The Jeux de Génie du Québec is an annual event where students from every Quebec university as well as the University of Ottawa get together to compete in a series of hands-on, theoretical and social competitions. The games are considered one of the major annual university gatherings in engineering.
The games experience is very beneficial for uOttawa engineering students. They let me develop a wide variety of skills and to get hands-on engineering experience. One of the major skills I got from the games is the ability to work in a team. The hands-on competitions are designed to emphasize collaboration between team members. Students must work together to solve the challenges they face. This skill is essential for practicing engineering, since the majority of projects in the field are carried out by a team.
“The hands-on competitions are designed to emphasize collaboration between team members. Students must work together to solve the challenges they face.”
Elise Cloutier
— 5th year student in software engineering
As well, the games allowed me to apply my classroom learning. The theoretical software engineering competition was designed to test the knowledge I’d gained from my courses, and the hands-on mechatronic competition gave me a chance to apply my electrical lab skills to solve a real problem.
The cultural competitions, including sports, improv and trivia, let me get out of my comfort zone and use my creativity. The machine and entrepreneurship sections really impressed me and filled me with admiration for my future colleagues. The solutions some teams used show that innovation and ingenuity have their place at the games.
Finally, the games are an opportunity to have fun while learning. I was able to relax and enjoy myself while working on difficult technical problems. The games give participants the chance to meet other engineering students, to apply their skills to solve technical problems and to network with major engineering firms. They’re an excellent way for University of Ottawa students to prepare for their future careers in engineering and to become qualified and competent in the field.
