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What is something I should know that would give me an edge compared to other starting engineering students?

I am turning 18 years old on December 10th, and I am a senior in high school. I plan to go to college and earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I am avid when it comes to my education. I have a 4.0 GPA and I am ranked 6th in my class of 394, but none of that is to brag—it is simply to show I am dedicated and that I care about my education. I wanted to ask this question because I do not want to be clueless when entering college. I am the kind of person who wants to be ahead of the game and able to help others around me. I am also asking because I know there are smarter, more experienced people who can give me access to things they wish they had known as upcoming engineers. Asking questions similar to this before, I heard about familiarizing yourself with modeling software before entering college and getting a high-powered computer; however, I do not know if I can financially. Also, I would like to thank the people who reply. Your time, effort, and advice will be greatly appreciated. I can't wait!

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Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer

Discover what you love and what you're good at, and think about your future career goals in engineering. Have a clear plan for your path. Make sure you understand STEM subjects well and focus on using what you learn. Start exploring CAD software, Python, or MATLAB, and try projects like 3D printing or building a simple robot. By your third year, try to get internships or volunteer work to gain practical experience.

Remember, soft skills are as important as technical ones. Work on problem-solving, clear communication, teamwork, and managing your time well. Join engineering clubs or groups like ASME or SAE, or your university's engineering organizations. Get involved in online communities like Reddit’s r/engineeringstudents, engineering Discord servers, or LinkedIn groups focused on mechanical engineering. Start connecting with professionals on LinkedIn, attend webinars, and join local or online conferences. Taking these steps early will build a strong foundation, help you make valuable connections, and give you a real edge in your engineering studies and career.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for your time and advice sir! I also had login troubles and have just now been able to log in. I apologize for the late response, but I am very appreciative of the advice you provided. I am the current vice president and former treasurer of Technology Student Association. I have built robots, rubber band powered airplanes, and most recently, me and my team, got the award for fastest cardboard boat at our Fall Leadership Conference. In TSA, and the way I was raised, I have a lot of other examples regarding my experience with the concept of solving the problem and engineering... Logan
Thank you comment icon ... As well as real world working experience with my internship at Verlyn’s Precision Machining. Here, I operated CNC machines, tumblers, saws, sanders, and got to see some mechanical brilliance in the machines all around me. Like you said, I will plan on strengthening both valuable soft-skills and my work experience in college. I plan to also join available engineering clubs, similar to TSA. I will also try and get involved with online engineering communities- I believe that will be a great pool of helpful, similarly aligned people in the world. Thank you for your time and wonderful advice again sir! Logan
Thank you comment icon You're welcome! Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
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Daniel’s Answer

Congratulations on your achievements, and good luck! I think the best thing to know going into your college career is that you're 6th out of 394 in high school, but your future classmates are all also going to be in the top 10% of their high school classes... The expectation is that you're all equally brilliant and dedicated, so don't make assumptions about them or yourself - start from the premise that you all equally deserve to be there, and go from there. Don't forget, these are also your future colleagues, and you may run into them 10 or 20 years later in professional practice. The connections you make in college are for a lifetime and are *highly* valuable, so focus on that. There's no room for egos: let your accomplishments speak for themselves.

Beyond that, do something you are passionate about. If you really enjoy structural engineering, focus there. If you're passionate about materials science, do that. You're going to be doing this for the next 40 years, hopefully, so let it be something you enjoy. Don't just focus on income: you can make money in high-paying field you hate for a year or two, but everyone will notice and you won't have a future. But even in a lower-paying field, if you're enthusiastic and love what you do, people will recognize that and you'll have constant demand. More importantly, you'll be happy doing work you enjoy and feel satisfied with, and again, with 40 years of work ahead of you, that's crucial. "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" is really true, and really important.

Daniel recommends the following next steps:

For a next step, figure out what you're really passionate about. Is it mechanical engineering? What are your hobbies? Do you play engineering games in your spare time? What do you do when you're not thinking about work or school - and is there a potential career there?
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your time and the advice you provided sir! I hope I did not come off as boastful in this post, and please forgive me if I did. I also had log in issues, so I apologize for the late response. You made a strong and important point that my connections in college are extremely valuable, even coming into play later on in my life. This is wonderful advice I will keep in mind sir. Also, I am sorry again for coming off as someone with a big ego, you are right about that I should let accomplishments speak for themselves… Logan
Thank you comment icon … Your last advice about being certain I love mechanical engineering was definitely a journey for me so far. However, with my past summer internship and my walk in Technology Student Association (TSA) through high school, I believe this is the best fit. I loved aerospace engineering, but I have been advised by multiple people that I should enter mechanical engineering because of its broader line of work and that mechanical engineers can also still work on aircrafts. In other words, mechanical engineering is not only limited to aircrafts. Thank you again sir! You have given great advice! Logan
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