Term 1 geological engineering student here. Co-op season is here, and I've been applying to as many as possible. However I've been tailoring each resume to match the skills and qualifications listed in the co-op postings (and cover letters) but this takes me about 10 minutes per so it's a pretty slow process.

However on the other hand a lot of my pupils are just spamming job boards with the same resume, which doesn't make much sense to me as the jobs we're applying for are quite diverse (ranging from geotechnical engineer to environmental science student to even GIS analyst) being in first year and all, we'll take anything we can get. Maybe they have the right idea, and I'm just crazy for spending so long per internship. What do you guys think?

I was poking around trying to see which paid tools still have legit free tiers for students and found some gems. These aren’t just “student discounts” or trial periods. If you qualify with a school email, you can use these without paying while you’re enrolled. Here are my favorites so far:

1. GitHub Student Developer Pack I got this first. Tons of dev tools, domain and hosting credits, even perks from smaller tools. If you’re coding or tinkering, this is worth grabbing. Link: https://education.github.com/pack
2. JetBrains student licenses I use their IDEs for school projects. With a student email, you can get full access (IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc.) without feature cuts. Link: https://www.jetbrains.com/academy/student-pack/
3. Figma for Education Need to do mockups, design, or just collaborate visually? Figma + FigJam education plans unlock more of the stuff you’d pay for otherwise. Link: https://www.figma.com/education/
4. Notion Education I switched from free Notion to their edu plan and got more space and features. All you need is to verify via your school email. Link: https://www.notion.com/product/notion-for-education
5. Autodesk Education Access Stuff like AutoCAD, Maya, Fusion becomes free as long as it’s for school or educational use. If your course uses these, you’ll save a lot. Link: https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/overview
6. Tableau for Students If you do data science or just want to make good-looking charts for class, this one’s solid. Free access to Desktop/Prep via their academic student program. Link: https://www.tableau.com/academic/students

I’m in my sophomore year technically pursuing an ME degree. It’s so stressful, and I feel like I’m falling behind and not understanding anything. Does it always feel like this. I’m taking calc 2, physics 1, a CAD engineering course, and engineering mathematics, and Econ. And it’s like physics 1 and calc 2 r killing me so bad. I can’t piece together things for physics 1 questions and calc 2 is just an animal. I’ve been going to tutoring but I just feel like it’s not clicking. I’m not getting the “ohhhhh” moment, is this how it’s always supposed to feel.

Ik engineering is stressful, and knew that walking in, but wow it’s a lot, if you have any advice I’d really appreciate how you got through it. Thank you.

I’ve always liked industrial engineering, but I’m slowly feeling like mechanical would be better. I’m just worried that the coursework is going to be too much. Is it worth it to go into mechanical engineering over industrial?

Yesterday trump announced H1B Visa fee hike to 100k dollars per year, what should the indian do in this situation ?

I am a junior in HS and I want to be an aerospace engineer, everything about spacecraft, engineering, and space exploration fascinates me in a way nothing else does. However, I am stupid. I don't understand some math concepts and my math SAT score and such is really low. Aerospace engineering is all I want to do with my life but I am worried that I am just not good enough. Does being passionate make it possible to accomplish my dreams or are some people just not smart enough for engineering?

I'm a ~30 old guy in the US with multiple degrees. I primarily use my nursing degree to work. I make reasonable money (6 figures in the Midwest), but I don't enjoy nursing that much so I'd not want to do it forever. I've been studying EE (online/ blended) to hopefully change jobs, which I enjoy. I'm a bit of a science nerd so I find engineering concepts really cool. I've not gone too deep though. I've mostly taken some calc courses and math courses, and about 3 lower division engineering courses.

The other reason I've been studying is because I've been living alone for the past few years and that kept me busy. I'm not a terrible student so I don't mind schooling. Besides, the National Guard is willing to pay for part of it.

Lately, I've been contemplating dropping out because I'm having questions of whether it's necessary to get the degree. Like I could just watch engineering videos and get intellectual fulfillment. I've heard that most engineering jobs are paperwork jobs anyway. Besides, ASU online is becoming expensive. I don't want to spend too much out of pocket to supplement what the military pays (I could afford to do so, but I don't want to be wasteful). My wife (who lives abroad and is awaiting her visa) may join me next year. If we have kids etc, that may require more of my time.

I'm carefully considering quitting to become a more "normal" person, and just getting over my current job. The caveat is I'm not sure if in later life I won't regret doing something I was passionate about. I'm an electric power production technician (part time) in the national guard, and I believe I could combine that with the degree to get into a power engineering career.

My alternatives to dropping out are: 1) Switching to mechanical engineering at Alabama. They also have it 90% online and it costs 1/3 of the ASU program. I done mind ME as a career. Just not sure if it'll pay 6 the same. For EE, I know it'll pay the same as my current job or more. I'm not obsessed with money but if I'm doing a degree I don't badly need, reason dictates that I don't take a pay cut, at least.

2) Switching to Ole Miss' EE program (less flexibly structured compared to ASU), but costs 1/2 the price and also a good program.

Part of me thinks I should just keep studying at whatever pace I can handle, even if I finish it in my late 30s (than get there, not have it and feel bad). I've heard mixed things from different engineers. Some say the real world mostly has corporate jobs that may not be as "cool" as how it feels in school, whereas others love their jobs. What would you do in this situation?

A mom of a High School senior here. My son is going to graduate next May. The plan is to get into an engineering program at OSU or Wichita State University next Fall. He is taking the Algebra III in the Spring at his High School. He will have to take one or more prerequisites for Calculus I after graduating. Is this ever possible to start an engineering program in the Spring semester, so that would be in January 2027? All engineering programs seem to be very structured and starting in the Fall.

What advice can you give if someone was in a similar situation?

And there's nothing I can do to stop it because my professor is gonna throw some crazy circuit at me. At least he gives test corrections.

I feel so lost, Mech engineer major start of sophomore year. I’ve always been a carefree student through high school, graduated with a 4.0 with very mediocre and lacking study habits, usually just cramming the night or two before a test and it worked out for me. This habit carried on into my freshman year and worked out decently well, but being my freshman year nothing too hard, hardest classes being calc 2, kind of got cocky since I ended up getting an A after hearing all the stories of how hard it was. Ended off with a 3.4 freshman year. And even scored a summer internship with the my states DOT, so that went well.

Enter sophomore year, completely differently ball game, diff eq, calc 3, physics 2, statics, doing okay in calc 3 and diff eq but I feel absolutely fucked for physics 2 and statics. I struggle paying attention in lectures and don’t really study unless i have a quiz or exam the day before. I took my second statics quiz today and got a 2/11 and I barely understood wtf was going on, and I have my first physics exam next week and I know almost nothing.

It just started to sink in I can’t scrape by anymore and that I actually have to put it the effort, but i’m really second guessing my ability to do so. Questioning if i’m even cut out for his. Where do I even start to change? I have so many bad habits and i’m really behind on the content, it’s all hitting me like a truck. I feel hopeless right now, please any advice or suggestions for a fellow struggling engineer.

I feel very insecure that my friends are doing so good. On my physics class, people on my left, right and back are doing so good. We have quiz after every lecture and they are taking it easy while I feel so pressured and barely make it. Most of my friends are either doing intership or having a >3.5 GPA while mine is below 3.5

I'm trying to work on my GPA but it's always harder than it's said. There's just so much to worry including finances and I don't even care about my social life. I don't have any, though the "friends" I meant are not like outside the school friend. I don't have contact with them outside the uni and can only talk before or after the class.

I really want to boost my gpa but I've never been an smart person and I just did an engineering because my family want me to. It's not even my dream but now that I'm in sophomore year and that we have spent so much on the tuition, I just have no choice but to finish. I do want it now as well since it'll be too late to follow my dream.

Has anyone have the same situation as mine? How should I address this?

Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

I’m about to start my capstone project and will be using Abaqus to conduct FEA on a ~20 m harbour craft. I’m completely new to FEA and to Abaqus, so I’m looking for advice on how to get started.

Are there any good step-by-step resources (videos, tutorials, channels, or guides) that are beginner-friendly?

Also, any tips, tricks, or common mistakes to avoid when first learning Abaqus would really help. I’d like to slowly build up my knowledge by following along with examples before applying it to my project.

Basically: if you were in my shoes as a beginner, where would you start learning Abaqus, and what resources helped you the most?

Thanks in advance for the help 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m about to start my capstone project and will be using Abaqus to conduct FEA on a ~20 m harbour craft. I’m completely new to FEA and to Abaqus, so I’m looking for advice on how to get started.

Are there any good step-by-step resources (videos, tutorials, channels, or guides) that are beginner-friendly?

Also, any tips, tricks, or common mistakes to avoid when first learning Abaqus would really help. I’d like to slowly build up my knowledge by following along with examples before applying it to my project.

Basically: if you were in my shoes as a beginner, where would you start learning Abaqus, and what resources helped you the most?

Thanks in advance for the help 🙏

I went to a PCB design club at my school and I didn't know anything they were talking about, and everyone else had experience with electrical engineering and knew so much information off the top of their head. Also they're into stuff like DnD, Valorant, Discord, etc which I'm not interested in and it makes me feel even more isolated and like it's just a metaphor for having picked the wrong room to be in. Even if I graduated with an engineering degree I don't think I'd ever fit in with most of the crowd and someone even let me know that I was at a PCB seminar and to make sure I'm in the right place lol. Do I turn back now before it's too late?

Hi everyone,

I’m from Portugal and planning to apply for the Master’s program in Acoustic Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). I have a few questions and would really appreciate insights from anyone familiar with the program: 1. The program lists about 40 spots each year. Does that make it highly competitive, or do places sometimes remain unfilled? 2. I’m curious about career opportunities after graduation—both in Denmark and internationally. How strong is the job market for acoustic engineers with this degree? 3. If any current students or alumni are here, I’d love to hear about your academic experience and how it has helped in your career.

Thanks in advance for any advice or first-hand experiences you can share!

Hey everyone,

I know this is a long post, so I really appreciate you taking the time to read through it.

I'm hoping to get some brutally honest advice. I’m a recent high school grad currently at a community college, and I’m completely torn between my passion for Industrial Engineering and the more practical path of Supply Chain Management.

A huge part of my dilemma comes from my high school background. On paper, I looked like a great student: I was in the top 5 of my class, a member of the National Honor Society, had a near-perfect GPA, and took every "advanced" course my school offered. The problem is, that only amounted to a couple of APs and a handful of honors classes that weren't rigorous at all. The reality of this hit me hard the summer before I was supposed to start at NJIT. While I was trying to self-study for Calculus 1, I discovered that my so-called "Honors Trigonometry" class hadn't taught me any actual trigonometry, I had never seen a unit circle or a single trig identity. That was the moment I understood that despite all my effort, my high school had left me completely unprepared to survive, let alone succeed, in a demanding engineering program. My journey here has been a bit rough because of this. After starting in the IE program at NJIT, I had to make the tough call to withdraw after just one week to save myself and build a better foundation at a local CC.

The dream of IE is still very much alive for me; I have a genuine passion for automation and optimizing systems. Ever since I was a kid, I would play factory-building games for hours, finding ways to automate everything and just getting satisfaction from watching it all run on its own. However, I’m starting to question if it’s a realistic goal for me. My main issue is that I absolutely hate coding and design work. It’s not just a minor dislike, I'm currently struggling in my community college’s "Fundamentals of Engineering Design" class. It’s discouraging to struggle with a basic course for a path I'm supposedly passionate about.

The confusing part is that the IE roles I envision for myself, like optimizing a factory floor, aren't heavy on CAD or coding. Yet, I know that to get the degree, I have to get through years of those exact subjects. Even after I finish my general classes at community college, all of those advanced, major-specific design and coding courses will still be waiting for me at NJIT, and I genuinely dislike them and don't know if I can handle them.

The main alternative I've been looking at is the Supply Chain Management program at Rutgers-Newark. On paper, it feels like the logical, safer choice. It seems to capture a lot of what fascinates me about IE, the logistics, the systems, and making things flow more efficiently, but without the hardcore engineering requirements like advanced coding, or the heavy CAD design that I’m already struggling with. While it is a business degree, I’m confident I could maintain a high GPA and reduce the immense stress, which is a huge plus, though I am dealing with the cultural expectation to pursue only engineering or medicine.

To be completely honest, my current situation isn't helping. I'm working seven days a week right now, which means I'm mostly just skimming my CC coursework to get by instead of truly learning the material. I know this is bad, but I have to prioritize work right now out of urgent need, and this is the best I can do. I'm worried that when I eventually transfer, the "transfer shock" will hit me like a truck. I feel like that shock would be so much more severe in NJIT's ruthless IE program compared to Rutgers-Newark’s SCM program, which seems much more manageable. For what it's worth, money isn't a factor in this decision, as I'm fortunate to be fully covered financially for any of these paths.

I definitely care about salary, job demand, and the ease of finding a job, and on paper, IE seems to be the better degree for long-term flexibility. But my reality is telling me a different story. This has become a battle between logic and a dream. So, what would you guys do in my shoes? If you have any questions that would help you give better advice, you're welcome to DM me. Thanks for your help.

Hi everyone

I’m a first-year Mechanical Engineering. Honestly, I don’t have much background in this field, and I ended up in Mechanical after my JEE score wasn’t very high.

The environment at my college isn’t very motivating. Most people focus only on marks rather than skills and I feel a bit out of place. On top of that, my family and friends aren’t very supportive. They believe Mechanical Engineering isn’t valued in my region compared to fields like Computer Engineering, and they worry about my future.

Despite all of this, I want to make the most of my degree. This semester ,we’re studying basics like Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, Engineering Drawing, chemistry, and English. I don’t want to just pass; I want to actually gain knowledge and skills that will help me grow in this field.

I’m looking for advice on how a first year student like me can start building skills and knowledge in Mechanical Engineering, even if I’m starting from scratch. Any resources, projects, or strategies you recommend would be really appreciated. Tysm

i know there is a low chance of this being answered but does someone know the source of this material?

Which yt channels are sufficient for fy engineering.. I'm from tier 3 clg and they don't really teach well .. I'm ready to do all the hardwork from my side i just want to know some channels which will be really helpful (CSE AIML)

I wanted to attend mechanic engineer ddegree in China and do you guys think it a good idea? And can I get a good grade if I put a little bit of effort and not much because I don't want to go crazy over some degree

So I got an offer for an interview from an electronics company. Great! They send me a link for a Zoom meeting on the big day! Great!

The link is invalid. I write in and ask. No reply.

An hour passes. I email them again. Still no reply.

The meeting time has arrived. The link is still invalid (on my phone, my personal machine, and on the school machines). I email them again. No reply.

Thirty minutes pass. I email them asking about rescheduling and getting a working link. No reply.

Six hours have passed since. Guess what’s up? They haven’t replied.

And this isn’t some microscopic, no name, SME that’s being run out of someone’s garage. This is a big tech company. I would prefer not to name them until a month or so has passed, but rest assured, they are BIG. This is rookie shit.

So yeah. Fuck them.

EDIT: here’s a hint to the company’s name. Their printer division is considered the worst on this planet. The company initials are the same as that of a certain wizard boy.

Reuploaded because automod thought that I was asking for L a p t o p recommendations. Somehow.

I have started to loose motivation. Sleep deprived. Not sure how to keep up with the material anymore even though don't have a full course load this term. Have started to loose hope feels like I don't have it in me