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EMBER

Engineering Mentorship & Bridging Education Resources: August 9th to 27th, 2021

REGISTRATION COMING SOON

Get a head start on your university career through our flexible, optional pre-University program designed to suit your needs.

EMBER prepares students who are entering their first year of Engineering, the Bachelor of Technology program, Computer Science and Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBioMed) for academic and social success. Mix and match courses and other opportunities to create your own unique, customized EMBER experience. This program is offered at no additional cost to students. 

 

What is EMBER?

JULY & AUGUST

Prepare for September through online learning modules in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Computing designed to help you learn at your own pace. Videos will be available starting in July. 

WEEK OF AUGUST 9 to 20th, 2021

Live courses in math, chemistry, physics and computing will be offered from August 9th to 20th, 2021. As well, get to know your Fireball Family through a series of information sessions covering topics ranging from academic advising to identity-based clubs and teams.

Learn more

 Date: Week of August 23rd, 2021 

CONNECT with classmates and professors virtually in your specific program and get a taste of  McMaster's hands-on approach to education. Unique and customized workshops will be offered for Engineering, iBioMed, Computer Science and Bachelor of Technology students. These will include a range of experiences from hack-a-thons to other projects, giving you the opportunity to make new friends and learn how to work in teams.

Learn more

Learn more about EMBER

Video: 

Our Goals 

Academic Success

To prepare students entering into Level 1 Faculty of Engineering programs for academic success by teaching and reinforcing foundational concepts in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Computing. 

Social Success

To prepare students entering into Level 1 Faculty of Engineering programs for social success by introducing and connecting the students to each other, upper-year students, staff, faculty member, and clubs in engineering. Get to know the #FireballFamily!

A letter from the Dean to incoming students

A letter from the Dean to incoming students

"We’re living during an unprecedented time. We know your last year of high school has been met with many challenges that leave you with many questions about year ahead at McMaster. This program is designed to ease your worries. It will support you, help you make the transition to university a smooth one and will welcome you a little early to the Fireball Family." 

 -Ishwar Puri, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University  

Courses

Learn the foundational concepts of engineering with courses on Math, Physics, and Chemistry. You are encouraged to customize your learning experience. Courses are offered in two formats: real-time and pre-recorded. You can also register for one, two, three or all four courses. Courses will be taken through Avenue to Learn. 

Each course will include online modules featuring videos, quizzes and interactive activities & opportunity to interact with upper-year engineering students through live online tutorials.

Mathematics 

From Functions to Limits and Derivatives. 

 

Functions

  • Evaluate and solve various types of functions: logarithmic, exponential, polynomial, rational
  • Connect equations of functions to graphs
  • Evaluate and solve inequalities
  • Using functions to solve problems

 Trigonometry

  • Determine and apply trigonometric ratios
  • Understand and apply radian measures
  • Connect equations to graphs of trigonometric functions
  • Solve problems involving trigonometric functions

Limits and Derivatives

  • Understand rate of change at a point
  • Understand the concept and properties of limits and derivatives
  • Connect equations of functions and their derivatives to graphs
  • Solve problems using derivatives

Geometry and Vectors

  • Represent vectors algebraically and geometrically
  • Perform operations with vectors
  • Describe lines and planes using linear, scalar, vector, and parametric equations
 

Physics 

From Kinematics to Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic Fields.

Kinematics

  • Understand and solve problems relating to uniform and non-uniform linear motion in one and two dimensions
  • Apply concepts related to kinematics to analyze real-life technologies

Dynamics

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane
  • Solve problems related to forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane

Forces

  • Understand and apply concepts related to Newton’s laws, net force, acceleration, and mass to solve problems
  • Understand the relationship between velocity and unbalanced forces

 Energy and Momentum

  • Demonstrate an understanding of and solve problems relating to work, energy, momentum, and the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, in one and two dimensions.

Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic Fields

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts, properties, principles, and laws related to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields and their interactions with matter
  • Solve problems related to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields

Chemistry

From Ideal Gas Law to Thermochemistry.

 

Ideal Gas Law

  • Demonstrate understanding of the laws that explain the behavior of gases
  • Investigate and solve problems relating to gas laws and behavior of gases 

Acid and Bases

  • Understand the Arrenhenius theory of acid and bases
  • Understand and solve problems related to degree of ionization, strong and weak acids/bases
  • Understand and perform calculations related to buffer solutions

 Structure and Properties of Matter

  • Investigate the molecular shapes and physical properties of various types of matter
  • Demonstrate an understanding of atomic structure and chemical bonding, and how they relate to the physical properties of ionic, molecular, covalent network, and metallic substances.

Chemical Reactions

  • Investigate and solve problems related to energy changes and rates of reactions in physics and chemical processes

Chemical Equilibrium

  • Understand concepts relating to chemical systems at equilibrium and variables that cause shifts in equilibrium
  • Solve problems related to chemical systems and dynamic equilibrium using the Le Chatelier’s principle, equilibrium constants, pH, and ionization constant of water

Electrochemistry

  • Demonstrate understanding and solve problems related to oxidation-reduction reactions
  • Demonstrate understanding and solve problems related to a galvanic cell and electrochemical reactions

Thermochemistry

  • Investigate concepts related to the laws of thermodynamics, enthalpy, entropy and free energy
  • Solve problems on heats of reaction and chemical equilibrium in terms of enthalpy, entropy and free energy
 

Computing

From Introduction to Programming to Functions 

Introduction to Programming
  • Algorithms
  • Flowcharts
  • Computer Architecture
  • Statement-by-statement Execution
Variables and Expressions
  • Variables
  • Expressions
  • Printing and input
  • Lists 
If Statements
  •  If statements structure
  •  Algorithms with if-statements 
Loops
  • Loop control structures
  • Algorithms with loops
Nested Structures
  • Nested control structures
  • Nested loops and if-statements
Functions
  • Creating and using functions
  • Parameters, arguments, return values

Schedule

The program consists of self-paced learning modules and daily, live, interactive tutorials led by upper year engineering students.  The tutorials will further explain concepts, work through problems and reinforce the concepts from the online modules.

Tutorials in math, physics and chemistry will be offered during six different time slots each day. During the 30 minute breaks, there will be presentations from faculty members, current students and our clubs and teams. 

As there is limited space in each tutorial, some time slots may not appear as an option when you register.

 

Math

Physics

Chemistry

Computing

Session 1

9:00 am - 9:50 am

9:00 am - 9:50 am

9:00 am - 9:50 am

9:00 am - 9:50 am 

Session 2

9:50 am - 10:40 am

9:50 am - 10:40 am

9:50 am - 10:40 am

9:50 am - 10:40 am 

Presentations

10:40 am - 11:10 am
Hear from our faculty members, current students and clubs and teams. 

Session 3

11:10 am - 12:00 pm

11:10 am - 12:00 pm

11:10 am - 12:00 pm

11:10 am - 12:00 pm 

Session 4

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm 

Session 5

2:50 pm - 3:40 pm

2:50 pm - 3:40 pm

2:50 pm - 3:40 pm

2:50 pm - 3:40 pm 

Presentations

3:40 pm -4:10 pm
Hear from our faculty members, current students and clubs and teams. 

Session 6

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm 

 

#FireballFamily Events  

This virtual experience is more than setting you up for academic success. It is your introduction to our community, the Fireball Family.

In addition to your daily interactions with upper-year engineering students through your online courses, you will have access to special events to learn about clubs and teams, the faculty and staff who will support you and the many engineering resources available to you throughout your university career.

Schedule TBD.

Student Code of Conduct for Online Interaction + Welcome to Academic Advising

A critical session where we will be joined by members of the Academic Advising Team as well as the Student Support & Case Management team to discuss the Student Code of Conduct for Online Interaction. A vital session for not just your experience with EMBER, but your time at McMaster overall.

Intro to the Engineering Community + Q&A’s

Take your first steps into our engineering community through this session with our Redsuits! The session will be broken down into a presentation from the McMaster Engineering Society (MES) followed by a Q&A with MES exec members and our Redsuit student leaders!

Welcome to ECCS + Co-op Experience

This session will be led by staff from the Engineering Co-op and Career Services team as well as previous co-op students to talk about their experiences. Learn about all that your career services team has to offer and some of the things to consider as you take your first steps in your academic career to help prepare you for your professional career.

Campus Resources

McMaster has numerous resources available to help you succeed during your time here from opportunities to get involved in enhancing the student community to mental health resources all the way to academic support outside the faculty. For this session we are joined again by member of our Redsuit team to talk about the Student Success Centre, the McMaster Student Union, the Student Wellness Centre and more about the McMaster Engineering Society.

Meet the Identity-Based Clubs!

In this session we have presentations from all our identity-based engineering groups on campus, with speakers from Women in Engineering (WiE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Engiqueers!

Meet our Engineering Clubs and Teams!

Learn about just a few of the dozens of clubs & teams under the MES that are open to all Faculty of Engineering students! Sit in on their presentations to learn about what their clubs do and how you can get involved in them!

Panel on First Year

This session offers a chance to have some of your burning questions about first year addressed through a mini panel featuring students who have wrapped up their first year as recently as last Spring.

Intro To McMaster Engineering Online Platforms

Come out to this session for an introduction to using the major online platforms used by Faculty of Engineering students during their undergrad! Platforms covered include Avenue, OSCARplus, Mosaic, and Microsoft Teams!

Summer Research

Learn about the Undergraduate Summer Research program from faculty and students. We’ll be joined by representatives from the Faculty as well as from the McMaster Society for Engineering Research to talk about their experiences as well as how to get involved if you’re interested getting involved as an undergraduate student researcher.

Welcome Week Lead In

Welcome Week starts Monday, August 30, shortly after our final day of EMBER Connect! Come out to this session to find out what the Redsuits have planned to officially welcome you all to the Mac Eng community. Remember that community is not a place, but a connection among people, and we are so excited to meet you!

 

Take McMaster BuzzFeed Quiz! 

Interested in what McMaster Engineering club or team you should get involved with? 

TAKE THE QUIZ NOW

EMBER Connect

EMBER Connect is offered during the third week. It gives students in each specific program (Engineering, Computer Science, Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences and Bachelor of Technology) the chance to participate in workshops and to connect directly with future classmates, professors and upper year students. Activities span from social events to hack-a-thons, depending on your program. Learn more below.

EMBER CS 

Department Panel 

A panel made up of key contacts (students, advisors, faculty members) in the department. Speakers will briefly introduce themselves and speak on a topic for 1-4 minute each. 

GitHub Workshop 

Students will learn the basics of creating a portfolio on GitHub, including the importance of a portfolio to their careers and some basic markdown language.  Students will be encouraged to follow along a live demonstration during the workshop.  

Elm Workshop 

Students will learn about the Elm programming language and wil use a web IDE to program some 3D physics with Elm.  Breakout rooms will be added as a group activity component to the workshop. 

Student and Alumni Panel 

The panel will consist of current students and recent alumni, who will offer a brief introduction and words of advice for incoming students and spend the remaining time answering student questions.

iBioMed Connect is an optional 5-day workshop series available to all iBioMed students. Sessions include programming fundamentals, an upper-year student panel, introductions to various campus and program resources, our first-ever Hackathon and more! If you're a new iBioMed student, this is a great opportunity to get an introduction to various programming languages while also learning leadership and interpersonal skills. You will also have the chance to participate in networking opportunities where you can connect with new and upper-year iBioMed students.

Program for 2021 to be finalized.

Learn more

Engineering Connect is an optional 5-day workshop series available to all first-year Engineering students. Sessions include programming fundamentals, an upper-year student panel, introductions to various campus and program resources, our first-ever Hackathon and more! If you're a new student, this is a great opportunity to get an introduction to various programming languages while also learning leadership and interpersonal skills. You will also have the chance to participate in networking opportunities where you can connect with new and upper-year engineering students.

Program for 2021 to be finalized.

Program to come.

Student Testimonials 

 

Joel, Engineering 1

Joel, Engineering 1

After having our year cut short, I was nervous that I wouldn't be prepared for university since my classes didn't go as in depth after we went online. EMBER helped me feel more prepared entering into my first year, and gave me a nice refresher on content I was rusty on.

Allison, Engineering I (Co-op)

Allison, Engineering I (Co-op)

I loved being able to interact with my peers and with upper-year students during the live tutorials, talking about everything from academics, to work-life balancing tips. EMBER gave me confidence in my academics, and eased much of the worry I had going into first year. It was incredible getting to know everything that McMaster has to offer through each day's live presentation. The online modules were comprehensive and easy to follow, and the LRAs were so wonderful and friendly, as well as knowledgeable!

Noor, iBioMed

Noor, iBioMed

I loved everything about EMBER, it was everything I needed after I graduated from another country and took a gap year. I was really worried that I wouldn't know as much as what the other students knew. So much time and effort was put into EMBER, and I will always be grateful for that.

Madelyn, Automation Engineering Technology

Madelyn, Automation Engineering Technology

I found EMBER to be a great resource going into my first year. I feel much more confident that I know everything I need to for my classes. The LRAs were all helpful and the live tutorials really brought insight to the information provided in the modules.

Registration  

This program is free!

REGISTRATION COMING SOON

Avenue to Learn and Microsoft Teams

Get familiar with the platforms you will be using with this helpful how-to video. 

 

Video: 

Questions?

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