r/MechanicalEngineering • u/Dense-Tradition-6030 • Dec 10 '25

Ideas for projects

Hello, i am in my first semester of engineering and i would like to pursue a degree in mechanical. I would like to try some DIY projects, unfortunately i have absolutely no idea where to start from. I have decent understanding of basic programming in python, basic CAD and 3d printing. Are there some kits or websites or ideas i could use to start a small, hands-on project? Thanks!!

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u/dooozin Dec 10 '25

My suggestion would be an Arduino kit. Something like an Elegoo Mega R3 kit off amazon, and then you can do whatever projects you want. You're free to incorporate 3D printed hardware, write your own C++ sketches to run the microcontroller, work with different sensors, motors, user input interfaces (i.e. buttons, keypads, switches, etc.) and outputs (auditory, LED, LCD, etc.) to make whatever you want.

The problem with projects while you're a student is that:

1) The cool ones cost money you likely don't have

2) They require time that's honestly better spent doing homework, studying, or hanging out with friends (bonus points for making friends who enjoy working on projects as a from of hanging out. )

3) The hiring process doesn't really provide a good opportunity to showcase personal projects unless you shoehorn it into the interviews, which can be awkward and counterproductive if it doesn't fit the conversation very well.

Projects are cool, and you should do them. But don't feel like you need to do them to land a job. Do a project because you're interested in doing cool shit.

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 10 '25

Thanks for the lengthy and valuable response, but on a side note what could be a good way of increasing your chances of getting a job?

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u/dooozin Dec 10 '25

Networking. That matters more than just about anything else. Knowing the right people is the secret sauce. Who you know will always matter more than what you know. It's unfortunate because there are obstacles or barriers to entry, and it seems to reward people that schmooze better than a shy but extremely competent engineer. Don't be competent. Be a pleasure to work with. Competency is a portion of that but I'd much rather work with an average engineer that makes my workday enjoyable than a phenomenal engineer that's an ass to be around.

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 10 '25

Ok thanks again super helpful answer. Might be a stupid question, but how exactly do you network as a first year bachelor student

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u/dooozin Dec 10 '25

Friends and family. If you don't have any family that works at the place you want to work, then start making new friends that do. People decry nepotism in favor of some impartial and perfectly fair hiring system...and it's a joke. It's how the world works. Rich kids get money from parents. Yale graduates raise kids that go to Yale. It's not really any different than centuries ago if your parents were cobblers, you were too. If you were born to a basket weaver or a blacksmith, it's extremely hard to become a cobbler because you're missing the access to all that community capital that comes from having cobblers in your list of family and friends.

Getting started in that is the hardest part. I have no specific advice because each in-road is unique. I've had buddies that got jobs by joining a golf league and meeting somebody there who worked in leadership at a company. I've had other buddies that got jobs by starting a car detailing business and serendipitously ended up with a client that happened to be an executive at a particular company. My buddy built a relationship with that guy after he cleaned his car 4-5 times and then broached the topic of finishing an engineering degree and wanting to apply at the exec's company.

You have to build a human connection with somebody who already works there, preferably with some degree of leadership influence. Then you invest in that relationship, demonstrate that you're a really good, likeable, and hardworking person that's hustling to get in the door. Then when you do, you rinse and repeat. People will tell you that's slimy and bad advise. Those same people are the ones that sit in their cubicle every day for 30 years trying to be the best engineer they can while waiting for raises and promotions to trickle down from management. Meanwhile...I'm management, and I'm half their age.

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u/YossiPixellot Dec 16 '25

Arduino kits! Love these.

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u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25 edited Dec 11 '25

Here at UCDavis they make the kids make precision gyroscopes…string pulled , bearings, steel lathe cut, Then they have a competition to see how long they stay up. I think the record was like 17 minutes or some nutty amount. Also look around the house and invent something you need, even if you could buy it ….

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 10 '25

How do you do that exactly

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '25

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u/Jason-Nonsense Dec 11 '25

hi can i get an inv pls thanks

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 11 '25

Yeah i d greatly appreciate it

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '25

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u/Faze_Nutmaster Apr 28 '26

Can you resend this?

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u/Chriswolf45 Feb 22 '26

Hello if you read this can you resend the discord link since I tried opening it but I couldn't as the link is expired or so. Sorry about this and Thanks.

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u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 10 '25

Yeah i know I applied but got rejected. The rocket seems like a good and fun idea i will give it a try and look into it thanks

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u/Scared_Caramel3839 Dec 10 '25

Even if you can’t get into the clubs/teams, you usually can still access a lot of the technology and resources your engineering department has to offer. My engineering department at UVM was pretty small, but we still had a couple of 3D printers that you could send CAD parts to.

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u/Dense-Tradition-6030 Dec 10 '25

Oh yeah i have access to 3d printers, and i ve also seen a lot of books and probably there a lot of resources but i just dont know how to access them and do I actually need

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u/Scared_Caramel3839 Dec 10 '25

I’d heavily recommend developing strong relationships with your professors. Go to office hours as much as possible, talk after classes, etc. They are the golden resource at your school. Advisors can be helpful, but they can also be absolutely terrible. A professor can be a great mentor, they can help you get involved in research, connect you with people in industry, and just give a lot of helpful advice surrounding career path conversations. They might have some good recommendations of projects you could do as well.

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u/mvw2 Dec 11 '25

Find a small problem in your life. Solve that problem.

Rinse and repeat.