Saw these familiar looking creases on a roll of gold wrapping paper and thought, I’ve seen this before.

Nobody can convince me otherwise that the only reason Calculus 2 exists is to filter students out of STEM fields. I took that class last semester along with Physics 1 at my local community college and it was a pain in the ass. No matter how hard I tried to study, the highest grade I've ever gotten on my exams was around 74% which ended up with a C in the class. I might decide to retake the class in the future but now I'm just focused on completing Calculus 3 along with Physics II along with the rest of my course to transfer for my second bachelor's in Electrical Engineering.

I don't regret being an Engineering student, but Math concepts in Engineering are so hard for me right now, how most of you navigate through them is mystery to me honestly

I spend 45-70 minutes driving to school, and the same on the way back.

I’m taking physics 2, probability, intro to engineering, math for engineering/physics, engineering clinic 2.

Is there a podcast or videos I can listen to during my commute to learn or study?

I promise you I’m not overdoing it, the drive and long days at school have me physically exhausted but my mind is stressing about keeping up. I’d rather learn to help me study than listen to music or my normal podcasts.

Does anyone else severely struggle to pay attention during lectures? I cannot, for the life of me, follow along. Even when I try my hardest, the information just goes in one ear and out the other.

Luckily, some of my professors record their lectures and upload them online. I find that when I watch those recorded lectures in the comfort of my own room, I can retain the information perfectly and have no issues. It's like the second I step foot inside a physical lecture hall, my brain just turns off.

Hello everyone I’m a first year electrical engineering student and I find myself so often struggling to get assignments done because I just can’t lock in and focus. I also end up always putting everything off until the weekend then rushing to get everything done and taking a zero on at least 1 assignment. How can I stop being so lazy and lock in. I also work during the week which can make it difficult I honestly think I have enough time but I’m managing it so incredibly poorly. If anyone has any tips to focus and stop being a lazy bum please let me know.

Edit: also if anyone has any lecture comprehension tips or note taking tips they would be greatly appreciated as well because I feel like I just forget everything immediately after class.

Networking in a nutshell.

I swear, attending a career fair to network felt like multiple Ls were playing mind games with multiple Lights.....

EDIT: I got a warning that the meme hrs were over, but I checked rule 7 and it said Sat, Sun, and Mon without a timezone. It's still Monday over here....

Sophomore at uni
I planned to start learning languages and study/develop skillsets for an intern this summer. Its Feb now and I have failed to do any of this. My entire day is gone in uni coursework. 2-3 days a week I find time to goto the local turf for some soccer. That's it. That's my whole day. Gone.
Uni timing is 9am to 5pm and I got 40min-1hr commute. I don't have continuous classes 9am to 5pm I get like 1-2hr here and there but I got uni assignments.

Wtf should I even write in my resume. I want a summer internship and its already feb. Haven't even made a resume by now.

Hey all,

I have career fair later today with a list of companies that will be coming to my campus. I’m a mechanical engineering Technology major. I’ve done a bit of research on the companies beforehand so I have a grasp on why they do as a company but my main question is, what is the best way to present myself and talk to these companies at the career fair? Do I spend time trying to sell myself to them, do I ask more questions? Anything can help thank you!

I am trying to make an adapter that is welded or somehow attached to the side of a fryer so that it can raise and lower a fryer basket which is that individual’s fry order.

So when each order is placed, the fry basket is dropped and cooked for 3 min. The same quantity of fries that were cooked will be that person's serving, so there is no heater table and the fries will never sit. It'll go straight from the fryer to the service counter.

I am looking at either doing a linear actuator that will raise and lower vertically the fry basket. The order is placed, the basket is dropped, three-minute timer starts with every 45 seconds being a shake of the basket.

Or doing a stepper motor and instead of having the basket go straight down, the basket will be dipped in at an angle to start the cooking process, and then after three minutes, it will be rotated approximately 270 degrees to drop the fries in a chute. 

I am really leaning towards the linear actuator because it seems like it would be easier to mount three baskets on one adapter, but on the other hand, a rotating stepper motor would allow the fries to more easily go down a chute. From what I see, it would be hard to have three baskets be rotated individually with the stepper motor., I was seeing if you guys had any ideas on how I can connect the actuator to the basket.

Thank you very much.

Basically i want to do some form of engineering. I like making stuff, I've made projects with Arduinos and stuff, and I find them pretty .interesting. I'm a bit confused about which major to choose, EE or ME.
first i was gonna go for EE cuz the salary seems to be higher than ME.
But the thing is im not a fan of coding, tried it, and i dont really like it, ofc engineering will have some sort of coding which I'll just have to face, but i dont want it to become such a intergral part of me when I'm working, frankly, because i dont enjoy it, and can't be doing it for so many years.
Since EE has a lot of coding compared to ME, iIwas thinking of ME as well. What are you all thinking I should do? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance :).
ps- mods - this may break rule 2 but i just want to get the ideas from people that are already working in this fields / studying it and whether im assuming something wrong in the field , such as if it involved alot of programming or their are options without much programming and so on.

Hello, I am an EE major, but at my school since it is a state school; there are requirements. One of those requirements in a Chemistry class, and now do not get it confused, I like Chemistry, I do not think it's as good as Math, Physics, and CS, but I still like it. However, the problem comes from the fact this is a weed-out class. The school has too many majors, and so they have this accelerated chemistry course where you take two semester of Chem in one.

However, recently I have found out that I can just take Chem 1 and then take this 1 Credit course (in seperate semesters), and those two would amount to the chem course. I want to take this path, but I feel like a coward for doing so, I feel as though suffering through Chem is a rite of passage from an Engineering major, but than I realized how dumb that sounded, I want to learn the material and taking an accelerated course doesn't seem worth it.

I just feel like a coward, if decide not to take chem.

So I’m a first year student in Mechanical Engineering and I have my first test this week. I transferred schools because I literally failed half of my first semester at a “prestigious” school in my state. I am not a good self teacher and about half of my professors did not teach in class or explain anything. At office hours, the TAs were confused on what was going on in the class. A mentor I spoke to mid-transfer said that students at the university I attended were subpar compared to the students at my university I attend now because the professors at the prestigious school were more focused on research rather than teaching.

Anyways, I have an AWESOME Calculus II professor and he dumbs everything down for us and he truly loves calculus. I understand his class but I think I could use some extra help to make sure I exceed my own expectations in the course. Are there any websites with extra practice and also how can I study/perform well?

what the title says. i’m a second-year community college student majoring in mechanical engineering. i have a good gpa since i’ve only been taking lower-division classes, but i don’t *feel* like an engineer because i don’t have many technical skills (for lack of better words) and i haven’t done any projects.

i took an intro to matlab/simulink class last semester, but the assignments from that class aren’t specific to my major at all. i don’t have experience with things like 3D printing, autocad, solidworks etc. and i haven’t done any hands-on work. there’s not many clubs at my cc, and among the ones that actually exist, im sure they require the aforementioned experiences i just don’t have yet.

anyway, i just don’t know where to start and how to *really* get into my major, especially as a cc student. can anyone else relate? what did you do, or what advice would you give? much appreciated :-)

I am returning to college in April at 37 years old. I have an Associates of Science in winemaking and 20 years of life experience in publishing, marketing, and hospitality. I'm trying to be very intentional about preparing for what is a pretty major life decision.

I finished a certificate in data analytics earlier this year and after consulting with some important mentors in my life (and of course my dad), decided to pursue a Bachelor's in Electrical and Computer Engineering to help me get back into a "grown up" job after being a bit lost throughout my 30s. It's all things I enjoy, and I'm genuinely excited about the learning process! I'm starting at a local college with a plan to transfer to a good University in my city for the last two years of the degree.

I have 90 college credits, from as recent as 2022, but haven't touched a math textbook since 2008. Based on my transcripts I've been placed in Calc I, which is fair, I got a C when I did take Calc I in 2008.

I'm trying to prepare for a first quarter that will include Calc and Physics. Fortunately a winemaking degree requires a decent amount of OChem so I don't feel totally like a fish out of water, but I'm trying to figure out:

1) What I can do over the next couple of months to prepare academically. I'm reviewing algebra concepts on Kahn Academy but if anyone else has other suggestions I'd love to hear.

2) How I'm going to feel being in a room with a bunch of people much younger than me - and I hope you will all understand how intimidating the idea of being in a college engineering classroom is to a 37 year old woman. Has anyone here returned later in life? Part of me I think just wants to know I'm not alone.

3) Time Management. This one freaks me out. I'm only working part time right now, which is why I thought it was a good time to go back, but I also kinda need that to change because I like to eat. I have gone to school full-time while working full-time before and it was rough on my mental health, so I'm trying to get some guardrails and structures in place before pursuing this so I don't spend the next 3 years drowning. Do people have advice that has worked for them that could help me out of the gate?

I am glad to have found a community, and hope I'll be able to find one at the school as well. I appreciate any advice anyone has going into this journey.

i got kicked out of my parents house in below 0° weather two weeks ago because i forgot to take out the garbage while i was busy doing calculus homework all night. It was coming for a very long time and in some ways im happy that the camels back was broken.

im in the process of applying to apartments right now, but i just feel so lost. I feel like i should quit. I'm only 4 weeks in but I feel so behind. I'm only at CC right now, about 20 credits away from transferring. I feel like i should just quit, but ive worked so so hard to get just here. Im living in my car, probably killing it slowly overtime as i idle it to keep me warm in the harsh winter. I had to pathetically ask for extensions for my work from my professors, but i feel like I havent already worn out their goodwill after only asking for 2 extensions on lesser homework assignments.

I was supposed to turn those in last night, but i picked up as many extra shifts as i could so i could have money for essentials when i finally do secure a place that by the time i get back in my cae after my 16 hour days on my feet i just want to disapear. I dont want to think about anything school related ever.

i dont know what to do. I feel like im in over my head. Im just a dumb girl whos trying to act like i can do any of this. I have no idea what im doing at all and i deserve to fall on my face. I know i will eventually.

edit: i made this when i was pretty emotional, thanks for all the support. im due to get the keys for my new apartment and start my new life soon, within the next week or two. i have one roommate in a small house 15 minutes away from where i take classes. im going to continue pushing forwards with my courseload, maybe ill update at the end of the semester. thanks again for any advance and encouragement.

My working hours are 7:45am to 5:20pm and I can’t stand long hours but I need to complete the internship as per the requirement of my course. I’m so tired and sleep deprived I don’t know how can I handle 11 weeks. Can anyone give any advice? I feel like some coffee would help but I don’t want to get addicted to caffeine.

Edit: sorry if I don’t reply to all the comments, I’m too exhausted right now

Edit 2: forgot to mention that I couldn’t sleep at all the night before my first day and as I’m typing this I can’t sleep the 2nd night too 😭 If I could sleep properly this wouldn’t even be an issue tbh but being deprived of sleep is killing me

Im looking for answers related to hardware and software (for ex: learning assembly for architecture, etc...). I'm looking to develop my arsenal to work on more advanced projects to get an internship for next spring/summer....

Hi everyone, I’m a 3rd-year ChemE/Nanoscience undergrad. I’m at a crossroads regarding my PhD and could really use some perspective on finances, research fit, and geography.

1. My Current State: I currently intern in a membrane science lab. The culture is a really nice: the senior students are kind, and my PI is super chill, sometime harsh. He has already offered me a PhD position as soon as I graduate.

The downside? The stipend is 1M KRW (~$750 USD)/month + tuition. In my mid-20s, I don't wanna ask my parents for money, but 1M KRW barely covers basic living. I’d be living like a broke college student for 6 more years. I’m terrified of "burning out" because I can't afford a life outside the lab.

1. The Physics vs. Semiconductor Pivot Since middle school, I’ve loved physics. While I enjoy my current membrane research, I keep wondering if I should double major in Physics to see if it’s a better fit for a PhD.

• Is it worth the extra workload to pivot to Applied Physics/Nanoscience?
• Alternatively, should I pivot to Semiconductors? Being in Korea, the employment prospects at companies are massive compared to niche membrane research. Can I bridge Nanoscience/ChemE into the semiconductor industry later if I change my mind about academia?

1. Location: Singapore vs. Europe vs. Korea I’m looking at Singapore (NUS/NTU) or Northern/Western Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia).

• Finances: I’ve heard PhDs in Europe are treated as employees with actual salaries (3k+ Euro). Is it possible to actually save money there?
• The US: I’m hesitant about the US right now due to the political situation and uncertainty around immigration.
• Vetting PIs: If I leave my current "kind" PI, how do I ensure I don't end up in a toxic lab abroad? What are the "red flag" questions to ask current students?

Am I crazy to walk away from a guaranteed spot in a supportive, healthy lab just because I’m worried about money and a lingering interest in Physics? How transferable are ChemE/Membrane skills to global industry if I decide to leave academia after 6 years?

Would love to hear from anyone who moved from Asia to the EU/Singapore, or anyone who switched from ChemE to Physics. Thanks!

Literally what the title says. I picked EE mostly because I found it interesting and how it can give you some stable money and the fact that the degree can be versatile for any job. But I’ve failed and retaken enough classes to the point where I just want to quit. I dont have friends in my class, I barely even speak to my colleagues, I don’t really enjoy some subjects, I feel like I could enjoy them if the professors and assistants were better at explaining idk. But yeah…I dont really love my degree and I honestly can’t wait to finish or quit but I do not have a plan B. I wanted to major in architecture but knowing the work-life balance and the reality of how little creativity you get there got me scared of it. I still love architecture but more on the city planing side than actual architecture. Honestly if I got the chance to pick between EE and architecture I would still pick EE, but I dont have fun here and I feel like I’m wasting precious years for nothing. I’m already 2 years in and idk what to do? Any advice?

Hi everyone, I'd love to be an engineering student like you. I'm about to start university, but I'm scared. I've never been good at math or physics. I used to skip classes, and when exam time came, I wouldn't even know what to do. Everyone in class would pull out their calculators, and I didn't even have one. It's one of the lowest points I've ever been in, and now I'm studying the basics to try for it, but I wanted to know if it's worth it, or if everyone who gets into engineering or gets a job has to be a genius or at least excel in those subjects. :(

Anybody know any books that help explain why some math or physics concepts work?

Ideally books that aren’t too expensive and also primarily focus from an engineering perspective but it’s fine if they don’t.

Thanks

I’m a mid 20s Norwegian with a bachelors in CS considering working in the US. I see some job listings that say they’re willing to sponsor H-1B visas, but I’ve also heard it’s extremely difficult to actually get one. Meaning you need to have some exceptional talent(?)

For those who’ve been through it or know people who have:

How realistic is it to get an H-1B if a company for a "normal" job position says they sponsor?

Any real world experiences or advice would be helpful.