’ll get it right out of the way and admit that it is an extremely difficult and stressful program. We begin first year with around 330 students and come back to second year with only 180. But before you freak out! These students were not “kicked out” of the program, most of them have just realized that they were interested in a core engineering stream instead or maybe a completely different degree, others may have found that their learning style simply did not match the theory-heavy teaching style. So here are some of my Eng Sci Pros and Cons:
PROS
Community
My favourite thing about Eng Sci has got to be the people. Contrary to popular belief, everyone is extremely supportive and helpful rather than cut-throat and competitive. The truth is, we’re all stressed and we’re all struggling, so the only way we can get through anything is if we help each other out. Making friends is very easy, and you will get to know almost everyone in your cohort because you will have all of your classes together. Additionally, since the program isn’t too big, it’s easy to get to personally know your professors and become good friends with your teaching assistants.
No Course Selection
Course selection is a pretty stressful time because everyone is scrambling to get into classes as soon as enrollment is available, and they might be spending weeks on waitlists panicking about prerequisites and mandatory credits. With Eng Sci, everything is practically handed to you in your first two years which alleviates a lot of stress and confusion for newer students.
Research Opportunities and Co-op
Due to its size and status, UofT Engineering offers some of the best research opportunities and co-op positions worldwide. Engineering students have the option of doing a 12 to 16 month professional experience year (PEY)—which is an amazing chance to work for a real engineering company, be involved in design projects, develop relationships with employers, and make a full-time work salary (ka-ching!)
More Time to Decide
Engineering is a pretty broad career field with many specializations and majors associated with it. If you are not sure which one to choose yet, the first two years of Eng Sci are the foundational years where you get a taste of everything from civil to biomedical engineering. You will become a very well-rounded student and before your third year, you will be able to choose between 9 super exciting majors that you would not have had access to in the regular stream (these include Aerospace, Biomedical Systems, Machine Intelligence, and Robotics).
CONS
Course and Workload
While most undergraduate programs come accompanied with 4-5 courses per semester, 15-18 hours of class per week, and possibly a day or two off… Eng Sci, unfortunately, gives you none of that. We have 6 courses each semester and over 30 hours of class a week with 0 days off. Considering the nature of these courses (mostly math and science), it goes without saying that the workload and level of difficulty is also brutal. But don’t worry, it is still possible to get involved in the school community, have a part-time job, and hang out with friends every weekend, just so long as you can manage your time extremely well.
YOU WILL FAIL
In your first year you will write somewhere between 28 to 30 exams. You are almost guaranteed to fail at least one of these exams. You might think “nah… not me”, but keep in mind that everyone that has every gone through this program was also a top high school student with a 95+ average… its just that hard. As discouraging as it may be the first time you see a 23% on a midterm exam, its all part of the experience, and it will help you build a lot of resilience. Also… you will most probably get a generous boost from the bell curve at the end of the semester, so although it may feel like it, it isn’t the end of the world.
Tuition
Engineering programs in general tend to have very high tuition costs because of their professional accreditation. Eng Sci tuition comes to about $16k every year, which is quite a hefty amount, but don’t forget that you can make between $40-60k in your PEY co-op year, and you will also have four month summers every year to work and save up (please please please save your money).
Dating Life
Non-existent… unless you date someone in the program…. cause you won’t really have the time to see anyone else.
What I wish I knew coming in
In terms of academics, I really wish I had prior programming experience since in our first year we learned three different programming languages (Python, Matlab, and C) and I was a complete beginner. It wasn’t the absolute worst having to learn everything from scratch, but it did take me quite some time to get the hang of it. Otherwise, my biggest advice to anyone coming into this program is to make sure you really know yourself. You have to have the drive to push away bad study habits and you need to be willing to tough through a very challenging but extremely rewarding experience. I have a couple friends who have either graduated from or are currently upper years in Eng Sci, and I BOMBARDED them with questions and continue to do so. This made my experience and transition into the program a lot smoother because, for the most part, I knew what to expect (and I also got to know which lectures and tutorials I could afford to skip). If you need me to be that person for you, send me an email anytime!
What I would tell my first-year self
Talk to a lot of new people, go to more events, and don’t let school completely eclipse your social life.
Please…. take a risk and just freaking raise your hand in class. If you have questions, ask them! Talk to your profs after lectures and ask your peers for help when you need it.
Put your best effort into everything and stop stressing over the outcome.
If you fall into a slump, make sure you pick yourself up sooner than later.
Never forget why you started.
Remember… you just need to pass.
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