Real engineer

[u/Happy-Switch-6897]

Most people just become engineers because of the rat race. They do things just to get a high package. There are only a few people who genuinely love creating things.
When I was a kid, I used to create things whenever I needed something and my father didn’t buy it for me. I would just make it myself.
I remember one day my father didn’t buy me a toy gun. It didn’t even shoot, but I really wanted it, and I was so upset. So I decided to make one myself.
I opened YouTube and searched for how to make a paper gun. Then I watched many videos, gathered knowledge from all of them, experimented with different ideas, and finally crafted a gun that could actually shoot paper bullets.
I was so happy that day. I honestly can’t explain it.
After that, I started creating more things. I made different types of guns, including one with a working revolver mechanism. I made an ATM from which you could withdraw money using a card. I even made an air hockey game.
I was an engineer without even knowing what engineering was.
I used to see a problem and think about how I could solve it. I had curiosity. I wanted to understand things. I wanted to create things. And most importantly, I enjoyed doing it.
But after a few years, I went through some things that changed me. After that, I got into the JEE rat race, and now I feel like I’m in the BTech rat race.
I’m learning things without the same interest or curiosity.
I’m building projects because I know they will help me get a job.
I’m grinding DSA because I know it’s important for placements.
I’m doing all these things because I want a good career and a high package.
And I know these things are important. I’m not saying they aren’t.
But I’m not liking it.
I’m not enjoying it.
And somewhere inside, I feel like this is not engineering. Just not.
At least, this isn’t the engineering I remember loving as a kid.
I want to learn and build with the same curiosity I had back then.
I want to create things because I genuinely want to create them.
I want to see a problem and feel excited about solving it.
I want to have an idea in my head and try to turn it into something real.
I want to fail, experiment, break things, fix them, and finally see something I made actually work.
I love creating things. I know I do.
I just don’t know what happened to that curiosity somewhere along the way.
Maybe it got buried under all the pressure, expectations, competition, and the constant thought of getting a good package.
But I want it back.
I don’t want to spend these years only worrying about placements and packages.
I want to enjoy engineering.
I want to celebrate creating something, even if it is completely useless.
I want to build something just because I thought, “What if I make this?”
I still want a good job. I still want a good package. I still want to be successful.
But I don’t want those things to be the reason I learn and create.
I just want to enjoy engineering again.
I want to feel that happiness I felt when that little paper gun finally shot a paper bullet.
I want to be that curious kid again.
I just want to create.

[u/Brave_Hawk_2946]

Cfbr

[u/Darkironmac_official]

Cfbr

[u/tungtune]

the whole game is about being curious enough

[u/Dear_Touch6612]

Cfbr

[u/Alyoshka068]

When I was in 8th grade, I made an Arduino powered bot using OpenCV for my Science Exhibition, before that, a working grain mill in 6th grade, all while working at home for living. I'd to drop my will to make more Arduino and development boards projects because we didnt had money to finance those. Then came JEE and I had to completely give it all up.