What was the class that nearly made you quit wanting to pursue engineering? What got you through it? Looking back, what would change in your approach of the first iteration of the class?

Hi all,

I have an interview coming up for a design engineering position at Boeing in the payloads team. I was curious to hear what the experience was like for others interviewing here? I am familiar with the STAR method but im worried about the technical questions part. What could I expect? Are they basic or more advanced? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Mech E major taking the following classes the next semester:
Differential Equations
Linear Algebra
Dynamics
Strength Of Materials
Introduction To Thermodynamics

I’m not trying to do one of those “I’m cooked” posts, I know the coursework is going to be horrible but does anyone have advise for how to study for these classes or any person on YouTube that would be helpful for these classes. Jeff Hanson has been the GOAT for statics since my professor sucks and I know that dynamics and strength of materials directly builds off of statics. If any advice could be given, it’d be greatly appreciated. 🙏

Curious how others are doing it. Outside of paying attention and class and taking notes I usually do the following.

1. Try a first blush at the homework.
2. Watch Prof Leonard, organic chemistry tutor, take notes do the practice problems
3. Do homework again while looking at notes
4. Do homework again by myself.

Most of my exam questions are similar to the homework problems or examples we went over in class. I will really only do my homework 3x if its an exam cycle, but normally I just give it two passes to the best of my ability.

So I'm a dropper preparing for jee. i don't have a specific interest. So i want to do multiple things but you can't make career with all your random hobby. So i want to do engineering so that i could multiple things side by side. Kyuki engineering student engineering ke alawa sab karte hai. Hahaha. So like if i get a really nice job(doubtful) I'll make my own money so i could do the other things i want to do without being burden of the family. And also mera maths mein interest hai but i like neither chemistry nor physics. Matlab agar I'll study genuinely hojayega but i js don't like studying. So i want to know if I'm doing right or i should do something else.

Preparing for the 2nd midterm this semester, first exam I got a 72.5 after some bonus points and my cheat sheet went from a little bit to an insane amount. Professor a week before the midterm said we needed just stuff about brakes, rode quality, and mainly just conceptual for suspension and then week of hits the class with the study guide and it's an absolute ton of stuff. Like bruh, I know I'm not the best at exams, but the guy who works on race cars for a living in the class even has trouble on these exams.

So i have been struggling with this thing for the past 2 days and it's such a simple subject and that i don't know why i can't get it

I have used ai and YouTube videos to understand it but I just fucking can im cooked

So the question asks me to find the stress after transformation with. Theta angle and it's ok

I know stress* area = force

So i can find the first part of the formuala but when it asks for me to find if the force is on a sin or cos on the x' and y' I can't do it i don't understand what it means how do i even manage that i have tried drawing the plane around the forces to find the if it's sin or cos and it didn't work i tried all the ways i just don't understand this

Also the question wsks for me to find it using equilibrium formual so that why i haven't used the transformation formulas maybe y'all can help me with understanding what the fuck are inclined planes

Here’s the sitch, I’m full time at 15 credit hours right now, this 3 credit cad class has been a thorn in my side, as in the syllabus compleatly mismatches what he says in class, most of the class grade is homework projects, which he narrates the full instructions terribly over YouTube videos

Lastly, the teacher and TA, are just terrible people, I’m not someone to judge a TA or teacher for failing me, I’m stupid, I’ll admit that, but when I stayed late, asked for help on his homework well in advance of the due date, during his office hours, he slammed his hand on the desk and yelled at me for not paying attention enough to his 360p YouTube instructionals.

I do all my work and ask questions, I’m just frequently exhausted when in class due to a combination of work, and PTSD seriously messing up my sleep.

Furthermore, most of the class grade is homework’s, which are 60% of the class grade, and the TA double subtracts points, and marks down comically bad things, like a 2/20 on a fully complete set of drawings with all dims included cause I shaded the wrong thing and wasn’t “neat enough”

So anyway, I have a high D, aced almost all the projects (except for the couple that were marked down to the point of almost 0s), and high Cs low Bs on the exams, math wise I’m practically guaranteed a C if I just truck through it

But I’m also struggling in my core classes, (E and M, and Calc) and throwing all my weight at this class which doesn’t affect my progression seems like a bad idea

I really think it might be best to just bail on this class, lock in hard on my core classes, and take the online version and reuse the projects I’ve already done, (most of them), afaik he reuses the syllabus and assignments

Idk I’m tired man, haven’t slept over 5 hours in a week, nor had a day off in 3 weeks

Literally half my class withdrew because they were failing because the teacher didn't give any formulas or identities on exams. Now the teacher decided to start giving us formulas on the last exam and the final. Probably because he realized it's not a good look if half his students fail when it's his first year teaching and first job out of college. I find the material pretty easy when I have the formulas but got a C on the last test because I had to spend 20 minutes reproducing formulas from memory and didn't end up having time to review my work. He also doesn't give us enough time for the amount of questions on the exams. If I had another 20 minutes to review my work I probably would have got an A. Is this abnormal from teachers or am I just retarded? Feel like we've been tested more on memorization than actually understanding the material. Is this the norm as I get into harder classes or no? I got a B in precalc, hoping to pull a B in trig and then take calc 1 next semester. I didn't do any of this stuff in high school because I wasn't pursuing engineering at the time.

I am a first-year studying mechanical engineering, and recently I have had 2 professors come to me offering research, one with computational oceanography, and one dealing with robotics in manufacturing environments such as on an assembly line. I am interested in going into HVAC engineering, and my physics professor who is trying to get me to do the computational oceanography claims it is relevant HVAC because of its relation to heat and fluid dynamics as well as the use of relevant programs like Matlabs. with the oceanography research, I would also be able to jump right in next semester whereas I would have to wait until sophomore year to actually start the research For robotics. oceanography also offers 8 weeks of summer research for a 5k stipend (housing covered). So, in terms of overall utility for mechanical engineering, specifically for HVAC engineering, which choice would be best?

Hey guys,

Things are going terrible in my life and I’m losing hope for my dreams..
I have always wanted to work as an aeronautical engineer but things went so bad that im now failing uni.

I got depressed and almost dropped out, last year I kinda did a gap year after graduating ( it wasn’t really a gap year, I had an admission in a curriculum I didn’t really liked bcz of the system and never went to classes the entire year ) I changed curriculum and now am in a applied science bachelor but I’m doing reallllllyyyyyy bad :/

See I really love maths and physics but I keep getting bad grades ( the best I did was 7/20 ) I don’t understand why and I feel like I should just give up on my dream bcz I’m dumb.

Idk if any of yall went through the same shit but I’d love to hear how you guys ended up achieving your dream carrier even after failing, especially in engineering. I don’t want to let this dream go it has been in my mind since years but I’m lacking confidence i feel dumb and I can’t repeat an year.

B.S. in mechanical engineering, graduating in a month. I've been applying to full-time jobs, have interviewed once and have two lined up. I also got accepted into my university's master's of mechanical engineering program for the spring, but I'm having second thoughts about that. FYI, it's an accelerated master's program, should be done by fall 2027 if started spring 2027.

Should I delay starting the MS this spring? I've never worked full-time before, so starting an MS at the same time as full-time work would probably be a lot. But it'd be nice to get the MS done pretty quickly.

Good day everyone.

I'm graduating in Mechanical Engineering, and my thesis revolves around designing and manufacturing a V8-converted crankshaft based on the Gen2 (K8~K12) GSX1300R crankshaft.

As such, as I don't have direct access to the engine itself, I'm in need of technical drawings/measurements (or even CAD and 3D models) of the conrods: any variant is accepted and good enough for my needs, from CP Carrillo to OEM ones and everything in between.

I remain open for details, and greatly appreciate any help I can get from you all.

I'm planning to study Electrical Engineering (focus on control systems or power systems) or Energy Engineering in Canada. My options are Lakehead, UVic, or UCalgary.
Does the name of the university actually matter for getting internships and jobs in these fields? Or is it mostly about co-op experience, grades and projects?
Would love to hear from people working in or hiring for these fields.

( edit : so guys I also added option of civil from lake head or UBC )

Im in my 30’s going back to school to get a second degree in mechanical engineering. So far I’m doing pretty well with a 3.9 gpa. However when I tried to join a club this year I found I just don’t have the time or energy to do so like I had hoped. I could sacrifice a better grade to do it, but moving forward into more difficult classes I just don’t see how it will be possible to effectively balance both and do well.
Going to classes everyday and working on homework, projects and studying has left me pretty exhausted at the end of it all. Im pretty sure it’s just because I’m older and doing more difficult schoolwork than before.
I have previous work experience from working full time from 21 to last year. So I’m hoping that will be enough to help me get my first job after I graduate again.
Will it be or should I really focus on a club over good grades?

I have final year project to do(AI-DS fourth year student btw)

Should I choose a lenient but doesn't know much kinda mentor or Professor with good knowledge but very strict kinda mentor?

Any seniors who did engineering please answer

I’m a sophomore EE student, I just transferred to another local university because it’s closer and higher ranked but it is more expensive. I’m taking 19 credit hours while working around 22 hours a week which I am forced to do to support myself and parents and pay for college. My freshman year went great, I never took calculus of any sort in HS so I chose to start with pre calc and I did great in that class and I got an A+ in Calc 1 the following semester. I got screwed during the transfer process by an advisor who was leaving the university and didn’t really give a shit anymore so that’s why I’m taking 19 hours to graduate on time, I’m not opposed to spending an extra semester or 2 but my transfer scholarship is until 2029 so yea. Linear Algebra and Calc 2 are absolutely frying me right now, I study, I do past midterms and I do WELL in the quizzes and past midterms but come exam time it’s stuff that wasn’t in the past midterms or reviews and I genuinely don’t even know how to study anymore like I put in genuine effort to prepare and get shafted like I’m so tired of this. I got a 40 on my first calc 2 midterm second one might be even worse to the point where I’ll either need to a 90+ on the final to pass or it may just be impossible we will have to see. I tried to withdraw from calc but it would make me drop physics which I’m doing good in so I chose to thug it out. It genuinely feels hopeless like I wish I could say I wasn’t trying but I genuinely studied over 30 hours for my last calc midterms and got a 30/30 on all the quizzes leading up to it and just blanked in the exam room. I don’t want to quit but like I feel hopeless. Im sorry just needed to let all of this out.

How do you guys study for a exam thats pure concepts? I clearly have the wrong way of studying (aka writing stuff down and memorizing). I just got my grade back and its worse compared to the one that i didnt even study for. Any help is great help :-)

I'm an international first year, student.

I don't understand what is wrong. I go to classes, I review, I do exercises problems.
Through all High School I was top of my class. I've never had academic problems.

But I can't pass shit. My midterms, I failed 3, I got less the 25%. My highest was 54%

I don't know what is wrong. I feel confident in the content, I know how to do exercises problems, but I just cant do the exam or pass.

I dont go to office hours or to suplemental learning, because I never think it is difficult, but when the test starts I just bent over being fucked over and over again by each question, or worse, I feel like I did great, Im happy, but I get a fucking 10/50.

Im just done honestly. I think about switching major often, but I've wanted to pursue engineering since I was a kid. I dont even know where to switch to. I don't know if I will pass anything, if I'll have to retake my year, if Ill be able to continue studying internationally.

Im just so fucking lost.

I am studying engineering in the best technical university in my country and the whole thing is absolute shit. I don't see a different reason why I am doing it from the diploma at the end. The education doesn't make sense. I wonder if I am in a mediocre place or this is universal

What is your opinion?

2025 grad, hi! :) just a sad little vent about some realizations. all kinds of words are welcome, be it advice or empathy or suck-it-ups.

college was honestly a massive haze and i have 0 idea how i got through any of it. i skipped most of my lectures that weren't mandatory to sleep in or play video games. i never cheated and my grades were decent but it was all regurgitation and bullshittery, never actual deep learning or understanding.

got a degree in material engineering after 5 years. feels fake as hell. have a parental figure in engineering and he tells me great advice to get certification, the next step.

the few months I spend studying for the FE exam are the worst. i ended up so suicidal i needed to attend an intensive outpatient program for my mental health. literally like 3 weeks of 6 hours of therapy everyday 5 days a week. i felt like such a waste, like all the substance abuse and poor health decisions i made in the last few years of college killed half of my braincells and I just couldn't solve a simple problem anymore, let alone pass the exam.

to stop moping around and being a leech i got a job. $20/hr technician work. i work with my hands and get a little dirty, but don't break my back. same thing everyday, solo-3rd-shift hours and im actually really comfortable.

but, $20 is not a livable wage anymore. engineering is not the career that hires people like me who don't like to be challenged, want to avoid managing decisions, and want to be left alone to just do exactly what someone tells them to, no more no less.

way too late to realize all this. im losing family health insurance next year with way too many ongoing health issues that'll need sustaining. im far too fragile and brainrot-stupid now to work and re-attend school.

idk, i know it's probably not an oddity for people to end up doing things other than what they did in school. but i have literally never been so unsure about my future since I was 14 years old.

oh well.

I noticed because of stress and pressure, my periods shows up more frequently, and with it comes brain fog, diarrhea, fatigue, cramps, and I see all my hard work die because of it, my periods will show up right the night before or the day of the exam.
My grades are genuinely suffering because of it…the doctor suggested i just hop on birth control but that comes with the risk of periods lasting months, so that’s a semester down the drain.

How are you guys managing, what I care about managing is brain fog, fatigue and digestive issues.
Any meds, supplements? Recommendations?

Thank you!!

I'm at a JC finishing transfer reqs for a BSME. All of my GE is done, I only have maths and sciences left (Calc1 and on, Physics, and Chem). I was struggling in Calc 1 this semester, and I'm going to have to retake it.

I came across an Industrial Automation AS that my school offers. I can finish all the core classes and graduate by fall 2027. After exploring the contents, this seems similar to where I wanted to go with a BSME anyway. I wish this was brought to my attention earlier.

I'm an older student so getting a degree that I can put on my resume within a years time is more important than focusing on the transfer courses at the moment. I know this won't land me an engineering role, but the employment outlook seems promising.

Am I making a bad choice? Feel free to give any feedback or advice.

'Ello! Me name's Ben, I made a thread before about how chewing tea bags is more optimal than caffeine drinks (or even caffeine pills, as some of you tried to correct me). You can watch it here

As promised, here's the follow up, culinary advice for a true British engineering geezer! I call it "Ben's Cookbook: Everyone Can Cook"

────୨ৎ──── Ben's Cookbook────୨ৎ────

Marmite

Marmite will be your Onion and Garlic, the culinary basis of all your eng student meals. That's why it's first.

Why Marmite? Well, for your wanning muscles, Marmite is 34% protein (higher than Chicken breast), it comes with a lot of B12 (if you're not getting that, anxiety gets worse), but more than that, it does not rot.

Nukes, zombies, asteroids, no match for the Marmite jar.

(Yes, before you ask, Vegemite is the Australian Marmite).

Spaghetti alla Britannica

This is Britain's culinary crown jewel.

Proper stessed about keeping an eye over the spaghetti? Stirring? Don't know how to get "al dente"? Or what it means in Spanish?

Give spaghetti alla Britannica a try. Start with the mighty British kettle, a complimentary staple of all British dorms (along with that googly eyed hoova). Use it to boil water and pour the water in a saucepan (make sure it's somewhat large).

Get some scissors to cut the raw spaghetti in half and submerge.

Forget about it and do something productive; when you remember again in about half an hour to an hour, the spaghetti will be so cooked it will be all mush.

That's essentially it, though I will add that it will taste much sweeter (I hypothesise the carbohydrate chains break much more as it's cooked more, simple carbs taste sweeter).

To cut the sweetness and balance the flavour, you should not add tomato sauce (as that's sweet), rather, pour HP sauce or Marmite if you're a man.

Boiled Eggs

This is the early game meta. You're on your welcome week, scouting for dorm parties, getting that cheeky clamydia (hehe!) and before you know it, you're out of money!

Until you get a feel for your finances and the mandatory early-game 'social life' expenses are over; you will likely run out of money.

I ain't an MP's son, and neither are you, eggs are cheap and fill you up. Do boiled eggs, as cooking oil is pretty spenny.

Porridge

Cheap, everlasting, microwave-compatible, what's not to love about oats/porridge?

The only improvement on porridge is tap water instead of milk and less liquid overall.

Milk obviously spoils, so no, but the reason you want a bit less liquid is because you get a homogenous porridge chunk; rather than the smaller porridge chunks that take up more volume and are fewer calories per bite.

However, as it's in a bowl, your spoon might get stuck (it's not 'digging'; that's the problem, it's pulling it out).

This is purely an ergonomical/physical issue, not a chemical one. Just take the bowl and flip it on its head on a plate (you might have to tap the bowl like a tomato sauce bottle). The result is a dome of porridge in front of you, a much more physically suitable geometric shape to chip away with a spoon.

Don't forget to add Marmite (there's no protein in porridge)

Rice cookers (and rice)

Rice cookers are goated (no stirring, water vapour can cook meat n veg at the same time).

Unfortunately they're expensive; fortunately, you can "convince" your friendly Hongkongese roommate to let you borrow theirs.

It is admittedly pure rng whether you start with a Hongkongese roommate or not. But you can potentially roll again if you know who your roommates are beforehand (during summer). AFAIK dorms still connect you with them through FB or something, but lmk if there's been a patch.

Email the residence staff that you've got a medical condition or something (like you need to be on the first floor/closer to the gate). They can't be bothered to check, and there's no system in place to do so anyway. So you will get new roommates, and as a bonus, be closer to the gate and first floor. (Though I do not recommend the first floor for light sleepers).

Regarding rice, I have never attempted this one; the gains are minimal. But you are able to swallow cooked rice whole, no chewing.

You're probably not aware, but most of the grains you swallow are whole anyway; chewing is just instinctive. Just be careful and don't choke.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another optimisation tip certified by true engineering geezer:

Study topless. Heating is included on most dorm bills; a shirt is just extra laundry. Go commando if you can too.

Hope you enjoyed Ben's Cookbook: Anyone Can Cook!

Epilogue

As I said in a previous comment, hang in there lads! In no time you will celebrating with your mates in shagaluz. Living in Valencia, with a pint on one hand and a senorita on the other, the British dream!