a letter to my first year self – Faculty of Engineering and Design Part II student blog

This blog is a little different to the rest

It’s a poem, or letter (I’m trying my best)

Now it may come off very cheesy indeed,

But the hope is to help out a first-year friend in need

Let me share my Welly background (the land of the hills)

Lots of music, and hockey, and of course… animals

Fine at maths, fine at physics – enjoying them..? Yes!

“They need women in STEM”, I gotchu, say less

Every first year has a different challenge they face

Sometimes social, work ethic, maybe moving to a new place

For me, finding friends helped me overcome the rest

But it took lots of time and jumping ‘round to find my nest

That little voice in your head – “Is this really right for me?”

I honestly may not know ‘til I complete my degree

Though I’ve realised engineering’s more than what Part I proposed

In second-year, practical engineering starts becoming exposed

Comp Sys took me to lands of MCU’s galore,

Peripherals and circuits I’d never heard of before

There are times I’ve felt lost (and stupid) no doubt

The wind on my sail kept trying to nudge me out

“So, second-year Emma, how do I best prepare?”

Join clubs, take up projects… they’ll help you get there

But ultimately two things will make everything fall into place

Find balance in your life, and never drop out of the race!

Good luck engineering on… I’ll see you in the next one! 🤗