So you’re going to be an engineer?
That’s great!
There aren’t many careers out there as rewarding as engineering. It’s not going to be a simple road, though. Getting a degree in engineering takes a ton of commitment and hard work.
Keep your chin up and take a look at these 7 tips for surviving engineering school so you can enjoy the career of your choice.
1. Stay Humble
There is zero doubt you’re a fantastic student. That’s how you got into engineering school in the first place.
But all of that goes out the window right now.
Keep your feet on the ground while you’re in engineering school. Work with others. Ask for help. Don’t let your pride or arrogance be your downfall. You’re going to need to collaborate to win in this industry.
2. Make a Schedule and Stick to It
Your time is going to be really tight while you pursue your degree.
Get yourself a planner and write down everything you need to get done. Plan for your classes, your homework, and even your free time. There will be times when you can’t stick to it, but most of the time you should try your best.
When you start winging it, you lose track of things. That’s not something you want while you’re in engineering school.
3. Don’t Rely on Your Calculator
Here us out.
Of course, you’re going to use your calculator for homework to solve problems. You could potentially start running into problems if you rely on it entirely, though.
When you walk into a classroom for an exam and find out calculators aren’t allowed, you’re going to be in trouble.
Don’t use it as a crutch. Start practicing solving problems without it so you’re ready when you can’t have it by your side.
4. Study With Other People
It’s important to have a nice quiet place to study when you’re trying to get through your work, but you don’t have to do it all on your own.
Working with a study group will give you amazing opportunities to learn more than you ever could on your own. The sounding board created by other engineering students means you all benefit from each other’s knowledge.
Learn from and teach your peers and you’ll all make it through this together!
5. Get All Your Homework Done
This one seems obvious but it certainly bears repeating.
Do your homework — all of it!
College is an exciting experience. There are any number of things happening all at once, every single day. It’s a non-stop distraction that may be more appealing than that assignment worth a fraction of a percent of your grade.
It doesn’t matter!
Get your work done. Do it now. Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. You need to do your homework or you’re not going to make it very long in this field of study.
6. Join Organizations to Practice Your Skills
Clubs and groups are a great way to put the things you’ve been learning into practice in real-world situations.
There are a bunch of different organizations out there where you can work with cars, robotics, and aircraft to show off the skills you learn in class. They give you a chance to use your hands along with your brain.
Not to mention these kinds of organizations look fantastic on your resume after graduation.
7. Make Sure You Have Some Fun
If you don’t get out and do something you enjoy on the weekends or spend some time with your friends outside of class, you risk burning out.
Engineering school is hard. Some would argue that it’s a full-time job all by itself. But you can’t let it take over your entire life from dawn to dusk, and especially not all night long.
Go have some fun. Get full nights of sleep. Don’t push yourself too hard.
The last thing you want to do is push yourself right out of your love of engineering.
In Conclusion
You’re well on your way to the career you’ve been dreaming of. And you’re going to make an amazing engineer one day.
You just have to make it through college first.
These 7 tips will help you make your way to graduation. Once you survive engineering school and get your degree, there will be nothing you can’t accomplish!
