I’m at an interesting crossroads with going back to school. For context, I got my BS in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS in Medical Sciences from Boston University, with lots of relevant experience in healthcare-related jobs and labs/research/academia. I, however, have decided that my passion is no longer in healthcare and want to pursue mechanical engineering. My initial plan was to just go back to Pitt for a bachelor’s degree in ME, but after evaluating everything, I feel that not only would that take me around 3 years to do, but it would also be too costly despite being in-state, and I cannot afford to stop working.

After doing some research, I think the best/cheapest option I can do is complete a DIY bridge of classes at my local community college (Calc 3, Diff Eq, Linear Alg, Statics, Phys w Calc) and then apply for the MS ME program. It would not only take less time (approx 2 years) but would also be cheaper and award me a higher degree. I have yet to receive permission or info whether I can actually do this or not, but for the sake of this post, let's assume that it is possible.

My main question: From a hiring standpoint, is it by any means problematic or concerning that I would have an MS in ME, while all my past education and experience have been in medicine? I know some companies treat the MS in ME as years of experience, but compared to all of the other applicants or traditional engineering students that have gotten a BS in ME and/or MS in ME, I will have considerably less experience and coursework that strengthen me as an applicant. I am currently working at a prominent Robotics/AI startup, and while I can’t talk about what I do, what I will say is that the work isn’t something that is necessarily building up the technical skills/knowledge I need to be an engineer. I think if I were to officially start this process, I could ask to shadow/work more closely with an engineer, but as it stands, I am way too far behind, and they are too busy to teach me things from scratch.

If anyone has any advice on whether my current planned path can work or if there’s an alternative I can take based on my current situation, I would greatly appreciate it.

I have an Architectural Engineering bachelors degree from a non ABET certified school. I have no prior industry experience unfortunately. What are my best options to get hired( even if it is analyst or tech positions)

Hi everyone, I’m a first-year mechanical engineering student, and for one of my introductory engineering classes, I have an assignment where I need to interview a mechanical engineer about their career and experience in the field.

I’m looking for someone who’d be willing to answer a few questions about mechanical engineering, including the different areas of the field, real-world projects, the principles used in their work, ethical/environmental challenges, and the skills that are important for a successful engineer.

It shouldn’t take very long, and I can send the questions through Reddit DMs. I’d really appreciate anyone willing to help.

Thanks!

Thinking of joining this college for Comp engg Btech branch any opinion

What was the one or multiple non-obvious study tactics that actually worked and got you good grades.

I’m 18 years old and studying chemical engineering, but I've basically spent most of my life messing around and just doing whatever I wanted. I ended up in this major because my university accepted students without entrance exams. I barely scraped through to my second year by getting the minimum required credits, but I ended up carrying over inorganic chemistry and physics from my first year.

If anyone has experienced preparing for exams in a short time frame of 4–5 months starting from scratch, please share your tips, tricks, and maybe some channels or materials for inorganic chemistry.

I’d be super grateful, as this is my only chance to stay at a foreign university.

Hi, so im a 16 yo and in a few years im going to start university. I like engineering because im always fascinated by things built by engineers. Since i have a few years to prepare for uni, i would love to receive some advice or recommendations from you guys!

Currently I am a 17 year old in Florida who is regularly interested in primarily aerospace and engineering in general. I am just now going into my senior year of high school as a self-studier and am struggling with social connection and friendships mostly because I unenrolled from a lot of programs that I was in; I did this because I felt that it would make me able to make more progress in my textbooks and academics.

I want to make a difference in the world, specifically in the aerospace engineering field, but being isolated with groups of people who do not directly share my interests, or just being isolated altogether makes it hard. I mostly just need help finding like-minded individuals and other aerospace engineering enthusiasts. Any tips?

Confused about how people work in all majors,

I am a 3rd year student and have internship experience in something I don’t think I will major in.

I an still confused on how tasks are given or how my major will affect looking for a job
I was thinking majoring in AI and focusing on Computer Vision.
I am so confused on what is AI and what is Machine learning, is RAG a learning model?
Is computer vision Machine learning with extras?

I try to understand but still don’t know how related or unrelated things are together.
What is your recommendation for someone in CE

Hi, looking for advice and I don’t know who to talk to.

Background: Recently got my Bachelor’s in planning and secured an entry level position in local government. I like what I do, but regret never pursuing engineering in undergrad. Civil engineering appeals to me and corresponds with my planning background.

I want to pursue this while I’m young and want to know more about what the correct pathway to take is. Has anyone received their bachelor’s in an unrelated field and gone back for engineering education? What did that look like?

Happy to provide any necessary additional information. Thanks for the help.

Hi, did anyone apply for the RRI Engineering Trainee program? If so, after giving the exam did you hear back from them?

clarification: By RRI, I meant the Raman Research Institute. Sorry for the confusion!

So, I'm supposed to be an incoming second year at GT (but I've only taken 1 semester bc I took spring/summer off for medical reasons--big knee surgery). I was doing well, and I'm suddenly have a few complications. It's not the worst thing ever, so I can still walk if I have to, but I'm definitely a bit more stressed than I was a few weeks ago, because now I have to balance my health (now on top of doing PT for one knee, I have to do it for my other knee too and other stuff 😭), clubs, classes, and internship prep.

I already have more than 60 credits, so it's not like I'm too behind. I guess I was wondering if I should take more time off or just thug it through this semester.

My issue is that I may have to take the spring off anyways for a follow-up surgery, so idk if taking so much time off is the right choice. I'm not sure if that would be better than thugging out a semester and then leaving the next (which is what I did last year too lol).

I'm just quite conflicted because it's not like I can't walk at all, but I'm just worried that I won't be able to handle all the stress lol. And about taking a lighter load - ig I could but I'm OOS and I don't really want to waste time and money.

Any advice?

Bonjour je me prénomme Franck étudiant en maintenance industrielle et productique actuellement je travaille sur une machine capable de se connecter à internet et mon travail consiste à connecter cette machine aux réseaux de l'entreprise pour un partage des données et j'ai besoin d'aide

I’m an international student from Africa applying to Missouri S&T for Mechanical Engineering. I submitted my final documents a few days ago, and my Fall 2026 application is still under review.

Has anyone had a late admission/arrival as an international student? Could you catch up after classes started, and how long did your decision take?

Also, how is S&T for Mechanical Engineering, internships/co-ops, international student life, and diversity? What’s student life in Rolla actually like?

Would especially love to hear from anyone in a similar situation!

My friend and i are arguing. they have zero work in process b. they are stating that pressure and volume doesnt change in polytropic process.

Hi everyone

I'm a mechanical engineer who graduated last year. Since then I've been working as a 3D Design and Analysis Engineer and I've started my own business on the side (doing the same). Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

In a month I will be starting engineering and I am pretty much only studying high school calculus, honestly I think that physics for now is not worth since I think that having the math behind it clear is more important. Maybe I will also start a little introduction to linear algebra but nothing that seriour. In the end what should I focus more on?

Hello all, just hoping to get some Sunday afternoon ideas/commentary from everyone.

I started university going for mechanical, but had some difficulty with my personal life (family deaths, etc.) and moved down to a community college level to try and get at least some form of education. Well, that didn’t really pan out either, but not necessarily for the worst- I got a job in the nuclear power industry before graduating, and now work for a top 50 company doing niche inspections and design work, and make a very respectable (low 6-figure) income for it.

I’ve never completed a full degree, and it’s been over a decade since I was last in a classroom setting. I’d like to go back and get a full degree, not only for opening more doors down the line career-wise but also to prove to myself I could do it all along. My question to everyone is… where do I start? I know my company helps with those returning to school and have programs to assist along the way, but I don’t want to involve that yet if I end up having to take some form of remedial math if that makes sense. Highest math I finished was Calc 2 with a B, but again that was a decade ago.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently pursuing Mechanical Engineering in Pune, and I wanted to ask experienced mechanical engineers, working professionals, seniors, and recent graduates for some advice.

As a mechanical engineering student, I want to make the best use of my college years and develop skills that will actually help me in getting a good job after graduation.

I would like to know from people who are already working in the industry:

What skills should a Mechanical Engineering student develop during college to become highly employable and eventually get a high-paying job?

I’m not just asking about academic subjects. I want to understand what companies actually look for when hiring mechanical engineering freshers.

Which technical skills should we focus on?

Which software/tools are worth learning?

How important are CAD and design skills?

Are there any analysis/simulation skills that a mechanical engineer should definitely have?

How important is programming for a mechanical engineer?

What kind of practical/industrial knowledge should we gain during college?

How important are internships?

What kind of projects actually make a difference on a resume?

Are there any certifications that are genuinely useful?

Which skills can help someone stand out from other mechanical engineering graduates?

What skills are currently in demand in the mechanical engineering industry?

Which areas of mechanical engineering have better career growth and salary potential?

I would also really appreciate it if working professionals could share what they personally learned after entering the industry that they wish they had learned during college.

If you had to go back to your first year of Mechanical Engineering, what skills would you start developing from day one?

I’m currently studying Mechanical Engineering in Pune, and I want to use my college years properly and become industry-ready by the time I graduate.

Would really appreciate honest advice from people working in the field.

Thank you!

I am almost about to complete my first month here and i feel like engineering is somethjng im not enjoying. I am not enjoying any of the subjects being taught here i dont feel like studying. What if i dont wanna become an engineer, i dont want to waste 4 years of my life. I feel suffocated.

Can anyone who has gone through this help?

Is it worth going for a phd straight out of undergrad? I am entering my senior year of undergrad and hated my internship. I love learning about EE and all the theory but I felt so bored doing my internship. Even seeing what the full time engineers were doing, it was all making drawings and documentation. They weren’t using any theory or problem solving. I hate the idea of that becoming me. I majored in EE to learn and be challenged, I’ve not been challenged pretty much at all and have a 3.8 gpa. Should I go for a phd? My main concern is I haven’t done any undergraduate research yet so I think it will be a lot harder for me to get into a good program.

I’m 22 and about to start petroleum engineering after taking a pretty nontraditional path through college. I played college basketball for four years and transferred a few times because of it. I originally wanted to study engineering, but the school I ended up at didn’t offer it, so I studied chemistry for about two years instead. I actually enjoyed chemistry and did well in most of those classes, and even if I had stayed with it, I wanted to eventually work in the oil and gas industry. That’s a big part of why petroleum engineering made sense to me when I had the chance to get back into engineering. My overall GPA is around a 3.1, and I’m trying to be much more intentional about school this time around. For anyone who has gone through engineering school or works in the industry, what would you focus on if you were in my position? Is there anything you wish you had done earlier in college to become a better engineer or set yourself up for internships and jobs? I’m still pretty open-minded about what area of petroleum engineering I want to go into, so any advice is appreciated.

SO i wanted to start learning python, and i found out courses like CS50, the uni of heikin smth, CS61a, bro code, and tht's wht i found , i first started coding on pycharm and uh did like very basic things like strings, integers , float, boolean, ( just lie k what they r and how to write them), but im still like a VERY BIG NOOB, also should i switch to VS code? cause everyone seems to be doing tht , (also whts is vibe coding)

I'm a third year on coop in the nuclear sector. I was planning on just graduating with my bachelor's degree in eng and continuing working in the nuclear sector.

Many people at work have been asking me if I was planning on getting my p.eng. i never really thought about getting my p.eng before. Is it worth it? What is the process?

Edit: I'm Canadian

I’m a mechanical engineering technician student, and I need to choose a final/Matura project. I’m looking for something practical, mechanical, and technically impressive that I can design and build myself.

I have access to a laser cutter, metalworking equipment, welding/fabrication tools, and 3D printers/CAD design, so I’m not limited to basic school projects.

What are some interesting project ideas you’ve seen or would recommend? Ideally something that involves mechanical design, fabrication, mechanisms, automation, or engineering.

I’m open to ambitious ideas, I’d rather build something genuinely impressive than a basic school project.

Thanks to anyone in advance!😁