If you’re anything like me, you knew for a long time that you wanted to be an engineering student, especially at Waterloo. The only thing that made me hesitate to apply was the fact that I had to choose my discipline before I even attended. Not only does your discipline become the rest of your life, but it is also a community that you’ll be adopted into when you get to school. But I also believe that when my gut told me to apply the way I did, there was a reason. So what was everybody else’s reason?
CEAG
CEAG is a tight-knit community of Civil, Architectural, Environmental, and Geological engineering students. Miia Hunt, a 1B Architectural Engineering student, chose her discipline because she would be able to work with buildings, and look closer at the design aspect of things. Chris Wong, a Civil Engineering student currently on co-op, concurs, saying that Civil Engineering is a field which “leaves a lasting impact on society.”
A 1B Environmental Engineering student, Lara Kylas, chose her discipline because she wanted to make a real change in the world. She references the Fridays for Future climate strikes that happened when she was in middle school, “[which] is when I realized I want to do something about the climate crisis.” She also knew she wanted to do engineering, since subjects like math and various sciences were always her strong suit. After weighing her options, Environmental Engineering seemed like the best fit.
CEAG students also get to work on some entertaining projects. When asked about his favourite project so far, 1B Geological Engineering student Nathaniel Pagtakhan mentioned his design project from his 1A concepts class. “We designed a new residence around Minota Hagey, [where] guest speakers can stay instead of renting a hotel,” he recalls. The project was extremely hands-on, and the CEAG students got to use Civil 3D and InfraWorks. Nathaniel remembers many late nights working on that project, but also feels that it really brought the people in his program together.
I also made sure to ask all of my interviewees what they would tell a high schooler who is trying to choose an engineering discipline. Chris defends Civil, saying that “[Its] diversity makes Civil Engineering ideal for those still exploring their interests and provides a strong job outlook.” Civil engineers can truly see the physical impact they make on the world, as well as the chance to “explore a wide range of sectors, including transportation, structural design, water systems, and more.” Miia also comes to the defense of Architectural Engineering, explaining that it not only allows you to learn the engineering aspect of things, but look at the aesthetic side of things as well. “We bridge the gap between civil engineers and architecture students,” she states. Overall, it seems that CEAG is a cluster of programs in which a student can not only make a positive impact on society, but see it too.
CHE
Devishi Talwar, a 1B Chemical Engineering student, realized she wanted to do Chemical Engineering due to her love of rock music. “Our physics project was to explain topics learned in class, and I [decided], ‘Okay, I’m going to do guitars!’”. It was during that project that Devi decided she wanted to pursue a physics-based career like engineering. Coupled with her love for chemistry, chemical engineering seemed like the obvious choice.
Devi’s favourite projects done in CHE so far are all of the lab assignments done in the concepts course. Devi has always wanted to work in research, specifically in a lab. “I love researching about how things are made, and it also relates to cancer research, which is what I want to do in the future,” she states. She is passionate about eventually going into the cancer research field after graduation, so that she can make a large impact on the world.
Devi also makes some convincing statements to get others to choose chemical engineering. “Chemical Engineering is the foundation of every source of life. Think about it! Chemical Engineering is so broad that you can even do research with a Chemical Engineering degree.” Devi’s main point is that since Chemical Engineering is such a broad subject that’s incorporated into every part of life, it’s a field in which people can make real changes to the way they go about their day-to-day lives. Devi sufficiently explains, “All aspects of life just come down to Chemical Engineering.”
MME
Much like with other disciplines, MME students started with their passion for physics and math, which then evolved into a passion for mechanical aspects. Valerie Gieb, a 1B student in Mechanical Engineering, reminisces about her first week of school at Waterloo. “When I got here, I realized that this is actually much more cool than I expected. It’s not just physics, but there’s a lot of hands-on stuff too.” she states.
When asked about his favourite course so far, Kevin Hu, a 1B Mechatronics student, mentions his Materials class. “It’s so applicable to our careers, and it just makes sense.” Materials seems to be the heart of MME, since it really forces students to think about not only what they’re designing, but how to go about it.
Both Kevin and Valerie have a lot to say about the importance of MME. “There doesn’t seem to be a limit on what you can do [in MME],” Kevin claims. Valerie agrees, and finds it interesting that MME students are able to work with so many new materials and gadgets beginning in first year. “We take a really cool mix of courses. You’re taking all the math and science and stuff, but you’re also doing some hands-on, really fun courses.”
ECE
Electrical and Computer engineering go hand-in-hand at Waterloo, always at the frontier of technological advances. Aayan Mufti, an electrical engineering student in his 1B term, chose his program because of his interest in hardware and software and using them in his school’s robotics team. He notes, “I realized that electrical engineering gives me the tools to turn abstract ideas into tangible, impactful solutions in the future, having applications in everything that we use.”
Aayan’s favourite project that he’s worked on was in his project studio class, in which his group designed and implemented a “Smart Desk.” “[It was] designed to make classrooms more inclusive by supporting students with diverse accessibility needs at the convenience of their own desk,” he describes. The project allowed him to not only use new and interesting equipment, but also learn how his discipline can make a positive impact on the world.
Much like other disciplines, Aayan encourages others to pursue electrical engineering due to its applicability to almost every industry, such as electronics, transportation, power systems, and more. He emphasizes, “If you’re curious about modern technology and want to help shape its future, electrical engineering provides the depth and versatility to design the systems that power our everyday lives!”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to ask every discipline about their stories, since many of them are spending their summer enjoying co-op, but I’m sure that they would have come to the same conclusion as me. Choosing our discipline was not an easy choice, but it was an important one. Every one of us wanted to see the impact we make in the world in some way, and it was our personal aspiration that led us down our own curated paths. While we may be divided into different disciplines in our classes, we all have the same goal in mind: to make a difference.
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