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what's the most difficult part of majoring in mechanical engineering?
I want to major in it.
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3 answers
Updated
Glenn’s Answer
Mechanical Engineering, just like any other engineering field, requires both talent and dedication. Your skills in math and physics play a critical role. Think of it as four years of practical physics. Be ready to hit the books hard. Remember to take short breaks to maintain your mental well-being and avoid burnout. However, keep your main focus on studying until you earn your degree.
When you begin your career, you'll discover that Mechanical Engineering is both demanding and fulfilling.
When you begin your career, you'll discover that Mechanical Engineering is both demanding and fulfilling.
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi Lisandro:
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare for a career in Mechanical Engineering. Physics and chemistry will be the core science courses. For math, statistics and calculus will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail and observation skills; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration amongst team members, partner departments and clients occur on a daily basis. A college course in public speaking, communications and English will help with one's communication and writing skills since analysis reports are generated and findings are presented to colleagues and other professionals who deal with Mechanical Engineering. Another recommendation is to seek the advice from your high school guidance counselor and teachers. They can help guide your educational pathway for Mechanical Engineering.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Mechanical Engineering:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- University of California (Berkeley)
- Purdue University (West Lafayette)
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
- California Institute of Technology
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Texas (Austin)
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-mechanical
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and acceptance to the applied college of choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are some top careers in Mechanical Engineering:
- Aerospace Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Business Executive
- Construction Engineer
- Entrepreneur
- Intellectual Property Attorney
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Management Consultant
- Mechanical Engineer
- Patent Lawyer
- Production Engineer
- Project Lead
- Project Manager
- Petroleum Engineer
- Process Engineer
- Product Designer
- Quality Engineer
- Sales Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Technology Specialist
- Thermal Engineer
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/articles/what-you-can-do-with-a-mechanical-engineering-degree
Another recommendation is to look for Mechanical Engineering professionals on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). You can send the professional a message and let him or her know that you are interested in learning more about his or her professional background, work experience, education, etc. Also, reach out to Mechanical Engineering professors at the colleges and universities that you are interested in to ask for their advice, insights, etc.
Hope this helps and best wishes for your education and career in Mechanical Engineering!
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare for a career in Mechanical Engineering. Physics and chemistry will be the core science courses. For math, statistics and calculus will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail and observation skills; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration amongst team members, partner departments and clients occur on a daily basis. A college course in public speaking, communications and English will help with one's communication and writing skills since analysis reports are generated and findings are presented to colleagues and other professionals who deal with Mechanical Engineering. Another recommendation is to seek the advice from your high school guidance counselor and teachers. They can help guide your educational pathway for Mechanical Engineering.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Mechanical Engineering:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- University of California (Berkeley)
- Purdue University (West Lafayette)
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
- California Institute of Technology
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Texas (Austin)
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-mechanical
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and acceptance to the applied college of choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are some top careers in Mechanical Engineering:
- Aerospace Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Business Executive
- Construction Engineer
- Entrepreneur
- Intellectual Property Attorney
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Management Consultant
- Mechanical Engineer
- Patent Lawyer
- Production Engineer
- Project Lead
- Project Manager
- Petroleum Engineer
- Process Engineer
- Product Designer
- Quality Engineer
- Sales Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Technology Specialist
- Thermal Engineer
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/articles/what-you-can-do-with-a-mechanical-engineering-degree
Another recommendation is to look for Mechanical Engineering professionals on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). You can send the professional a message and let him or her know that you are interested in learning more about his or her professional background, work experience, education, etc. Also, reach out to Mechanical Engineering professors at the colleges and universities that you are interested in to ask for their advice, insights, etc.
Hope this helps and best wishes for your education and career in Mechanical Engineering!
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Lisandro,
That’s a really thoughtful question, and I’m excited to hear you’re interested in mechanical engineering!
The most difficult part of majoring in mechanical engineering often depends on the person, but many students find subjects like advanced math (like calculus) or physics challenging. Learning how to apply these concepts to real-world problems can also be tricky at first. Time management is another big challenge since the workload can be heavy.
But here’s the thing: every career has its difficulties, no matter what you choose to pursue. The key is to stay curious, ask lots of questions, and never be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your professors, use online resources, check out helpful apps, read books related to the subject, and team up with classmates. Studying together can make tough topics feel much easier to tackle!
Remember, many others have graduated as mechanical engineers, and I have no doubt that you’ll succeed too!
Stay focused, work hard, and believe in yourself—you’ve got this!
Good luck!
William Oliveira
That’s a really thoughtful question, and I’m excited to hear you’re interested in mechanical engineering!
The most difficult part of majoring in mechanical engineering often depends on the person, but many students find subjects like advanced math (like calculus) or physics challenging. Learning how to apply these concepts to real-world problems can also be tricky at first. Time management is another big challenge since the workload can be heavy.
But here’s the thing: every career has its difficulties, no matter what you choose to pursue. The key is to stay curious, ask lots of questions, and never be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your professors, use online resources, check out helpful apps, read books related to the subject, and team up with classmates. Studying together can make tough topics feel much easier to tackle!
Remember, many others have graduated as mechanical engineers, and I have no doubt that you’ll succeed too!
Stay focused, work hard, and believe in yourself—you’ve got this!
Good luck!
William Oliveira