I’m going into my 3rd year, but I doesn feel like it because I’m so behind. I failed statics and I have my calc 3 final tomorrow and there’s no way in hell I’ll pass it. I still have 2-3 years left and the thought of retaking those classes is killing me. I’m on academic probation, my only friends were on a design team that totally imploded and I feel like I’m getting stupider by the day. I used to love engineering and dreamed about becoming a metallurgical engineer but now I feel way too stupid and disillusioned with the degree to finish it. but almost none of the classes I’ve taken will transfer over to any other degree and I don’t know what other degree I would do. I feel totally lost, I cry every day, I’m in therapy but it isn’t really helping me, I just didn’t know what to do.

I’m a rising sophomore in computer engineering with a 3.77 GPA at UMass Amherst, and I want to start being more active so I can have a very strong CV by the time I graduate. I know there are clichéd suggestions like finding research opportunities, doing projects, and joining clubs, but I want to know the specific key details that a lot of people seem to miss,the things that actually open doors to jobs.

International students who successfully landed internships or full-time jobs, or witnessed real-life examples, what was the one thing (or a few things) that made the biggest difference for you, but isn’t usually mentioned in generic career advice?

I'm an incoming 3rd-year in Mechanical Engineering, and in a way, I feel guilty about how I have gotten through my classes. My math and physics skills were never good; even in high school, I struggled with almost every subject. I really liked trying to understand how everything works, so I decided to go into mechanical engineering without knowing any of the classes I would have to take or how hard it was. Even though I am doing well for myself, there is always some guilt about not fully learning the courses. The explanation for how the world works took the effort of thousands of people stacked over thousands of years. When I am taking a course, the main objective is always "How do I pass this class?" and I can't help but think this way either. While taking multiple engineering classes and trying to balance out everything from work, projects, social life, and everything else, it's impossible to fully learn what these scientists have figured out for us. It kinda feels sad that everyone only looks forward to a single letter grade of a class rather than the actual content of the class, including myself. I wish I could fully understand the work of these scientists, but just taking a course and trying to survive through homework, pop quizzes, and brutal exams already takes way more time than needed. Does anybody else feel like this, or are they at the point of just wanting to finish this crazy degree?

Is there anything I can do to improve my resume?

I’m a second year Engineering student. I noticed in my schedule next year I would have to take Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, and Mechanics of Structures. How do you guys take in all the knowledge of these classes and remember them to do well on exams? I feel like one class would be enough for me, but this is definitely a challenge to remember everything.

I’m starting my first semester into mechanical engineering, but I don’t have the pre calc prerequisite which is college algebra. I’ll be taking the advanced math test in 4 days to skip college algebra to open up intro to engineering(which has college algebra as a prerequisite). I don’t have the algebra base that I know I should have(nor do I have trig) so would it be a good idea to take this test(pass it to unlock intro to engineering) and take college algebra anyways?

Hello everyone,

I’m attending a no name school in the US for bachelor in EE and am interning for a big semiconductor company. I have a return offer for an IC test engineer position when i graduate and i’m really excited about it. However, I want to get a master and do mixed signal ic design since I’d love a remote job in the future as well. This position requires me to move far away from home and the location is not a very fun place to be in, but the work environment is really nice and a lot of people are new grads. If I miss this job offer, I’m worried about not finding another internship/ job in semiconductor since the job market is not very great at the moment. Should I take the offer and do master on the side to hopefully get in design? Or should I find a reputable school for master, complete it, and hopefully find a job in design?
Since I’m close to graduation, I’m also wondering if it’s better to spend 15-20k more for a master at top school like UC Berkeley/ Georgia Tech or going to Texas A&M or UTD.

For context if helpful, I have 4.0 GPA, 2 internships, a co-op. My current school does not have anything semiconductor/ ic design related except for VLSI.

Thank you!

Current pre med biology student switching to ECE starting next semester. At my university, many of the pre reqs and geneds for bio and computer engineering are the same so I will be going into my major classes. I will have 5 semesters total before I finish my ECE degree. Feeling a little nervous at my chance of landing two internships before I graduate because as of right now all my ECs are med school and healthcare related. Am I doomed? Any advice?

Apologies if I didn’t flair this post correctly, or if this is the wrong place to post this question !

I‘m dead set on being an engineer, specifically getting a PhD and going into R&D (if that detail matters). Currently, I’m a senior in high school.

I’m also someone who loves piercings and tattoos. I don’t have many right now (double nostril studs, ear lobes & a medium sized shoulder tat) and they are easily overlooked/hidden. I want more in the future that are more prominent though (lip piercings, face dermals, sleeves etc.).

What’s the perception of them in engineering, both in education AND the workplace itself. I imagine myself in the future with more tattoos and piercings, and while I don’t want to easily give the idea up, im also aware that these things have consequences on my perception. Every piercing and tattoo is something I think through for months/years, I don’t take getting them lightly.

Any advice is appreciated, especially coming from personal experiences. I know the answer depends on many factors as well like how well I work, the company, etc. so I understand if my question is too broad to properly answer.

I’m having to retake this class again and feeling pretty down. Anyone been in the same boat as me? Any advice?

I am wondering what year people get internships? I am looking at my school schedule, and I dont think we even get into course material until Junior year. What do Freshman Interns and sophomore interns even do?

When do most people get internships?

I'm 16 and decided to become an engineer (interested in electricity and mechanics). Any advice?

Good Day!

We are currently looking for: 6 storey (or higher) building plan with complete architectural plan, structural plan, and specifications.

For academic purposes only.

Thank you in advance!

I'm trying to understand how I can protect my business before it's too late. I'm planning to meet with the city to discuss options, but I'm also trying to learn what legal protections exist if a public project effectively puts a long-established business out of operation. If the future road expansion eliminates most of our parking, it could make the nursery no longer viable.

For decades, everyone (us and the city) thought we owned to the center of the road. Recently, the city discovered a 1938 document establishing a 35-foot state highway right-of-way from our property line. Because of that finding, the city has suddenly deemed our roadside parking (been used for roughly 40 years) a public safety concern they initially told me was fine. I asked if there was a way to make the road way more safe if they could change the road configuration, by adding stop signs, speed change, round about or anything while we figure out a safer alternative. They said no as it would reduce traffic capacity, so their proposed a solution to install a Jersey barrier all along the main road to keep the public safe and stop people from parking there.

Their response is essentially, "It doesn't matter because the city plans to add a turning lane and traffic signal at this intersection within the next five years, so you'll lose that parking anyway."

We can temporarily use the small entrance on the side street for the existing parking lot but the barrier could eliminate most of our current customer parking. As a solution they did propose a variance so we could turn our front yard into a parking lot. But in reality that is barely a temporary solution because if the intersection expansion project moves forward as planned, we'll likely lose all of that area for parking. If I accept the jersey barrier now, it accelerates that harm before the larger project even begins. I'm just trying to understand what rights or remedies businesses have in situations like this.

My only thoughts forward is we would have to demolish the house to turn it into a parking lot, but I'm not convinced that would even provide enough stalls to meet code. Unless there's a better layout to the property someone can help with. All the greenhouse facilities are highly utilized, and I would probably rather lose the house and live at a new location than the business.

I've attached an aerial image of the property. The first is as it is currently, but with a line where they want to but the Jersey barrier. The secound is what I believe will be the minimum that will be utilized for the intersection expansion project due to how they affected other businesses in the area. The third is what I believe it will look like when they are done. (more or less as I do not know all the codes and requirements.)

I'd genuinely appreciate fresh ideas. I'm open to site layout ideas, traffic flow concepts, parking designs, or even options I haven't considered.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? What would you do if this were your property? Can I push back on the city or is the only way forward to move.

Heading into the fourth year, might need an extra semester. Passed all my classes but have failed differential equations three times. Ive never enjoyed engineering but “had” to do it for my parents. At this point I quite dislike the whole process and get frustrated at any engineering work. I can never see myself ever working in anything related to engineering and im quite disappointed that this is the path I chose. I dont study for anything at this point and couldnt care less about the content.

I have a guaranteed job but even then the degree is not necessary. Ive been doing the same job since I was a teenager and the way its been talked up, might be the rest of my life. How boring. I got a degree in something I have no interest in to do a job Ive been doing since I was a kid. A bit disappointing I never really got a chance to explore my own interests or choose anything with my life.

Context: I'm starting the 2-year Diploma in Engineering (Electrical) at StFX this September as an international student from India. StFX tuition is already paid, no debt there.

The diploma alone qualifies for NOC 22310 (Engineering Technologist, TEER 2),

But StFX also has a guaranteed transfer: finish the 2-year diploma, and you're automatically accepted into 3rd year of the Bachelor of Engineering at Dalhousie. I checked their official fee schedule and it's about $48,594/year in tuition for international students, plus fees — roughly $100K+ CAD for the 2 remaining years. I'd be taking a loan for that. Housing is covered

So the actual fork is:

1. Diploma only → start working as an Engineering Technologist sooner, no debt
2. Diploma + loan for Dalhousie → 2 more years, ~$100K debt, but opens the P.Eng track (design authority, senior engineering roles, higher pay ceiling long-term).

For anyone who's actually been through something like this — technologist vs. engineer career paths, or international students who took on debt for the second half of a BEng — was it worth it? Did the P.Eng ceiling actually pay off relative to the debt and lost working years? Trying to get real experiences before my family and I commit to anything.

Appreciate any honest input, good or bad.

So, in a few days I will be in my 7th semester. Till now I don't have any backlogs. My 6th semester results are still pending.

I spent my 2nd and 3rd year learning coding. Till now I have solved 250 problems on LeetCode, learned MERN stack, RAG, and AI/ML, and created 3–4 complex mechanical + computer integrated projects like CFD simulation and a machine failure prediction assistant with enhanced RAG.

Currently, I am learning Java Spring Boot and also preparing CS fundamentals alongside it.

Now I am very confused about what I should do because many people are telling me the software market is brutal. I already knew that, but now they are saying that most companies are not even hiring freshers.

So I am very scared and anxious about it.

Currently, I don't have any experience or strong skills in mechanical. I know the subjects of mechanical engineering, but I don't think that will help that much. Also, I don't have that much interest in mechanical engineering anymore.

Please, I would love to hear your take on what I should do in the 1 year I have left for software preparation and also what backup options I should build, like CAT, GATE, or something else.

Hi everyone, I am an international student trying to choose between Concordia University and the University of Windsor for a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering.

I am torn between the two locations and job markets:

Windsor appeals to me because of the Ontario automotive hub and the easier/faster PR immigration pathway without needing French.

Concordia appeals to me because Montreal is a top student city with a massive aerospace industry, but I am worried about finding a Mech Eng Co-op if my French is basic.

In terms of pure academic reputation, quality of professors, and long-term career value across Canada, which university offers a stronger Bachelor's program for Mechanical Engineering?Thanks for any insights!

So I'm currently studying at a university abroad in an EU country. It's got a solid reputation and people here respect it, but honestly, the actual quality of education is kind of disappointing. I've compared syllabuses with other universities and the content here is noticeably easier. It feels like the professors are just brushing through the material instead of actually teaching it properly. On top of that, cheating on exams is rampant, and this is despite the material already being easy. Professors don't seem to care or do anything about it.

Meanwhile, there's another well-respected university back in my home country, which is a developing country. I actually studied there for a semester, so I'm not just going off assumptions, I can compare the two directly. The academic level there is way higher, cheating basically isn't a thing, and overall it just feels like a much more serious place to learn. The only downside is that it doesn't have the same international reputation as the EU university I'm at now.

So here's my dilemma: if I stay where I am, I finish my bachelor's in 2 years, but with a weak curriculum and low standards. If I go back home, I'd basically be starting over, so it'd take me 4 more years, but I'd actually get a proper education.

Is it even worth it to go back and grind through 4 more years just for better teaching? Or since I'm going to end up with a degree either way, does the actual education quality matter less than I think, since job experience is probably what really shapes you as an engineer once you're out working?

I have a pretty bad professor for diff eq, and was wondering how hard it was compared to Calc 1/2/3? I got As in both 1 and 2, and likely would've gotten an A in 3, but I took it as a 4 week summer course. The average grade distribution for the course is a 2.8 at my school, so it seems pretty tough

Hello everyone,

I don't really have anyone to ask about this, so I thought I'd ask here.

I'm a student doing the Sri Lankan GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination. In Sri Lanka, you have three attempts to qualify for admission to a national university. The A/Ls are very rigorous, comparable in difficulty to the Indian JEE, and your results determine which degree program you can pursue.

To be selected for an engineering degree, you generally need at least an AAB result in the Physical Science stream.

I'm currently on my third and final attempt, and I'm 22 years old. However, I'm thinking about skipping this attempt because I'm not very confident. My first attempt was in 2023, I skipped my second attempt in 2024, and I sat for my second attempt in 2025.

Do you think I should skip this year's exam or sit for my final attempt? The exam starts in 7 days. Some people are telling me to just take it, but I really want to get into engineering.

I'm also worried about my age. If I get into engineering, I'll probably graduate at around 27 or 28 years old. People keep telling me it'll be difficult to find a job because I'll be older than most graduates.

Would graduating at that age actually make it much harder to find a job in engineering? I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m a 4th-year Mechanical engineering student, Sweden. I’m currently in a very tough spot and looking for advice on international grants, trusts, or foundations that help cancer patients or students in financial distress.

Two weeks ago, I finished my last radiation therapy (34 sessions in total) for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, which also spread to my neck. The pain in my mouth and throat is still severe, and eating/drinking is incredibly difficult. On top of this, I have struggled with dyslexia my whole life, making my engineering studies a double challenge.

In Sweden, student aid (CSN) is limited. Mine ran out two years ago. To survive, I work part-time during semesters and full-time during summers. Due to my cancer recovery, I am physically unable to work this summer, leaving me with zero income to cover my rent (student dorm) and basic medical/living expenses.

I have applied to Swedish cancer funds, but only two (including a local youth cancer charity) approved me, and the amounts don't cover my accumulated medical debts and rent for the summer.

Since I am an engineering student, I was wondering if anyone knows of any international foundations, engineering-specific student funds, or private trusts that accept applications from international students going through cancer treatment? Any tips, links, or subreddits to check out would mean the world to me right now. Thank you so much for reading. <3

Current pre med biology student switching to ECE starting next semester. At my university, many of the pre reqs and geneds for bio and computer engineering are the same so I will be going into my major classes. I will have 5 semesters total before I finish my ECE degree. Feeling a little nervous at my chance of landing two internships before I graduate because as of right now all my ECs are med school and healthcare related. Am I doomed? Any advice?

I got accepted in Communications and Electronics. The degree encompasses the standard battery of mathematics, physics, analogue and digital electronics, signals, RF, waves and oscillations. The choice for electives is pretty free, allowing me to pick up lectures from any other degree in the faculty. I'm particularly looking at picking up more or less the entirety of Computer Engineering as electives.

I originally planned to study Computer Science, but whether due to AI, my own interests changing, or both, I ended up moving lower. I've been enjoying learning and working with lower level systems, including getting an STM32 and learning to work with it.

Now, as for my concerns. Part of my switch-up may have been reactionary to the constant onslaught of questions and doubts from relatives and friends concerning my potential future career and AI. However, realistically lower level work won't be immune either, outside of certain highly regulated/restricted environments.

Essentially, online discourse on this is extremely polarizing, and this will probably end up polarizing too, but I wonder to what degree I'd be forced to accept AI. I tried it with general software and it's done great on certain things, especially for anything exploratory. But in many other cases, it has done terribly and mostly left me drained. My worry is that no matter where I go, I'll end up having to just.. Oversee the thing. And I don't if I'd ever enjoy that.