During the mid-semester break, I considered switching to computer systems engineering.
Compsys has everything I like about mechatronics. Embedded systems. Electronics. Software. Hardware. And it has none of what I don’t like about mechatronics. Dynamics. Thermofluids. Mechanical theory. But knowing where your degree goes is much more important than whether or not you like what you are doing right now, so I turned on my silly little brain and remembered that third year mechatronics dives into ESCE and away from mechanical engineering, and now I am at peace again (“peace” being a manageable state of chaos).
Part two engineering has taught me a lot about engineering, and it has also taught me a lot about myself. I have collated the best lessons learnt and words of advice given so that you may feel some peace too (especially with the hecticness of semester two and the spec choice submissions opening in three weeks 😬).
your specialisation, and even degree, aren’t fixed in stone
For a lot of people, part one engineering isn’t enough to help them decide what they want to do for the next three years – and that’s perfectly fine. Spec choices and even degree choices aren’t final. You might do a semester of mechatronics and then realise that computer systems is your true calling. It is very common to doubt your degree choice, but if the doubt is starting to feel like it’s time to switch things up, that is completely valid, and you are NOT alone in that thought.
People switch from part one biomedical science to part two engineering all the time. I have multiple friends who have switched universities or started part-time study to achieve their career goals on their own terms. Our structural engineering blogger Zara actually did a semester of software engineering before switching to structural (and she has a really insightful blog post about it that you should definitely check out!). As a young adult, you are constantly changing – which naturally means that your interests, goals, and decisions are fluid too. Picking a spec is NOT the be-all and end-all, so don’t put so much force/area on yourself. Like a vector rotation, your direction may change, but you have not lost ANY magnitude. There is always a path forward for you and the spec that you pick a month does not define you forever.
there will always be someone better than you – and that’s okay
I always knew this, but it didn’t actually hit me until my first semester of mechatronics. Once we started using breadboards, relay modules, microcontrollers and soldering, I was completely blown aback. I… had no idea what was going on. All the while, people were putting components together, making motors move, making LEDs light up, and wiring sensors as if they had been doing it for years (which was actually true for a lot of them). If you’re reading this and know what all the words in this paragraph mean, you probably feel really good right now. Awesome for you! Here’s a cookie 🍪. And some milk 🥛. But if you’re like me and are afraid of having impostor syndrome going into mechatronics, here are three fundamental truths for you:
1: We come to university to learn.
2: Learning will involve feeling stupid.
3: The pursuit of knowledge is worth feeling stupid for.
Take it from someone who had to book TWO extra make-up sessions to finish his soldering workshop. You won’t be good at everything, but that doesn’t make you ANY less talented, funny, smart, sexy, or cool than any of the other nerds in your cohort.
time management is everything
In second year, every second counts. This year, I started syncing my timetable to google calender and time-blocking my week, which has done wonders for me and my productivity. Organising yourself is the best way to stay on top of yourself because once the deadlines and tests come pouring in, it is all too easy to fall behind.
We are at the final stretch of semester two now – just one month left! Wishing y’all the best and never forget: you are a mass*acceleration of nature. Cya at the next one 👋🪻