1 answer
athan
Student
Katy, Texas
1
Question
Asked
109 views
How limiting can the pursuit of an engineering degree become?
I graduated high school in the class of 2025. I am a very-hands on and spontaneous person that has a passion for math. Is mechanical engineering a good choice for me?
Do you have any free time or hobbies while pursuing an engineering degree?
Is it possible/recommended to work while pursuing an engineering degree?
How helpful are internships, and is it wise to prioritize internship possibilities?
Does working as an engineer require travelling out of town often?
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1 answer
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
163
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Athan,
This is a very insightful question.
How we manage our time determines how much we achieve in the course of a given day. There are only twenty four hours in a day for everyone. In real life, we need time for work, rest, recreation, travel, family & friends etc. For healthy living, we need to allocate time for these activities appropriately. This may work differently for different people. You will have to figure out what works best for you.
Engineering is a vast field of study and it's boundaries are being extended continuously e. g. Robotics, AI etc. It's practically impossible for one individual to master it's entire scope. In practice, people settle for a combination of related fields. I have a close friend who holds first degrees in civil, structural and production engineering.
Mechanical engineering, by far, is the widest branch of engineering. Traditionally, it overlaps both civil and electrical engineering. It's also a precursor for such specialized areas of study such as aerospace, automotive & biomedical engineering as well as robotics.
Mechanical engineering offers you opportunities to work in such areas as design, production & manufacturing, maintenance, projects, utilities, consultancies, research and development etc. Acquisition of skills in leadership and management allows mechanical engineers to work at all levels of organizations. Besides, mechanical engineering students are largely taught by mechanical engineers in universities & colleges.
Getting involved in practical work gives you the chance to acquire knowledge through experience. Experiential learning plays a significant role in the creation of formal knowledge. Every opportunity for internships, mentorships & apprenticeships must be fully exploited for this reason.
Service engineers who support technical products for multinationals, for instance, traverse continents in course of their work - clearly, such opportunities are available.
This is a very insightful question.
How we manage our time determines how much we achieve in the course of a given day. There are only twenty four hours in a day for everyone. In real life, we need time for work, rest, recreation, travel, family & friends etc. For healthy living, we need to allocate time for these activities appropriately. This may work differently for different people. You will have to figure out what works best for you.
Engineering is a vast field of study and it's boundaries are being extended continuously e. g. Robotics, AI etc. It's practically impossible for one individual to master it's entire scope. In practice, people settle for a combination of related fields. I have a close friend who holds first degrees in civil, structural and production engineering.
Mechanical engineering, by far, is the widest branch of engineering. Traditionally, it overlaps both civil and electrical engineering. It's also a precursor for such specialized areas of study such as aerospace, automotive & biomedical engineering as well as robotics.
Mechanical engineering offers you opportunities to work in such areas as design, production & manufacturing, maintenance, projects, utilities, consultancies, research and development etc. Acquisition of skills in leadership and management allows mechanical engineers to work at all levels of organizations. Besides, mechanical engineering students are largely taught by mechanical engineers in universities & colleges.
Getting involved in practical work gives you the chance to acquire knowledge through experience. Experiential learning plays a significant role in the creation of formal knowledge. Every opportunity for internships, mentorships & apprenticeships must be fully exploited for this reason.
Service engineers who support technical products for multinationals, for instance, traverse continents in course of their work - clearly, such opportunities are available.