The field of engineering is extremely wide and diverse, making it one of the most sought-after degrees amongst university students. With many specific branches, pursuing an engineering degree may be one of the hardest things you can do. To help you prepare and plan, Shape Your Life has invited Hans Sebastian from National University of Singapore, and Rachina Marpaung from Columbia University to share their experiences on what it's really like to become an engineering student.
Why did you end up choosing Engineering as your university major?
Rachinta: My dad was an engineer, and so I was highly influenced by this throughout my childhood. In terms of my personal interest, it all began from my high-school research project and received many words of affirmation on how good my potential is in Engineering
Hans: I was actually more interested in social science, but my dad, who is an engineer, told me that engineer’s way of thinking and problem-solving skill are actually important. My interest in industrial engineering started to grew in during university, because the major consists of more math subjects, and you have quite a lot more free time to explore your other possible interests.
What do you actually study as an Engineering major?
Rachinta: Because I’m still in my first, I mainly study the basics like math and physics.
Hans: You usually learn pretty general subjects, such as basic math, chemistry, physics, and STEM during your first year. Basically, kind of repeat of high-school subjects as a refresher and preparation. In the second year, you’ll start learning much more specialized subjects, such as python and SQL. Once third year begins, you can have one semester dedicated for internships or student exchange programs to explore the industry you’d like to work in. Finally, in the fourth year mainly entails writing your thesis and utilizing all the tools and knowledge you’ve learned so far.
Did you encounter any differences between your expectations and the reality of your major?
Rachinta: Back in high-school I used to have a lot more free time to explore other things I would be interested in, like joining clubs and competitions, but now I spend most of my time doing my university assignments. It took me 6 hours to just figure out python codes, since my courses are now very STEM heavy. Literally, no room and time to take humanity or social science courses.
Hans: I didn’t expect that engineering requires creative thinking. For instance, you need it when crafting a good proposal that has a proper storytelling, and of course, making sure that your presentation flows. I mean sure, you may not be the best at math or physics, but your creativity definitely gives you an edge and allow you to stand out amongst the others.
What has been the most interesting you’ve learned in your major?
Rachinta: I really enjoy how hands-on engineering is. It is so fun to try all the theories I have learned, and then seeing how they all actually work
Hans: I like how engineering shows how uncertain life can be. To some extent, people may see engineering as this controlled environment, but in reality you have to experiment all these theories, and the results can be quite unexpected.
What do you think is something that not a lot of people know about engineering major?
Rachinta: For electrical engineering, there is so little amount of female students. Most of them prefer to take industrial and chemical engineering. Another thing is, I think a lot of people overestimate how motivated and dedicated engineering students can be. In reality is, a lot of students can get pretty lazy to go to their classes because of how tired they are after finishing their python assignments.
Hans: Engineering people in Singapore are generally the most casual and carefree with fashion. I’ve seen so many engineering students go to classes only wearing a shirt, shorts, and sandals. Additionally, the gender gap is quite prevalent here in NUS.
What makes your university’s learning system unique when it comes to engineering major?
Rachinta: There is a core curriculum in Columbia, which consists of compulsory subjects no matter what your major is. While some students might say that they are useless to learn, I think the curriculum brings different people together. I think it really adds that sense of humanity aside from just strictly learning engineering.
Hans: There is a bell curve system in NUS. If you have a good score, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get a good grade. For example, you scored 90, but the rest of your class scored 95, so you will be on the bottom of the bell curve, making your grade a B minus. The advantage of this is that students will become more competitive and lessen that urge to cheat.
Make sure to follow our Instagram page to stay updated on our newest events and scholarship opportunities!
Don’t know where and how to start your study abroad journey? Click here to join our FREE one-on-one consultation session this month!