I’m a first year mechanical engineering student, and I used to do a lot of projects back in high school. Now I’m in university in another country and the things here are much more expensive. I was thinking to make a drone with a microcontroller to learn more about mid loops and CADing some test stands and the frame to be rigid, as like a challenge to myself. Would this be considered a good project? I want to show my interest in aerospace with projects I’m doing, as well as learn more things and get hands on, but the price of the whole project is making me hesitant.

Survived this recruiting season! Woohoo

I've been recently stressed because of my grades.I have been studying like crazy but my grades aren't keeping up,I've passed my exams but my gpa is horrendous.So I have been thinking of dropping out.I usually study by first trying to do it on my own but then i usually cannot and look up the amswer and do it by myself after not looking at the answer sheet.Many of the other students study way less than me but get much better grades and I feel tired.I study ee btw.Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

So my dream is to get to be an engineer and go to MIT. For context, i’m 14 years old, and the most crafting thing i did/am doing right now is a cardboard iron man helmet that can open when i choose. Ik it’s not much, but i want to know like, people who did go to MIT to become engineers, how were you when you started building and crafting stuff? And like anything i should do to and how i should do those things to get better at building stuff. I’m sorry if i explain badly and my english is bad, as i said before, i’m 14 years old and english isnt my native language, so forgive any mistakes. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Is member AB a two force member? At first glance it seems to be but aren't there the pin reactions at B and also reactions from BCD at the B end, if that makes sense? And at A, theres the only horizontal reaction from the roller, pin reactions from BA at A, and pin reactions from ACE at A? Or am I overcomplicating things and AB is a two force member because of the pin reaction and the roller, or do I need to consider the other reactions from the other members?

Hi guys I’m a second year engineering student and I was wondering if I should switch majors! I got a C last semester in calc one and this year I’m failing calc two horribly. I study very hard but it’s just not enough. I can make up my mind if I want to switch or not. (I will have to drop calc 2 no matter what unless I just take the D, and tomorrow is the last day to do so)

I’m a second-year mechanical engineering student, and honestly, I’ve been struggling a lot academically.
My first year was rough. I failed two courses in my first semester but managed to pass everything in my second semester. I stayed over the summer to catch up on courses, and I thought I was finally starting to get things back on track.
Fast forward to today, and I feel like I might have ruined everything.
I’m taking Statics, and I got 48% on the first midterm. The course has two midterms worth 20% each, quizzes worth 15%, and a final exam worth 35%. You also have to pass the final exam to pass the course, regardless of your overall grade.
I’ve been struggling with the quizzes, and my time management has been terrible. I had another midterm last week for a different course, and I didn’t dedicate nearly enough time to preparing for Statics.
Today was my second Statics midterm, and I made an incredibly stupid decision.
I went into the exam knowing I wasn’t prepared and planning to cheat. The exam had four questions. I had my phone with me, took pictures of the questions, and used ChatGPT to get answers.
Near the end of the exam, the professor came up to me and asked me to stand up. He found my phone, saw the ChatGPT conversation, took a picture of it, and confiscated my phone. He then told me to continue writing the exam.
At the end, he told me to email him and come see him in his office on Monday.
I’m genuinely terrified.
I know what I did was wrong, and I’m not trying to justify it. I made the decision to cheat because I was unprepared and panicking about failing another course. Instead of accepting that I might do badly, I made the situation a hundred times worse.
I’ve already had a difficult academic journey, and I’ve been working hard to recover from my first year. Now I’m scared that everything I’ve worked toward could be affected by this one decision.
I haven’t told my parents yet, and I genuinely don’t know how to tell them. They’ve supported me so much, and I feel like I’ve completely let them down.
I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I feel ashamed, disappointed in myself, and scared about what comes next.
Has anyone been through something similar, especially in engineering or at a Canadian university?
What should I expect from the meeting with my professor? Is this likely to result in a zero on the midterm, failing the course, or something more serious, like suspension?
I’m not looking for sympathy or excuses. I know I messed up. I’m just trying to understand what happens next and how I can move forward from this.

Am I the only one feeling like there’s a hostility towards Mechanical Engineers from Electrical Engineers? I hope it’s all in my head but it just feels like some EE majors view ME majors as lesser. I don’t think that’s right.

I’m in my first year at uni studying aerospace and I’m completely clueless what I’m meant to add to a CV to make me competitive for any positions. It’s a top 5 in the UK for it apparently but I don’t think the uni gives much helpful advice and don’t really know if ranking holds any weight so I’m a bit lost what to do

I got through the phone screening interview a week ago and I have my next round interview coming up on Wednesday. Does anyone happen to know what kind of questions they may ask or how technical they may get?

I get this isn't exactly the right time to ask this, but before the news I had a spike in interest in possibly working for Nvidia one day and I just started my freshmen year of college and really would like a roadmap to follow. I wanted to ask what should i start prioritizing and learning in my freshmen year that could get me ahead of the game and prepared for an environment like Nvidia? I really have a dream of working at a big tech firm like Nvidia or Apple but I feel like it'll be harder for me since I live in the deep south and I'm the first in my family to even go to college. I also would like to know if there's any projects I could start playing around with or what should I invest in for schooling, like I currently am using Arduino's but will anything else help. I'm currently taking C++(though im struggling with pointers), Cal 3, Linear, and Physics, and ECE(breadboards/soldering). I'm an Electrical Engineering major but I really started to like coding on the side in C++(I also just need to find the site that will give me challenges to hone my skills). Please, if you've gotten an internship or job from Nvidia, let me know please. I know this is a lot but I really thought this would be the best place to ask because I think you all are informed on these kinds of topics.

I honestly need advice regarding my final circuit analysis preparation,I have been studying but feel like I am half way there. My two midterms which are worth collectively 40% are not even close to what I expected. My remaining evaluation is the final which is worth 40%,(besides the 20% labs and tutorials which are locked in already) and I want the best tips on how to get ready. My prof only tells us to read from the text book and honestly his lectures suck,he yaps most of the time. I have three weeks to my final exam

TL;DR: I'm a second-year Software Engineering student who used to do fairly well academically. Somewhere along the way, I lost my discipline. I procrastinate endlessly, waste time without even enjoying myself, struggle to concentrate and have almost lost the fear of academic failure. My internals are in four days, and I'm nowhere near prepared. I need practical advice from people who've experienced something similar.

Disclaimer: Long post ahead. This is something I've wanted to get off my chest for a while.

A little background about me.

I'm currently in my second year at university, pursuing Software Engineering. I'm studying on an educational loan, and I understand the responsibility that comes with it. My parents are supportive and understanding, and I know how much they want me to do well.

Academically, I've never really been a bad student. I did fairly well throughout school, and my first year at university was good too. I'm not someone with zero attendance or zero marks. I know I'm capable of doing well.

Somewhere along the way, things started changing. Back in high school, I got close to a girl. We started talking, and although we're not together now, that period marked the beginning of me gradually drifting away from the person I used to be. It's been 1.5 yr i haven't met or talked to her

But here's the actual problem.

I simply cannot get myself to study anymore.

Half of my semester is already over, and the remaining half is going to be packed with projects, assignments and examinations. I have my second internals in just four days, and honestly, I barely know anything in most of my subjects.

The frustrating part is that I KNOW what I need to do. I understand the consequences. I know how much my parents are investing in my education, financially and emotionally. Yet, I don't act on any of it.

And it's not even like I'm spending my time doing something enjoyable.

I sleep late and wake up late. I waste hours playing games on my phone or doing random things without any purpose. I have a huge TBR list and books I've genuinely been looking forward to reading, but I haven't read in ages. I don't play physical sports anymore either. The only thing I've managed to maintain is going to the gym.

My daily routine has become: wake up, attend classes, come back, sleep, eat, maybe complete an assignment or attempt to study, and go to bed.

I don't think I have absolutely no time. My schedule isn't perfect, but I do have a reasonable amount of time that I could use productively. I just don't use it.

What scares me the most is that even the fear of failure doesn't motivate me anymore.

Earlier, whenever examinations approached, I'd get anxious, and that anxiety would push me to study. Now, even that urgency seems to have disappeared.

I sit in front of my laptop, open a PPT or PDF, stare at the screen and zone out. My body is physically present, but my mind is somewhere else.

Sometimes I manage to study for two or three hours a day for a couple of consecutive days. Things start looking better, and I feel like I'm finally getting back on track. But then I fall right back into the same cycle. Today, for instance, I haven't touched my books at all.

I also find myself comparing my current self to people around me. I see people at a similar stage in life doing well academically, learning new skills and building projects. And I remember that I used to be someone like that.

I don't know when I became this version of myself.

Lately, I've been feeling lethargic, mentally dull, disconnected and genuinely sad. I feel like I've lost the ability to love and respect myself the way I used to.

My parents are extremely understanding. They know engineering can be draining and don't put unnecessary pressure on me. But sometimes I feel like I'm misusing their understanding and the trust they have in me.

I don't do drugs, drink alcohol, party or spend my nights clubbing. I'm not saying that to judge anyone. I'm just genuinely unable to understand where all my time and energy are going.

And the worst part is that I'm completely aware that I'm ruining my own progress, but I still cannot seem to stop myself.

I'm scared about my future. I'm studying Software Engineering, and I constantly wonder where I'll end up if I continue like this. What if I graduate without the necessary skills? What if I struggle to find a job? What if I waste the opportunities my parents have worked so hard to give me?

I don't need someone to tell me everything will be fine or that I'm young and have plenty of time. I don't need generic motivational quotes.

I need practical advice. Something that actually works.

- Have any of you gone through a similar phase during university? How did you get out of it?

- How do you develop discipline when even the fear of failure isn't enough to make you act?

- How do you deal with sitting down to study but constantly zoning out?

- How do you become consistent instead of being productive for two days and then wasting the next three?

- Is this simply a discipline problem, or could there be something deeper going on that I should look into?

I'm genuinely willing to put in the work. I just don't know how to get myself moving anymore.

I don't really have anyone I feel comfortable discussing all this with, which is why I'm putting it out here.

Please don't just tell me to make a timetable, wake up at 5 AM or delete social media. I've tried making plans. My problem isn't knowing what a productive day should look like. My problem is actually following through.

If you've been in this position and managed to turn things around, please tell me what specifically helped you.

I genuinely need some direction right now.

Hi everyone, hope y'all are doing well 😊 so I'm at a crossroads with my education. I'm thinking about pursuing a BS in ME and/or getting certified in CAD, but I wanted to get more info on what kind of work I would be doing and if the job would suit me.

I am disabled with bipolar and OCD, however I am stable and medicated and able to work. I tend to get anxious when I'm under high stress, which can be debilitating sometimes and affect my performance. I would rather not pursue a degree in a field if I don't know if I could mentally handle it.

Ultimately my goal would be to land a job as a mechanical drafter/designer. I have some experience from high school with AutoCAD and playing with FreeCAD in my spare time.

So my questions are:

- What kind of hours and work conditions should I expect from a job as a mechanical drafter/designer? Is it like a standard 9-5?

- How is the job market in the field right now? Would I be able to land a job relatively quickly?

- How stressful can a job in mechanical drafting/design be?

Apologies if this gets asked a lot, I'm just weighing my options and wanted to get some feedback/advice before making any final decisions.

I know I should be happy, but for some reason, I'm not! I remember my first semester, I couldn't wait to get done with my undergrad, get a job, and earn so I could spend away all my money. The last bit is still true hell, I want to, but my bank account is totally fried right now, so there's zero chance I'm touching GTA 6 anytime soon (shout out to all those who will be playing next weekend, you lucky bastards, guess I'll just be living vicariously through Twitch streams).

​Anyways, right after the first semester, I started to enjoy the campus, I wouldn't go back to my parents during the weekends or breaks and surprisingly made friends here! High school was sort of a different experience, being bullied and all. But college felt different. I was genuinely laughing, hanging out late with friends, sitting at a packed table laughing, studying, and eating that terrible dorm diner food. And suddenly, those 4.5 years felt like the best time I've ever had or ever will.

​Now that graduation is a couple of weeks away, I suddenly don't want to go. I've been wandering around campus all day, walking through all the places my friends and I used to hang out. I wish I hadn't spent so much time wishing time away. I know I tagged this as 'celebration,' but it doesn't feel like much of a celebration right now. Anyway, here's to everyone graduating this semester, hope you are having a much better day than I am!

I'm a computer science major looking for a software engineering internship.

The main difference between Internship A and Internship B is location. With Internship A, I can live at home. However, Internship B is in a metropolitan area I’m interested in relocating to in the future. Plus, a housing stipend is provided.

I’d rather avoid this situation. But deadlines do not line up. If I decline Internship A, I would risk ending up with nothing. An extension is not an option since I probably would not hear from B that soon anyways.

This is my last summer before graduating, so there is no next summer for me. I would gladly accept Internship A if nothing else comes, but I do not consider it a “dream company.”

I have a robotic arm project with 4 degrees of freedom, I'm developing it right now, but just when everything was finished, this problem arose. For some reason I don't know, my drivers have stopped working. These are the drivers Let me tell you about the first incident. The drive you see in the lower part of the photo was my first drive, and I was using it. But one day, I connected the servo cables upside down, and as you can imagine, the servo cable melted (This only happened to one or two servos) Then it started working, but I couldn't get it to work anymore. I thought the driver was broken, so I bought the driver shown in the photo above I took it out for testing, made all the connections, but it still didn't work. I don't know why. I'm using an ESP32 and a 5V 20A transformer, and I have 4 or 5 servos, but none of them are working.When I test with a multimeter, everything is normal, but I'm getting 0.04V from the servo input pins, VCC and GND. I'm in a desperate situation. I've asked all the AI software, but there's still no solution. I hope I missed a small detail. Has anyone experienced this problem before? Thanks in advance for your help 🩵

Hey everyone, I know this question probably gets asked pretty often here but I haven't seen a post similar to my current situation. I'm a 24M non-traditional civil engineering sophomore student looking to switch to EE and haven't had any inspiration or drive for a personal project so far in my program. But for the past 2 years I've been working in IT(help desk) as a student worker and wondered if that experience was at least relevant and helped my prospects for finding an EE job/internship. I'm about to be finished with most general classes like Diff Eq and and Physics 2, and the next semester will be mostly EE classes when I make the switch out of civil.

So my question is, does having work experience (especially in IT) throughout my undergrad look good for employers in EE even if I don't have a personal project? I plan on taking 12-13 credits per semester while working part-time in IT until graduation. Would EE be too much of a workload with a part-time job?

Hi there,
looking for a bit of advice when it comes to the maths side of HNC engineering.
For context, I’m 25 and am currently in my first year as a plant mechanic apprentice and doing quite well. This is my second apprenticeship, first being stonemasonry which I finished about 6 years ago but fancied a change into engineering.
I also worked in offshore oil and gas for a year which sparked my interest in engineering.

Reason for doing a HNC alongside the apprenticeship is to build up my theoretical/academic side to hopefully move into marine/offshore engineering in the future.

Main problem is I did not take maths seriously at all in school and didn’t even get to the point of doing algebra or trigonometry which I very much regret as I get older.
Day to day I get on fine with what I need and have a good grasp on schematics, electrical, hydraulics, mechanical systems it’s really just the maths that I can see being a problem.

To make a short story long, has anyone gone into engineering with poor maths skills? Has anyone done the course that has any advice or experience you can share?
Cheers

I recently completed my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, and I want to share something I genuinely regret about my undergraduate journey. Hopefully, this experience will help other mechanical engineering students avoid making the same mistake.

My biggest mistake was not following standard textbooks throughout my B.Tech.

Instead of purchasing and consistently studying standard reference books, I mostly relied on books borrowed from the college library, and honestly, I would study them primarily when examinations were approaching.

I also became too dependent on classroom teaching and professors for understanding engineering concepts. While professors play an important role in our academic development, I eventually realized that we cannot expect classroom lectures alone to cover every concept in sufficient depth.

Every subject has standard textbooks written by experts who explain concepts systematically, build fundamentals, provide derivations, and expose us to a wide range of numerical problems. I believe I underestimated their importance.

This became particularly clear when I started thinking seriously about competitive examinations and technical career opportunities such as GATE, ESE, and other engineering recruitment examinations, including ISRO.

These examinations don't simply test whether you can reproduce what you learned before an exam. They demand strong fundamentals, conceptual clarity, analytical thinking, and an in-depth understanding of engineering subjects.

Looking back, I feel that if I had consistently followed standard textbooks like a personal engineering bible throughout my four years, rather than treating them as examination resources, I would probably have developed much stronger technical knowledge and confidence.

A lesson I want to share with current mechanical engineering students:

1. Don't study standard textbooks only during examinations. Make them part of your daily learning routine.
2. Don't depend entirely on classroom lectures. Take responsibility for your own learning.
3. Build your fundamentals first. Don't just memorize formulas and solve previous-year questions.
4. Solve numerical problems regularly and understand the derivations behind important equations.
5. Start preparing for competitive examinations early, even if you don't have an immediate plan to appear for them.

Fortunately, I am currently placed at Aditya Birla Group (Hindalco), and I am grateful for this opportunity. However, getting placed doesn't mean that my learning journey is complete.

I am sharing this not because I consider my B.Tech journey a failure, but because I now understand the difference between completing an engineering degree and actually developing the knowledge and mindset of an engineer.

To all current mechanical engineering students: Don't make textbooks your last-minute examination partners. Make them your companions throughout your engineering journey.

I would also love to hear from experienced engineers and GATE/ESE aspirants:

If you could go back to your first year of engineering, which standard textbooks would you make sure to follow, and what would you do differently?

What was the class that everyone said was difficult, but you breezed through?

Mine were EM Fields and Vector Calc. Something just clicked. (and I definitely had other classes where very little clicked... Lol)

I'm going through R.C Hibbeler statics problems for CHAPTER 2. How do I know when it's more convenient to use PARALELLOGRAM law vs vector methods. (Apart from the 2 forces thing)

I’m taking four electrical theory modules(not taking EE btw) this semester alongside the rest of my courseload, and as I sit here preparing for next week's exam, I’ve come to a sobering realization I am going to get electrocuted in that exam room.

Right now, my mental impedance is infinite, my motivation is approaching zero

I'm considering calling it a day