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How can I start heading towards becoming a mechanical engineer?
I really enjoy watching the videos made by Mark Rober because they are very creative and interesting. So with that, how can I, 15, start heading towards becoming a mechanical engineer like Mark Rober.
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Andrew’s Answer
Being curious about the way the world functions around you is beneficial. You can learn more by watching YouTube videos and using online resources or books to educate yourself. Consider the issues that capture your interest, such as addressing hunger, transportation, or healthcare. Reflect on existing technologies, even those from different fields, and ask yourself, "How can I use this to solve my specific problem?"
To become a mechanical engineer, you'll need at least four years of university education. If your school provides advanced placement in math and physics, seize that chance! Additionally, think about joining a FIRST robotics team after school.
The key to succeeding in engineering school is hard work. You don't need to be a genius, but you must complete your homework. Start developing good habits today that will benefit you in the future.
Take College preparatory exams like ACT or SAT to see where you stand as soon as possible. You may find you need to study a bit to get good marks.
Think about how to pay for college by reaching out to universities and colleges.
Take as much advanced placement or college/prep math and physics as a possible. Computer science & programming is great too.
Find an afterschool opportunity to work on a robotics competition team like FIRST, or some program where you can talk with engineers.
Study, Read, Invent new things!
To become a mechanical engineer, you'll need at least four years of university education. If your school provides advanced placement in math and physics, seize that chance! Additionally, think about joining a FIRST robotics team after school.
The key to succeeding in engineering school is hard work. You don't need to be a genius, but you must complete your homework. Start developing good habits today that will benefit you in the future.
Andrew recommends the following next steps:
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Anwen’s Answer
In addition, learning practical l, trade type skills from a shop come in useful. Knowing how to take things apart, how to weld, how to use tools always are useful in lab situations.
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Dennis’s Answer
Hello Giullermo, I like the answers from both Andrew and Anwen. Yes, you should get all the math and other courses like physics and chemistry that you can. But, in addition, as an engineer, you need to communicate - with your boss, your co-workers, and anybody else that is involved with your work or project. Communicating is Listening and Speaking as well as reading and writing. In order to express your ideas, you need to have a message the fits the audience. And, if it is your boss (or his boss) speaking, you need to be sure to listen closely. So don't neglect Language Arts. Learn to be a team player (and, sometimes, the Leader, which also requires you to be a good Listener.).
Engineering is a unique form of accounting: Concerning money, an Accountant keeps track of how much money there is, who spent it and when, and for what purpose; when and where the money come from, and so on. As Engineers, we keep track of physical things like Force, acceleration, distance and speed. And pressure, temperature, stress in materials, voltage and current. Heat transfer. I could go on, but you get the idea.... We look at a system and determine what physical phenomena are involved; we have to understand and measure and evaluate what is going on. We are curious. H ow does this system work? How can I make it better? Can it be more efficient? Can we make it less complicated.? Use less material? Use a different material?
To do this, we often use mathematical models to describe the physical process(es) involved. So, you need a good imagination and an ability to think abstractly. Super-impose one concept with another. Invent.
This is an interesting time as society makes the transition from using (primariy) Fossil Fuels) to other forms of energy. Some people now believe that electrically-powered vehicles will drive our economy. Maybe. Perhaps Hydrogen is a better fuel for vehicles. Or some combination of other things. In any event, MEs and other engineers will design and build the systems to make that happen. You, Guillermo, can have a role in this activity. Good luck!
Get acquainted with engineers who are currently working in industries that interest you. If possible, do the "shadowing" exercise to see what their typical work entails.
Subscribe to and read on-line engineering magazines like "Machine Design" or "Design News." Get the updates from NASA.
Learn to read and make mechanical drawings or learn to use a Computer-Aided-Drawing program. In my day, we did mechaincal drawing with pen or pencil. you will save a lot of time using it.
Engineering is a unique form of accounting: Concerning money, an Accountant keeps track of how much money there is, who spent it and when, and for what purpose; when and where the money come from, and so on. As Engineers, we keep track of physical things like Force, acceleration, distance and speed. And pressure, temperature, stress in materials, voltage and current. Heat transfer. I could go on, but you get the idea.... We look at a system and determine what physical phenomena are involved; we have to understand and measure and evaluate what is going on. We are curious. H ow does this system work? How can I make it better? Can it be more efficient? Can we make it less complicated.? Use less material? Use a different material?
To do this, we often use mathematical models to describe the physical process(es) involved. So, you need a good imagination and an ability to think abstractly. Super-impose one concept with another. Invent.
This is an interesting time as society makes the transition from using (primariy) Fossil Fuels) to other forms of energy. Some people now believe that electrically-powered vehicles will drive our economy. Maybe. Perhaps Hydrogen is a better fuel for vehicles. Or some combination of other things. In any event, MEs and other engineers will design and build the systems to make that happen. You, Guillermo, can have a role in this activity. Good luck!
Dennis recommends the following next steps: