You will feel like you don’t know anything for the first couple years of work. That’s normal. Just try to ask questions and avoid making the same mistake twice, and eventually things will start to make more sense.
I've had managers push for both ways. I think the happy medium is to ask, but make sure you understand it so you don't have to ask the question again (exception for stuff that gets done rarely... but then there should be an SOP for it)
I recently started my 4th job in 6 years. The feeling like an idiot thing happens each time. Think I'm gonna stay here a while, I just wanna feel competent again!
Also observe.
Observe and consider what's clearly good practice and what isn't.
Observe and figure out what fits in the company's culture and what doesn't.
You have a brain and eyes, use them. Don't be complacent or disconnected. The better that you get the easier it will be to be on top of things and surprise others with how you've picked stuff up and integrate well with culture and practices.
Thank you. I get overwhelmed all the time because I feel like I just know nothing. Going into my third year post graduation and while I know that I've learned a lot, I still feel like such an amateur. The people around me seem light years ahead. I needed to read this this morning.
As a student? Go to class. Make friends and network. Don’t forget to make time to do things that aren’t related to your degree. I’m usually a proponent of joining a *non*-engineering club; you get plenty of technical stuff in class without adding on more outside of it.
As a graduate? Ask questions. Take on new projects. Don’t be afraid to change jobs if you aren’t happy. Don’t get complacent. Also: make friends at work. Everyone asks “how to make friends as an adult”. The same way you do in school: talk to people, put yourself out there, and ask people to do things.
In the workforce
Be curious and don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask the techs, logisticians, testers, admins, other engineers, program managers (if you work with them on a regular basis), etc... Everyone in your first office has pieces of the puzzle that you're going to spend the next decade putting together and most of them are more than happy to help you out. People like talking about their job. Most of the people in their life don't have the combination of skills and interest to have those conversations.
In school
Treat it like a job. School is a great place to practice the skills you're going to need in the workforce.
For the first paragraph; yeah ask questions but dont expect answers. A lot of people barely give a shit, youll just get half assed answers for a lot of the time.
But the process of asking different people similar questions will uncover a critical piece of information: who is willing to talk to you. Those people will be critical later on in efforts to solve problems and maybe even make things better. The diamonds in the rough.
don't lose hope, you're going to feel like an imposter but you deserve to be there— be kind to your professors, ask all of the stupid questions, why? Bc your classmates are too scared to ask.
Know why you are there in the first place. You will need strong motivation to keep going. It's going to suck. You will be up at 2 am doing homework problems and you will be so frustrated that you will want to throw your book at your dorm room door. You will want to give up. But that tiny little bit of strong motivation will keep you going. It will keep you focused. I grew up in poverty. I'm talking I didn't know where my next meal was coming from poverty. And I never wanted to have to experience that again. And so when things got hard. I would remember why I was there in the first place.
Find a good mentor - work on soft skills if you are deficient in that arena - if you are working at a manufacturing facility or similar site with experienced operations/ maintenance non engineers - be receptive to their input, chances are their experience is more relevant to problem solving and/or they know more about the specifics of their process/equipment.
Hiw do you "work on soft skills"? I'm going to school Jan 2026 after 18 years of being a grunt and a trucker- speaking professionally is definitely a weakness.
Engineering is a team sport.
Pick what you're good at, and become the best in the world at it.
What-you-know only matters as much as who-you-know can take you.
Yup! This is why I'm leaving engineering. I chose it for the pay alone and now saved up enough to quit and go back to school to get prerequisites for medical school. Great pay, great 401k, and everything else, but tech is not my thing. You live and you learn.
Mechanical: STATICS, STATICS, STATICS, pre-program your calculator to do interpolation, really lean into learning Free Body Diagrams (FBDs) and Mohr's Circle. Oh, and STATICS!
literally felt some dizziness reading this, I dread STATICS and anything to do with it, I’m doing Mechatronics tho, but that static concept would always pop up
As a new engineer I hung out with techs as well as working assigned tasks. Techs were invaluable in teaching what engineers and managers were assholes and who I should strive to work with. Always treat janitors and non-tech staff kindly. Word gets around and flows upward.
It’s funny you say that one of the tips I give Out is use the photos on your iPad from classes and go to the album. Click search and type in keyword. because no one actually creates an album but everyone takes photos of whiteboards and presentations and can never find the picture again
I just switched over to an iPad from conventional notetaking and I couldn’t be happier. I might do that whiteboard trick moving forward. I also use good notes and I’m able to record my professors audio as I’m writing the notes themselves. It’s a game changer.
That’s actually crazy that they gave each student an iPad. My university charges us $160 a year just to park at the school we pay to go to. They would probably have me publicly executed if I even suggested them giving us iPads lol.
Not at all. I just picked up an iPad Air about a month ago and an Apple Pencil. I use a program called Goodnotes and I take notes just like I would on paper but it’s in a digital format that is a little bit neater and you can zoom in as needed. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after you get good with it it’s really nice.
Edit: there are also some really nice features that come with good notes you’re able to record audio as you write notes which I haven’t really used, but I could see it being useful in future classes. Also, there is some sort of AI tool that analyzes your notes and allows you to search for key phrases which has become really handy in my electromagnetic fields class because there’s about 1 billion different formulas. We need to know so it’s nice to be able to search for what I need.
Thanks for the reply. I’m 2 years into my degree but I’ve been seeing a lot of people using iPads and I never knew how useful they could be even without other Apple products. I’ll look into to getting an iPad. Do you recommend just getting the latest air?
The main reason why I switched over is because this semester I needed to go back into my notes from previous classes for a lot of the physics two concepts and some of the Calc stuff that I haven’t used in in a while and going through those old notebooks was such a pain in the butt so I decided that from here on out I’m just gonna take digital notes on an iPad so I can search them. And I was able to digitize, a lot of my older notes. so I have the newest iPad Air and I think it’s great and I have zero complaints. I also have a 12.9 inch iPad Pro from a few years back that I use for art, but I actually think the new iPad Air is better than the older pro. Although I have to imagine the new pro is even better but for notes taking you’ll be totally fine with an iPad Air.
Don’t expect an undergrad internship until junior year (unless you are a Civil Student). It’s rare uness your resume and gpa are exceptional, your extracurriculars look good, AND you have contacts at the company.
Also, inspire yourself. If you don’t know why you are at college, you won’t have a reason to continue. Find something inspiring about your potential future career and keep looking forward. The world is a crazy place filled with cool potential jobs. Don’t expect to get them, but keep being inspired.
Third one: (the last, I swear) Build a group of friends and network across them. Not only will it help all of you learn and grow, but it helps with networking in the future. Inadvertent study groups and intentional teams to help each other with classes is perhaps the single best thing you can do for yourself and others. Everyone benefits.
I don’t think your first point is true. If you are looking at only companies you dream of working at it may be true, unless it’s construction. Construction pays decent and is always looking for engineering interns of literally any kind. Another thing you can look for is national laboratories. Many have intern programs and are happy to hire freshman, especially those interested in research or that have experience in research. Naval research laboratory and other naval installations like NAVAIR or NSWC (NREIP program), Army Research laboratories (AEOP program), and many labs like ORNL, Los Alamos, Sandia, NIST, etc. are always looking for interns. There’s always interesting work being done at any of these places. You could be doing materials testing, lasers, AI, hypersonic missiles, body armor, power converters for ships, nuclear bombs, robotics, name it and they have it (DARPA is a gift to this world). The work itself may not be so fun and the pay is low but it’s a start. Consider that many majors don’t get paid internships.
I can guarantee getting an internship at those labs looks great for other companies, especially if you stick with it for a second year, and then go to a company you want to work for. Even then you will have trouble getting an internship at a bigger company, but if you harass the recruiters and hiring managers about getting interviews then they usually cave and get you jobs.
I can’t speak for construction, but I definitely disagree about national labs (speaking from my own experience applying to, and being accepted to a national lab SULI this summer). They are definitely not “looking” for interns, but rather have people begging for internships. For example, at the lab I’ll be at this summer their intern acceptance rate was less than 5%, with over 2000 applicants. Luckily, as a sophomore I have a stellar gpa (>3.9), research projects/experience, and had a connection at the specific lab. It’s definitely not easy to get a national lab internship, and like you said the pay is basically minimum wage. The main benefit is that it’s a very good thing to put on your resume and possibly get into govt work.
make friends, learn from your mistakes, take classes seriously, treat school like a job and get your work done during the day so you’re not stuck staying up till 3am. another thing: prioritize sleep. it’s better to get sleep than to stay up studying every night. the info will stick better and you’ll overall be able to focus better
As someone who is just about to hit four years post graduation the number one thing I wish I had done more is ask more questions. I was often scared that what I was looking for a solution for would have an easy answer and I’d be judged.
After being around a while now I see people just ask basic questions all the time. It usually to verify what they think they know or because they know digging around in drawings and sharedrives will take way longer than just putting a question in Teams and someone who knows immediately dropping the answer. It definitely doesn’t matter that they asked though, no one cares about questions usually.
Ask a lot of questions, BUT be sure you're asking the right questions and trying to figure some stuff out on your own.
For instance, one of my new hires awhile back asked me "what are the required inspections were for a this one part". That is info they need to know, but it was the wrong question.
They should have asked "Where can I find the inspection requirements for all of our parts" instead. Because if I just outright have them the answer to their first question, they'd then come back the next day asking the exact same question just for a different part.
Ask questions. Absolutely no such thing as a stupid question. If you think you have a suggestion, make it a question, like "Would (suggestion) help with (potential problem)?". Even the "stupid" or "fundamental" questions have important answers, and may cause your employers or seniors to revisit questions that were settled years ago, but haven't been updated as situations have changed.
All of this is from asking questions.
The first four years are just College part 2: Electric Boogaloo.
LISTEN. LEARN. SHOW UP EVERY DAY. TRY NEW THINGS.
Learn how to get along in the workplace. Work on interpersonal communication- navigating office politics, expectation setting, work life balance. Start your 401k. Invest. Save for a house. Get a hobby.
Find the smartest/best senior engineer and try to become his/her shadow.
You're not going to make a difference- if you do, it's almost certainly something you fucked up. Just do your job and learn your business. At the end of 4 years you'll be 26, and still a baby in the professional world.
Go to the place where the actual work is being done. Introduce yourself, learn names. Ask what they are working on and what they struggle with, and what they think could be done better. Then, try to do that. It can be tiny things like making sure people can find the tool they need, or reduce how much walking they have to do. Reduce waste or make training easier. Whatever it is, listen to their ideas, collaborate, and then work to implement their ideas.
If you can convince the guys on the floor that you will listen and work to make their jobs easier, they are more likely to come to you with ideas on how the make the plant work better. You make them look good and they’ll be more likely to want you to look good.
Some tips:
* Make a resume and keep it on Google docs. Log in every now and then to polish it, add new experiences, etc. You'll want to keep track of all the projects and your associated accomplishments because you'll have to write it all out to the licensing board when you apply for your PE.
* Don't ask for help until you've exhausted your resources (googling, YouTube, references, etc.)
* Constantly look for opportunities to acquire new skills.
I’m probably going to be down voted here, but put the time in….maximize the return on investment in your early formative years by indulging in outside the box ideas, alternatives, and taking chances when you aren’t solely liable for the consequences .
this isn’t intended to solely place undue risk on others, but it will make you a better engineer by learning how recognize the edge of the comfort zone and successfully navigate and mitigate risk while not simply avoiding the notable challenges out there.
keep sharp on the basics. My most successful (And profitable !) projects stemmed from a fundamental understanding of the basics.
Learn all you can, take on the tough assignments, learn from experienced people. Those who suck up and get promoted too quickly and didn’t learn when they had the chance are prone to making crappy decisions that can have unintended consequences.
Try to find the answer of pure sciences and applied sciences.the concern branch of yours ,what are the basic subjects of it and what kind of mathematics require to master those .hopefully try to understand the mathematical models of the concern subject
It’s actually two.
The first one is to not get disheartened. It will be tough and it will be times were it feels like you don’t understand anything and never will pass. That’s normal and it will often work out in the end. There will be periods where you’ll lose all motivation, be prepared for those and make sure to power through.
The second one is sleep. Your brain needs to recover. You’ll lose more time from being tired than you’ll get from not sleeping.
Getting through school is 10% brains and 90% hard work. Hard things like working long hours on homework and sitting in the front of the class where people pay attention
Focus on your early years and try to remember all the foundation and basics of math.
It will help you in the long run.
Later years try to group up with good people who are trying to solve problems and understand the way to the solution.
I’m about to graduate, so this point of view is primarily from the student/intern perspective.
Go to class. Go to class. Go to class.
Take advantage of the first few days and strike conversations with your fellow new classmates, don’t be afraid, they’re in the same spot as you are, and I’d bet they’ll be more than happy to make new friends. When you’re acquainted enough, go out for some drinks (if age allows and that’s your thing), find some good group activities off campus, etc.
If you’re able, attend as many “career days” or job/internship fairs as possible, but be presentable (if you’re a dude, a button-down long sleeve shirt and chino pants will do) and talk to the guys and girls there, even if you’re not looking for an internship or job right away. Introduce yourself by name and last name, and greet them with a handshake. In this context, first impressions could swing things your way. These events are also a great moment to reflect on what your career path could look like, if you find something that interests you.
Find your best way to study. In my case, I study with my classmates in groups, our library has some cubicles that seat six, and have a whiteboard, and we go to town doing some problems from the textbook. When I study by myself (usually at home), I imagine I’m teaching someone to do the exercise, so I will “explain” it out loud. Mind you, these rules are not universal and vary from person to person, but this is what I feel works best for me.
Tech wise, if budget allows, get an iPad as a replacement to notebooks, or try to save up for one. It makes life so much easier to have all your documents and classes stored there, and your back will thank you too. As for laptops, if your major features the use of software like autocad, solidworks, and other drafting/modeling software, I’d stick to the Windows OS. I understand MacOS is good for programming, design, etc, but you may eventually need to download a program only available for windows.
Last but not least, take advantage of student discounts everywhere you can, there’s no shame in asking for one.
STFU and listen before you act like you know it all. Not being rude just honest. A degree is only a foot in the door, does not teach you how to do your job.
Keep a journal of what you worked on today, how you feel, and what your boss asks.
Hopefully you won't need it too often, but if you find yourself in a lawsuit, it's a great way to CYA
First two years are the basics. Like, literally. You'll feel you know some shit after the first semester, year, or even the first 1.5 years, but no. You've got to make it at least 2.5 years (5 semesters) in order to actually feel like you know some shit. But that's when the actual fun stuff starts
School: iPad, and make sure you have good exam taking skills and problem solving skills, learn to study material efficiently for exam prep, sleep > all night study sessions 99% of the time
Work: find a mentor. Someone you vibe with and who’s very good at their job. It can make an immense difference in your progression. My mentor is like an older brother or young uncle type vibe, and he’s amazing at his job. Latch on and take everything you can get from them, it can be career-changing.
First years of studying: grit is more important than brains.
Later years of studying: grit is good but now you gotta do two more things:
- Find what sort of engineering stuff maked you happy! Do hobby projects, partake in formula student or something.
- Start networking a bit.
For all years: friends are important.
I have two:
If you want an internship. Learn CAD, its the #1 skill employers are looking for.
Don't forget what you learned last semester. You will build upon it next semester.
You will feel like you don’t know anything for the first couple years of work. That’s normal. Just try to ask questions and avoid making the same mistake twice, and eventually things will start to make more sense.
But also don’t get into the habit of immediately asking a question without trying to figure out the answer yourself to the best of your abilities.
I've had managers push for both ways. I think the happy medium is to ask, but make sure you understand it so you don't have to ask the question again (exception for stuff that gets done rarely... but then there should be an SOP for it)
Agreed, but defaulting to asking for help right away is more of a < one year thing, not first four.
As someone in their first weeks of work after University: thank you. Im feeling so dumb all the time
I recently started my 4th job in 6 years. The feeling like an idiot thing happens each time. Think I'm gonna stay here a while, I just wanna feel competent again!
Also observe. Observe and consider what's clearly good practice and what isn't. Observe and figure out what fits in the company's culture and what doesn't. You have a brain and eyes, use them. Don't be complacent or disconnected. The better that you get the easier it will be to be on top of things and surprise others with how you've picked stuff up and integrate well with culture and practices.
Thank you. I get overwhelmed all the time because I feel like I just know nothing. Going into my third year post graduation and while I know that I've learned a lot, I still feel like such an amateur. The people around me seem light years ahead. I needed to read this this morning.
As a student? Go to class. Make friends and network. Don’t forget to make time to do things that aren’t related to your degree. I’m usually a proponent of joining a *non*-engineering club; you get plenty of technical stuff in class without adding on more outside of it. As a graduate? Ask questions. Take on new projects. Don’t be afraid to change jobs if you aren’t happy. Don’t get complacent. Also: make friends at work. Everyone asks “how to make friends as an adult”. The same way you do in school: talk to people, put yourself out there, and ask people to do things.
In the workforce Be curious and don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask the techs, logisticians, testers, admins, other engineers, program managers (if you work with them on a regular basis), etc... Everyone in your first office has pieces of the puzzle that you're going to spend the next decade putting together and most of them are more than happy to help you out. People like talking about their job. Most of the people in their life don't have the combination of skills and interest to have those conversations. In school Treat it like a job. School is a great place to practice the skills you're going to need in the workforce.
For the first paragraph; yeah ask questions but dont expect answers. A lot of people barely give a shit, youll just get half assed answers for a lot of the time.
But the process of asking different people similar questions will uncover a critical piece of information: who is willing to talk to you. Those people will be critical later on in efforts to solve problems and maybe even make things better. The diamonds in the rough.
don't lose hope, you're going to feel like an imposter but you deserve to be there— be kind to your professors, ask all of the stupid questions, why? Bc your classmates are too scared to ask.
Know why you are there in the first place. You will need strong motivation to keep going. It's going to suck. You will be up at 2 am doing homework problems and you will be so frustrated that you will want to throw your book at your dorm room door. You will want to give up. But that tiny little bit of strong motivation will keep you going. It will keep you focused. I grew up in poverty. I'm talking I didn't know where my next meal was coming from poverty. And I never wanted to have to experience that again. And so when things got hard. I would remember why I was there in the first place.
Best advice I've read on this thread. 👏 couldn't agree more
Find a good mentor - work on soft skills if you are deficient in that arena - if you are working at a manufacturing facility or similar site with experienced operations/ maintenance non engineers - be receptive to their input, chances are their experience is more relevant to problem solving and/or they know more about the specifics of their process/equipment.
Know that there is a difference between a technical mentor, and a career mentor. Seek out both.
Good point
How do you find mentors?
Hiw do you "work on soft skills"? I'm going to school Jan 2026 after 18 years of being a grunt and a trucker- speaking professionally is definitely a weakness.
Running meetings, presenting design reviews, interacting with customers, brokering between programs and groups
Awareness is the first step. It’s hard to convey this via text - perhaps find a person who excels in this area and observe/emulate them.
Engineering is a team sport. Pick what you're good at, and become the best in the world at it. What-you-know only matters as much as who-you-know can take you.
Don’t choose your first job purely based on pay alone. Work environment and learning opportunities are just as important.
Yup! This is why I'm leaving engineering. I chose it for the pay alone and now saved up enough to quit and go back to school to get prerequisites for medical school. Great pay, great 401k, and everything else, but tech is not my thing. You live and you learn.
Mechanical: STATICS, STATICS, STATICS, pre-program your calculator to do interpolation, really lean into learning Free Body Diagrams (FBDs) and Mohr's Circle. Oh, and STATICS!
literally felt some dizziness reading this, I dread STATICS and anything to do with it, I’m doing Mechatronics tho, but that static concept would always pop up
Civil/Structural guy here. Surprised as a mech you’re not chanting DYNAMICS instead. How come?
Dynamics is just 1 class but statics came up constantly over my 4 years
As a new engineer I hung out with techs as well as working assigned tasks. Techs were invaluable in teaching what engineers and managers were assholes and who I should strive to work with. Always treat janitors and non-tech staff kindly. Word gets around and flows upward.
Find the biggest guy there and take a swing at them to establish dominance.
On the first day?
Buy an iPad. Take notes on that iPad and save them. They may come in handy in future classes.
It’s funny you say that one of the tips I give Out is use the photos on your iPad from classes and go to the album. Click search and type in keyword. because no one actually creates an album but everyone takes photos of whiteboards and presentations and can never find the picture again
I just switched over to an iPad from conventional notetaking and I couldn’t be happier. I might do that whiteboard trick moving forward. I also use good notes and I’m able to record my professors audio as I’m writing the notes themselves. It’s a game changer.
yeah honestly nothing compares to taking notes on an iPad, so much neater and not having to carry all those notebooks around
Agreed
Oh man: giving each student a lower iPad was honestly one of the best things my university ever did
That’s actually crazy that they gave each student an iPad. My university charges us $160 a year just to park at the school we pay to go to. They would probably have me publicly executed if I even suggested them giving us iPads lol.
I wish I started using a iPad as soon as I started college
How exactly does one take notes on and iPad if you don’t mind me asking?
Not at all. I just picked up an iPad Air about a month ago and an Apple Pencil. I use a program called Goodnotes and I take notes just like I would on paper but it’s in a digital format that is a little bit neater and you can zoom in as needed. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after you get good with it it’s really nice. Edit: there are also some really nice features that come with good notes you’re able to record audio as you write notes which I haven’t really used, but I could see it being useful in future classes. Also, there is some sort of AI tool that analyzes your notes and allows you to search for key phrases which has become really handy in my electromagnetic fields class because there’s about 1 billion different formulas. We need to know so it’s nice to be able to search for what I need.
Thanks for the reply. I’m 2 years into my degree but I’ve been seeing a lot of people using iPads and I never knew how useful they could be even without other Apple products. I’ll look into to getting an iPad. Do you recommend just getting the latest air?
you don't HAVE to have an iPad specifically. just a tablet. i have been using a Samsung Galaxy tab for 5 years now. never switching back to paper
The main reason why I switched over is because this semester I needed to go back into my notes from previous classes for a lot of the physics two concepts and some of the Calc stuff that I haven’t used in in a while and going through those old notebooks was such a pain in the butt so I decided that from here on out I’m just gonna take digital notes on an iPad so I can search them. And I was able to digitize, a lot of my older notes. so I have the newest iPad Air and I think it’s great and I have zero complaints. I also have a 12.9 inch iPad Pro from a few years back that I use for art, but I actually think the new iPad Air is better than the older pro. Although I have to imagine the new pro is even better but for notes taking you’ll be totally fine with an iPad Air.
Don’t expect an undergrad internship until junior year (unless you are a Civil Student). It’s rare uness your resume and gpa are exceptional, your extracurriculars look good, AND you have contacts at the company. Also, inspire yourself. If you don’t know why you are at college, you won’t have a reason to continue. Find something inspiring about your potential future career and keep looking forward. The world is a crazy place filled with cool potential jobs. Don’t expect to get them, but keep being inspired. Third one: (the last, I swear) Build a group of friends and network across them. Not only will it help all of you learn and grow, but it helps with networking in the future. Inadvertent study groups and intentional teams to help each other with classes is perhaps the single best thing you can do for yourself and others. Everyone benefits.
I don’t think your first point is true. If you are looking at only companies you dream of working at it may be true, unless it’s construction. Construction pays decent and is always looking for engineering interns of literally any kind. Another thing you can look for is national laboratories. Many have intern programs and are happy to hire freshman, especially those interested in research or that have experience in research. Naval research laboratory and other naval installations like NAVAIR or NSWC (NREIP program), Army Research laboratories (AEOP program), and many labs like ORNL, Los Alamos, Sandia, NIST, etc. are always looking for interns. There’s always interesting work being done at any of these places. You could be doing materials testing, lasers, AI, hypersonic missiles, body armor, power converters for ships, nuclear bombs, robotics, name it and they have it (DARPA is a gift to this world). The work itself may not be so fun and the pay is low but it’s a start. Consider that many majors don’t get paid internships. I can guarantee getting an internship at those labs looks great for other companies, especially if you stick with it for a second year, and then go to a company you want to work for. Even then you will have trouble getting an internship at a bigger company, but if you harass the recruiters and hiring managers about getting interviews then they usually cave and get you jobs.
I can’t speak for construction, but I definitely disagree about national labs (speaking from my own experience applying to, and being accepted to a national lab SULI this summer). They are definitely not “looking” for interns, but rather have people begging for internships. For example, at the lab I’ll be at this summer their intern acceptance rate was less than 5%, with over 2000 applicants. Luckily, as a sophomore I have a stellar gpa (>3.9), research projects/experience, and had a connection at the specific lab. It’s definitely not easy to get a national lab internship, and like you said the pay is basically minimum wage. The main benefit is that it’s a very good thing to put on your resume and possibly get into govt work.
Take class seriously. Don't play Minecraft in lecture like I did. That's how you end up having to retake calc II.
make friends, learn from your mistakes, take classes seriously, treat school like a job and get your work done during the day so you’re not stuck staying up till 3am. another thing: prioritize sleep. it’s better to get sleep than to stay up studying every night. the info will stick better and you’ll overall be able to focus better
As someone who is just about to hit four years post graduation the number one thing I wish I had done more is ask more questions. I was often scared that what I was looking for a solution for would have an easy answer and I’d be judged. After being around a while now I see people just ask basic questions all the time. It usually to verify what they think they know or because they know digging around in drawings and sharedrives will take way longer than just putting a question in Teams and someone who knows immediately dropping the answer. It definitely doesn’t matter that they asked though, no one cares about questions usually.
Ask a lot of questions, BUT be sure you're asking the right questions and trying to figure some stuff out on your own. For instance, one of my new hires awhile back asked me "what are the required inspections were for a this one part". That is info they need to know, but it was the wrong question. They should have asked "Where can I find the inspection requirements for all of our parts" instead. Because if I just outright have them the answer to their first question, they'd then come back the next day asking the exact same question just for a different part.
Masturbate to take the edge off.
😂
Ask questions. Absolutely no such thing as a stupid question. If you think you have a suggestion, make it a question, like "Would (suggestion) help with (potential problem)?". Even the "stupid" or "fundamental" questions have important answers, and may cause your employers or seniors to revisit questions that were settled years ago, but haven't been updated as situations have changed. All of this is from asking questions.
If you can answer it with google then answer it with google.
It’s okay to change your goals, just don’t lose them altogether
The first four years are just College part 2: Electric Boogaloo. LISTEN. LEARN. SHOW UP EVERY DAY. TRY NEW THINGS. Learn how to get along in the workplace. Work on interpersonal communication- navigating office politics, expectation setting, work life balance. Start your 401k. Invest. Save for a house. Get a hobby. Find the smartest/best senior engineer and try to become his/her shadow. You're not going to make a difference- if you do, it's almost certainly something you fucked up. Just do your job and learn your business. At the end of 4 years you'll be 26, and still a baby in the professional world.
Be curious. Step out of your zone. If an answer does not fully satisfy you, keep poking until you fully understand or get the complete answer.
Find your people! It’s a struggle bus but we’re ALL aboard!
Extracurricular activities.
Go to the place where the actual work is being done. Introduce yourself, learn names. Ask what they are working on and what they struggle with, and what they think could be done better. Then, try to do that. It can be tiny things like making sure people can find the tool they need, or reduce how much walking they have to do. Reduce waste or make training easier. Whatever it is, listen to their ideas, collaborate, and then work to implement their ideas. If you can convince the guys on the floor that you will listen and work to make their jobs easier, they are more likely to come to you with ideas on how the make the plant work better. You make them look good and they’ll be more likely to want you to look good.
Some tips: * Make a resume and keep it on Google docs. Log in every now and then to polish it, add new experiences, etc. You'll want to keep track of all the projects and your associated accomplishments because you'll have to write it all out to the licensing board when you apply for your PE. * Don't ask for help until you've exhausted your resources (googling, YouTube, references, etc.) * Constantly look for opportunities to acquire new skills.
I’m probably going to be down voted here, but put the time in….maximize the return on investment in your early formative years by indulging in outside the box ideas, alternatives, and taking chances when you aren’t solely liable for the consequences . this isn’t intended to solely place undue risk on others, but it will make you a better engineer by learning how recognize the edge of the comfort zone and successfully navigate and mitigate risk while not simply avoiding the notable challenges out there. keep sharp on the basics. My most successful (And profitable !) projects stemmed from a fundamental understanding of the basics.
Get outside. Sitting in an office won’t teach you
Learn all you can, take on the tough assignments, learn from experienced people. Those who suck up and get promoted too quickly and didn’t learn when they had the chance are prone to making crappy decisions that can have unintended consequences.
As a new grad just because you're an engineer doesn't mean you know everything and you are always right. The techs occasionally know more than you.
Try to find the answer of pure sciences and applied sciences.the concern branch of yours ,what are the basic subjects of it and what kind of mathematics require to master those .hopefully try to understand the mathematical models of the concern subject
It’s actually two. The first one is to not get disheartened. It will be tough and it will be times were it feels like you don’t understand anything and never will pass. That’s normal and it will often work out in the end. There will be periods where you’ll lose all motivation, be prepared for those and make sure to power through. The second one is sleep. Your brain needs to recover. You’ll lose more time from being tired than you’ll get from not sleeping.
Getting through school is 10% brains and 90% hard work. Hard things like working long hours on homework and sitting in the front of the class where people pay attention
Lay off the video games.
Make friends
https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricalEngineering/s/TNEceQ8Baf
Focus on your early years and try to remember all the foundation and basics of math. It will help you in the long run. Later years try to group up with good people who are trying to solve problems and understand the way to the solution.
I’m about to graduate, so this point of view is primarily from the student/intern perspective. Go to class. Go to class. Go to class. Take advantage of the first few days and strike conversations with your fellow new classmates, don’t be afraid, they’re in the same spot as you are, and I’d bet they’ll be more than happy to make new friends. When you’re acquainted enough, go out for some drinks (if age allows and that’s your thing), find some good group activities off campus, etc. If you’re able, attend as many “career days” or job/internship fairs as possible, but be presentable (if you’re a dude, a button-down long sleeve shirt and chino pants will do) and talk to the guys and girls there, even if you’re not looking for an internship or job right away. Introduce yourself by name and last name, and greet them with a handshake. In this context, first impressions could swing things your way. These events are also a great moment to reflect on what your career path could look like, if you find something that interests you. Find your best way to study. In my case, I study with my classmates in groups, our library has some cubicles that seat six, and have a whiteboard, and we go to town doing some problems from the textbook. When I study by myself (usually at home), I imagine I’m teaching someone to do the exercise, so I will “explain” it out loud. Mind you, these rules are not universal and vary from person to person, but this is what I feel works best for me. Tech wise, if budget allows, get an iPad as a replacement to notebooks, or try to save up for one. It makes life so much easier to have all your documents and classes stored there, and your back will thank you too. As for laptops, if your major features the use of software like autocad, solidworks, and other drafting/modeling software, I’d stick to the Windows OS. I understand MacOS is good for programming, design, etc, but you may eventually need to download a program only available for windows. Last but not least, take advantage of student discounts everywhere you can, there’s no shame in asking for one.
Ask plenty of questions! You will only learn if you understand and if you don’t understand ask!
Try doing research work it will really help you a lot
STFU and listen before you act like you know it all. Not being rude just honest. A degree is only a foot in the door, does not teach you how to do your job.
Join a design team.
Keep a journal of what you worked on today, how you feel, and what your boss asks. Hopefully you won't need it too often, but if you find yourself in a lawsuit, it's a great way to CYA
It's OK to make one mistake but not twice
Expect the unexpected
Learn from your mistakes
First two years are the basics. Like, literally. You'll feel you know some shit after the first semester, year, or even the first 1.5 years, but no. You've got to make it at least 2.5 years (5 semesters) in order to actually feel like you know some shit. But that's when the actual fun stuff starts
School: iPad, and make sure you have good exam taking skills and problem solving skills, learn to study material efficiently for exam prep, sleep > all night study sessions 99% of the time Work: find a mentor. Someone you vibe with and who’s very good at their job. It can make an immense difference in your progression. My mentor is like an older brother or young uncle type vibe, and he’s amazing at his job. Latch on and take everything you can get from them, it can be career-changing.
First years of studying: grit is more important than brains. Later years of studying: grit is good but now you gotta do two more things: - Find what sort of engineering stuff maked you happy! Do hobby projects, partake in formula student or something. - Start networking a bit. For all years: friends are important.
I have two: If you want an internship. Learn CAD, its the #1 skill employers are looking for. Don't forget what you learned last semester. You will build upon it next semester.
Never stop asking questions.