First Year Resources

Here are several resources for first-year engineers. I appreciate credit if sharing. Everything is Apache 2.0 unless stated otherwise

Linear Algebra Study Guide

The Linear Algebra Study Guide is a 64-page study guide on the entire first year's learning of linear algebra (and more!). It's written in markdown and LaTeX, because no one really wants to read something written in someone else's handwriting.

Includes every theorem and specific example inside Serway et al.'s 11th edition textbook, up to Chapter 8.4.3 (General Linear Transformations). The first year Eng course only goes to Chapter 6 or so, so read the extra part if you wish. Also includes the .md source file, meaning you can open it with a markdown editor like Obsidian to customize and annotate it however you like.

Preview (PDF):

Physics 1D03 Notes

These are my class notes from PHYSICS 1D03, based on the slideshows instead of textbook. They are much less organized than the Linear Algebra Study Guide, but may be useful.

Preview (PDF):

Physics 1E03 Formula Sheet Explainer

The PHYSICS 1E03 formula sheet is big. Sometimes, especially when you're starting out, you might not be able to tell which equations are for what and how to use them. So, I put together this sheet, that goes through every single equation on the (2025) version of the formula sheet. It explains what the variables are and contains notes on their usage from my experience in the course.

Preview (PDF):

CHEM 1E03 Missing Formula Sheet

The CHEM 1E03 formula sheet is not big. As such, some important formulas, especially from any unit that isn't Unit 1, are missing for no good reason. While preparing for the final exam, I made a small list of them. It is not comprehensive.

Preview (PDF):

CHEM 1E03 Lab Scripts

Some of the CHEM 1E03 labs are annoying. Really, really annoying. For the online labs in particular, they can be clunky, require lots and lots of tries, and just be so damn slow for no reason. If you know what I'm talking about when I say "hold down up arrow for 20 seconds just for 100mL of water", you know what I'm talking about.

So, I made a Github repository with Python scripts to do the calculations for 3 of the 5 labs. Labs 1 and 2 aren't that bad, so I didn't make scripts for those.

End

You might feel like you fell off from high school. You might feel like you never were up in high school and shouldn't be here.

That was then. We're all here now.

What you do now is what matters.

Eat well, sleep well, go for a walk, make friends, join a club or two, talk to the people sitting beside you, go to lecture (yes, even the 8:30s), do the LONCAPAs early, don't buy the textbooks unless you're really sure you actually need them because you can just get them online for a lot less.

I know that you can do it.

From one (former) Eng 1 to another,
Good luck. ♡

Shameless Begging

You are under no obligation to read this, which is why it's under the END section. But hey, if you're here, I did some math.

For the Linear Algebra Study Guide and the MATH 1ZB3 Study Guide alone (the latter of which I am still writing and may or may not be out by the time you are reading this), I give a conservative estimate that I spent more than 100 hours on them, on writing, editing, regex postprocessing, figuring out the best config for PDF exporting, and mostly just writing because writing LaTeX is hard.

If I got paid Ontario minimum wage (\$17.20/h) for that work, it would be \$1720. Now I think you can tell by the name of this section I am about to beg you for money (which you have no obligation to do, by the way), but you may be balking at the thought of paying $1720, which is why all of what I just said is irrelevant and my goal for donations is actually TEN DOLLARS!! There's a still a lot of things I want to do to improve your first-year experience, like a guide on how to solve each LONCAPA (look, there's that one PDF of some guy's handwritten solutions going around but let's be honest even that's not very clear), study guides for other courses (even though the CHEM 1E03 textbook is bootycheeks so I'll need to figure something out there), ranking every food option on campus so you don't waste meal plan money (here's a freebie: the veggie pita wrap at MUSC is biblical levels of horrendous, premier Sysco® frozen bagged veggies in only the finest unwarmed sawdust-formed pita for god's sake I spent 6 DOLLARS ON THAT don't even get me started on the centro butter chicken it is impressive how you made butter chicken BROWN) and so on. What the hell was I talking about? Right! Donations!

\$10 is still a lot for many of you (though it is still by no means an obligation for any of you to spend that much anyways) since you are students, but I hope we can get there (if I forgot to mention it, you do not at all need to donate- these resources will stay free forever and ever until WW3 starts at least so like 10 years? Conservatively).

I have also an exciting incentive here, a bar! It will fill as people donate. Also, a panel. Behold.

Exciting stuff. Or, just go directly to the donation page.

Here's your bar as promised.

If this bar doesn't match the amount donated on ko-fi, send me an email at my address and I will update it manually.

Oh, did I mention you have no obligation to donate ever? That too. That's it. Have fun.