It’s really helpful to be able to connect with a group of first year students right at the start of the year in the first design project, as it helps you not only start to collaborate with like-minded people, but it also gives you a chance to make friendships with other people in your program. It’s also been an amazing way to learn how to work with different types of people, since this is a skill that is needed in the workplace.

Developing a positive team dynamic is easy because you meet with your team for design studio weekly, and you collaborate when completing labs. Furthermore, the groups of students are divided in a way where your schedules are parallel to one another, so you are also taking other courses with your teammates. This provides a great opportunity to learn from the strengths your team members possess to complete your best work even beyond projects.

In this course we have to outline what the problem is, find the objectives, and also make sure our designs meet certain constraints. Before building, we have to lay out a plan for what our design will be like to make sure that we know where we are headed in the process. Then, we build according to the plan, solve any problems that come up along the way, and then begin testing.

It is extremely easy to connect with my TAs and Professors via Microsoft teams. The professors, TAs and IAIs, have made so much effort to make sure we succeed in this course by providing accessible resources like lab demos, FAQS  etc. on Avenue to Learn and hosting office hours. There is a virtual 1P13 office where you can meet with the TAs and some professors to ask questions related to the course and any other engineering-related questions.

Gaining access to your professors and TAs is incredibly easy in Eng1P13. Professors’ office hours are clearly laid out, and they are happy to discuss course material after class if you need help. TAs are very present during all of your lectures, labs, and design studios. Many of my TAs are upper-year students who have similar experiences and interests to mine, and they have been a great support when I need advice. It’s true that you will have less direct contact with your professors than you did in high school, and no one’s going to check that you did your homework, but there are many supports available when you need them. Just don’t be afraid to ask!

My favourite moment so far was working with my group for the first design project. We all got along great and everyone was also invested in the work, so it didn’t feel like anybody was slacking off or just putting the work on other people.

Going into this program I was anxious about speaking to new people and collaborating in groups. After weeks, I finally decided to speak up using my microphone to ask an IAI a question about the lab we were completing in order to help my team. To my surprise my IAI was happy that I decided to speak up and ask my question and commented on how nice it was to have me participate. Knowing that my efforts were being recognized made my day. Not only did his comment help ease my concern with speaking with others, but also reminds me to do my part in facilitating a welcoming and collaborative environment when working with people.

My favorite moment in 1P13 is the first activity we did. The challenge was to program a robot to follow a certain path; the challenge seems easier after solving the other more complex problems that we have done now, but at that point, I had never coded at all. My favorite memory is when the robot finally went around the track, and my team and I celebrated our victory.

Don’t underestimate yourself! While the course teaches everything about coding, modelling and materials from the ground up, students do enter the program with varying skill sets and experiences which can feel overwhelming. There are plenty of opportunities to improve and learn from others, be it your instructors or teammates. Take part in contributing to the collaborative environment by communicating with others and being open to learn to become the best engineer you can be.