The Fallacy about Studying Engineering

           What comes to your mind when I say “engineering student”? Another miserable sheep in the herd? Just a degree that is required to get a decent job? An easier option when compared to studying medicine?  I am sure that at least one of these thoughts will pop up. These are a lot of misconceptions about engineering in the layman in India. The aim of this blog post is to change that. The four years that a student spends pursuing engineering can be very rewarding, that is if the student is willing to study engineering in its true sense.

           Engineering is not about just passing all the subjects and obtaining distinction. We all know that the syllabus we have right now is outdated. There is a huge gap between what skills a graduate acquires and what is actually needed in the real world. So you just can’t go from one semester to the next with the same old mundane routine of whiling away time and studying during the final days of the semester. I don’t mean to sound like a nerd here. Mass bunks, wooing girls, getting into fist fights, getting drunk and backlogs are hard to avoid. I admit it. Those are experiences too.  You might even learn a thing or two from them. But most people think this is what engineering is about. This is what I am strongly against. There is simply no point if your time in college is a “Kirik Party”. I know the movie makes it seem cool to indulge in all of these activities. But whatever you gain from it is just superficial. Years down the line, they are not something you can exactly be proud of.

           
           Of course, there is no college life without bunking class! It is hard to even stay awake in those dreary classes. But while you bunk, do something worthwhile now and then. Dig into that scientific temper that lead you to choose this path. Get out there and mingle with everyone; your seniors, juniors and perhaps forward-thinking lecturers (if you are lucky to have any). Some of them might become good friends eventually. The point I am trying to make here is, don’t just stay within the limits of your syllabus. Don’t just scratch the surface. Dig deep and come out with some gold! Undertake a technical project, organize and participate in different cultural and technical events. In other words, just explore what you are capable of! You’ll never know you might surprise yourself! 

           As a recent graduate of mechanical engineering, I would like to give a shout out for all the “mechies” out there. We all like to call ourselves “Royal” mechanical engineers, right? I believe you have to earn it before you put that label on yourselves.   A “Royal Mechanical Engineer” is someone who uses that creative mind of his to go far beyond academics, someone who goes inside the factories and sees how things actually work, someone who gets his hands dirty to make a project work and most importantly, a gentleman. So carry that passion with you and take opportunities to express it. I know I will.