The New World

Hope you guys had an amazing break! Though I’m sure it’s been ‘part-time’ break for some of you – those GPA 9s aren’t going to make themselves. In this first post, I’ll give you a run-down of Mechatronics so far and why I chose it.

Why Did I Choose Mechatronics?

First years tend to choose specialisations like Software and Civil that guarantee them jobs but I was one of the few who couldn’t deal with conformity and so I chose Mechatronics conjoint with Japanese. Mechatronics is mechanical, electrical and software engineering combined – essentially, robotics – but it’s so new that any non-Engineering student wouldn’t know what it is. By some, it’s considered the “handyman of three trades, master of none” but, hey, there’s always a robotics or biotechnology company looking for a professional Mechatronics Engineer. Personally, I’m working towards employment in Japan – their research and development of robotics is top tier. In fact founding your own Mechatronics company is quite a profitable career option, too.

But the main reason why I chose Mechatronics was because I wanted adventure; at first I was one of the first years who thought, “Argh, just take Civil and get a job,” but during second semester I realised what I really wanted. I wanted to take a specialisation that would take me and the world to new heights; one that wasn’t a classic Engineering specialisation; one that provided more than just stable career opportunities; one that the world had never seen before. I wanted something fresh. I mean, what’s not to love about that futuristic tech you see in Sci-Fi movies? I figured, “The future’s out there waiting, so why not say hi?”

Part II Mechatronics So Far:

“A lot of Part II students will face this thing called the ‘Part II Blues’. Everything will be difficult and you’ll regret choosing your specialisation and Part II Engineering in general. All I can say is: ‘Don’t give up.’” – Hazim

The first half of the first semester has been a string of assessments and I say that despite only taking TWO actual Engineering papers – I took Engsci 211 in first year and conjoint students miss out on Electeng 208, so I only take Mecheng 235 and 242 plus three Arts papers. But it’s great how flexible Mechatronics courses can be when you’re doing a conjoint; the workload isn’t as oppressive as Civil or Software conjoints.

A summary of Part II Mechatronics first semester:

1. ENGSCI 211; the maths paper that almost everyone does. Like 111 but with the calculus on steroids and the return of calculus’ arch-nemesis: statistics.
2. MECHENG 235; the design paper with a crash course on motors, power transmissions and everything an automobile geek would love. Think 115 but way more interesting – you get to design a competition-grade robot for the very first project!
3. MECHENG 242; the materials paper… with statics included! Pretty much 121 statics mashed together with Chemmat 121.
4. ELECTENG 208; the electrical paper and the only paper Mechatronics doesn’t share with any other specialisation. Next level Electeng 101.

Thanks for reading!

• Busby