In this post, we list the 7 facts or signs that indicate mechanical engineering is for you and you should major in it without any hesitation.
1 – good at math
The first skill that indicates mechanical engineering is for you is loving or having an interest in mathematics, you don’t have to be a genius in math to succeed in mechanical engineering, but have to enjoy doing math while you solve mechanical problems when you make math calculations like calculating how much weight the object have to carry or what is the maximal resistance it should bear.
In mechanical engineering programs, you will be required to complete difficult math subjects including calculus, college algebra, differential equations, and linear algebra.
In the first 3 semesters of the mechanical engineering program you have 3 calculus courses:
- calculus 1
- calculus 2
- calculus 3
If you enjoy using math, especially in solving applied engineering problems, that is a good sign that mechanical engineering is a good fit for you. Because math is the foundation that mechanical engineering is based on.
all the topics that you will be studying in this major involve math, especially some Physics courses that will be talking about in the next paragraph.
2 – good at physics
The second subject that you should be good at or have some interest in is physics. Mechanical engineering involves a lot of physics. You have to ask yourself if you did enjoy the physics classes you took in high school or later, especially motions and kinematics.
- Did you, or do you feel interested to determine the speed or acceleration of a car or any mobile object?
- Do you have any interest to know the force applied to an object, or ask some physics questions like why objects stop?
If you took an algebra-based Physics course you would know in detail what we mean by . these kinds of questions. If you don’t we invite you to study this course to get an idea or at least have a look at these physics topics:
- Kinematics
- Dynamics
- Momentum
- Circular Motion & Gravity
- Rotational Motion
- Work, Energy & Power
- Fluid Mechanics
- Thermal Physics
Because in the mechanical engineering program you will be required to complete many physics courses including General Physics 1, General Physics 2, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics. add all link
3 – love design
The most interesting another part that you should consider and indicate its mechanical engineering is for you or not is to love design. As a mechanical engineer, you will be designing for a long period of time.
Typically mechanical engineers use CAD as the most famous computer software tune to design. You could have a look at the car in the program and try to design your first mechanical object. It is not so difficult and doesn’t require you to be in school to learn it.
We will let you watch this video below to follow teaching you how to design your first mechanical piece. go for it.
If you find this video interesting and fascinating there is no doubt that mechanical engineering would be a good career. You don’t have to buy a 3D printer to test if you love mechanical engineering or not but just designing in 3D programs will give you the idea if you enjoy the process of design or not.
On the other hand, if you Enjoy 3D printing and doing a lot of projects, this is another good sign for you.
4 – love to work by your hand
If you love to work by hand, for instance, using a screwdriver and hammers to fix stuff in the house this isn’t another sign that mechanical engineering is why you should choose.
Typically mechanical engineers spend most of their time In Design and working with their hands testing and improving a product. you would have a lab where you will be testing and doing your experiments.
you’re not going to work like a technician all day in a workshop, but you still have to enjoy working in humid environments like workshops or across manufacturing machines.
5 – love to solve problems
loving to solve a problem is the duty of engineers not only mechanical engineers but all engineering branches. As a mechanical engineer, you must be challenged to solve difficult problems and challenges this industry is facing.
For instance, you have to design a mechanical piece of a phone that can be easily replaceable or be fitting with many phone generations a company has released. A challenge is what is going to be your drive.
You must have good critical thinking and be innovative to break these challenges, but you don’t have to doubt yourself. This is coming with experience but the most interesting thing is passion.
if you sit for long hours working with a single problem without getting bored this is a good sign of your success in this field
6 – extroverted
As a mechanical engineer, you will be working with a team, it is not individual work. You have to be comfortable working with people and have the spirit of the team, if you are an extrovert you don’t have to worry about that.
If you are an introvert you might face some issues in the beginning, especially in communication, but you can fix these issues and take some courses in communication going out of your comfort zone.
But we recommend, if you are an introvert we do not recommend working in manufacturing engineering because they are stressful and not a good option for introverted mechanical engineers, you could discover more information about this topic in this detailed article.
7 – patience
Mechanical engineering is a job that requires patience, mechanical engineers spend months working on one single piece improving and testing it. it is not like you might expect, you will be working on the design in a whole piece on your own in teamwork.
You can watch this video to get an idea of what a mechanical engineer does.
In addition, you have to be patient and accept criticism from your supervisor and chief engineers, you have to know that it is ok to make mistakes when you are in the process of learning and mistakes are just a part of the learning process.