In this article, I am going to share my real raw facts about why I chose to study mechanical engineering. As I write this article, in the year 2023 on May 25, I am done with my coursework.
I did final exams on April 5 of the same year. I pursued Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Plant Option). Plant option mainly deals with maintaining, operating, installing machines and even refrigeration and more.
It’s wide. I can work anywhere as long as there is a mechanical aspect that I can deal with. Enough of that, I know you didn’t click this article to just listen to me telling about how excellent the course I did was.
Let me share why I chose to study mechanical engineering and not any other courses. I was interested in other courses too, like medicine, but in a short while, I will tell you how that ended for me.
This is why I chose to study mechanical engineering;
1. I was drawn to how different machines operate.
This is the first thing that made me want to be an engineer so bad. I was raised in the coastal region of Mombasa.
I grew up seeing cranes, ships, and even big pieces of machinery along the coast that were used to handle containers.
I was so curious to know how they operated, and what mechanisms they used to handle such heavy loads.
The thought of me seeing and knowing how these pieces of machines operated made me interested in studying mechanical engineering.
And that is why I was so interested in learning more about these machines that I saw every single day along the coastal region of Mombasa.
Furthermore, I wanted to be that guy who is going to be in control of these machines as they operate. That got me thinking so much about the kind of things I wanted to do in the future.
Being knowledgeable about how these machines operate, understanding what makes them so unique, and wanting to be in control is what made me pursue mechanical engineering.
I am grateful that the curiosity I had about these machines, was solved during my first year of pursuing mechanical engineering. It was in my first year in the unit of Plant Maintenance that I got to learn more about the cranes I was talking about earlier.
You might like this: Fixed Material Handling Equipment & Types Of Cranes
When I went back home after the first semester I was so appreciative of the things I learned and saw during that period.
It did open my eyes to the world of so many complicated things that I understood nothing about before pursuing mechanical engineering.
If you ask me again why I chose to study mechanical engineering, I can tell it’s the question of how, why, and when that got me so deep into this course.
Hopefully, this is a point that can motivate you to do the same.
2. I wanted the prestige of being an engineer.
To be honest, I always wanted people to respect me. I knew the biggest thing someone could attain as a man is “Respect”
With respect comes so many things, like status and your value is going to increase before peoples’ eyes in society.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that this course is supposed to be pursued by only men, if you are a female and you want to pursue it, you should do so because it’s going to increase your status before people’s eyes.
Trust me, men are intimated by women who are smart and can handle the hard stuff that so many women stay away from.
I wanted that respect and honor from the title that comes when you are in this field of mechanical engineering.
When people ask you about your career, and you tell them that you are pursuing mechanical engineering, this is going to blow their minds.
They are all going to conclude that you are smart AF. Mechanical engineering is a demanding course. You will have to keep on working hard every single day to ensure that you don’t fail more than three units.
Failing more than three units will fail and you will have to repeat the full year. That is the policy in Kenya if you are pursuing any course that requires you to sit for a national exam once every year during your academic period.
I don’t know about other countries, but I know it’s pretty bad to fail more than three papers.
So, considering the huge amount of work and commitment as engineering student you have to put in when you introduce yourself to people as an engineer, it’s going to earn you respect.
People will never look at you the same way they used to. They will be like, “This dude/chick is way smarter than I thought”
Mechanical engineering is a course that gives someone the prestige that they never had before. I wanted that and right now, I can’t say how proud I am of myself for choosing to pursue this course.
3. I studied mechanical engineering because of the greener pasture opportunities.
Mechanical engineering is one of the most highly-paid jobs in the world. Germany is considered to be one of the countries where mechanical engineers are paid very well.
In Kenya, being an engineer is the key to a greener pasture. There are so many amazing opportunities for a good salary that can be obtained by being in the field of mechanical engineering.
Engineers are paid very well. Their bank accounts are never empty! I grew up in a humble background. It has always been my dream that one day I will get an amazing job that pays well so that I can support my family.
That is the dream of every person who is from a low-class family. We all seek to change the situation of where we come from. We want to be called “somebody”
I knew studying mechanical engineering would get me one of those high-paying jobs I wanted so badly since I was a kid. When I got the opportunity to study mechanical engineering, I took it without thinking so much about how things are going to be in the future.
Some people will tell you that it’s hard to get jobs because the job marketplace is highly saturated. I never thought of that. I just knew diving deeper into this field is going to get me where I want to be.
Some people will tell you that you should not choose a career simply because of the money you wish to earn from it but trust me, they are wrong!
You need to pay bills, take care of your family and achieve the big financial things you want in your life. That won’t be achieved easily if you are not going to have a job that is going to pay you well.
I am not telling you that you should always put money first, but before you choose any career that you want to spend the rest of your life dealing with, you have to consider things that are also important considering the kind of life and the person you want to be.
Apart from your passion, you should also choose a career that will pay you well if you want to be able to pay your bills without any problems.
I knew that studying mechanical engineering is going to land me on an amazing opportunity that will change my life for good one day.
So, choosing to study mechanical engineering because of the opportunities it has to offer is not a bad idea at all. That is why I chose to study mechanical engineering.
4. I wanted to challenge myself.
I wanted to challenge myself when I dived deep into mechanical engineering. There are several reasons why I wanted to challenge myself after high school.
I didn’t perform well in my final exams when I was in high school. I told you earlier that I wanted to pursue medicine, but right now I am telling you why I chose to study mechanical engineering.
There was a problem with my results, I failed biology and languages. That took me away from the medicine course that I wanted to do so badly.
This made me feel that I wasn’t good enough. My class teacher even asked if I was good enough to pursue mechanical engineering.
I felt that I needed to prove myself to everyone that I was capable enough to handle any challenging course that came my way. I thought that the results that I got from my final exams were wrong.
What I can tell you is that I used to perform well in biology and Swahili, which was one of the key requirements for me to be able to apply for the medicine course.
I had to perform well in biology, Math, English or Swahili, and Chemistry.
When I failed biology and did well in physics, mathematics, and chemistry it took away my chance of pursuing medicine. I had no choice but to go with mechanical engineering because it was my second option.
But I don’t regret the choice I made.
I wanted to prove to myself that I was good enough to handle such a demanding course. Being able to maintain the course till my last year in college would be enough proof that I was good enough.
And the results that I got were just not close approximate of my capabilities. To be honest, I never performed well in maths and physics when I was in high school.
Taking myself deep into engineering, meant that I would have to keep doing maths and physics no matter how hard I thought things would be.
You might like this: Do Mechanical Engineers Need To Be Good At Math?
Did I give myself the challenge that I wanted? Did I get what I wanted from pursuing mechanical engineering?
What I can tell you is that I managed to get what I wanted from this. Passing the final exams every single year in college gave me a point that I was good enough for the results I got in my final exams when I was in high school.
So, if you want to challenge yourself and see your capabilities, I would advise you to pick a course that is going to challenge you. But you have to be sure that it’s something you want to do for the rest of your life.
And you are not going to pursue mechanical engineering because you only want to prove your parents or friends wrong.
That would waste you in the future. You will find yourself unhappy with what you do in the future and you will be the only person to blame.
5. I wanted to bring about a change in my community.
I early told you that I am from Kenya, Mombasa. Mombasa is considered to be a place for pleasure and entertainment. People coming from the coast aren’t considered smart.
There’s a stereotype that, coastal people are lazy and don’t want to pressure themselves to pursue a hard course.
The only people who are considered self-driven are from the far side away from the coast. Those who are far away from the seashore.
Being a man from the coast, I wanted to show people that it doesn’t matter where you are from, you can still do something that other people don’t think you can.
I wanted to show people in my community that it’s possible for people who are from the coast too, to pursue something hard. And people from the coast are not lazy at all.
Being successful in mechanical engineering would give other people in my community who are afraid to pursue a tough course to give it shot too.
This stereotype that coastal people are lazy and not ambitious had to cease. And that is another reason why I chose to pursue mechanical engineering.
Lastly…
What I want you to know is that no matter how many reasons I would have given you why I chose to study mechanical engineering, the final action will be on you.
You will still have to sit down and decide whether mechanical engineering is a course you would dedicate your life to pursuing or not.
Don’t use my reasons to justify your weaknesses or strengths, if you have found something that relates to you, well, take it and use it to the maximum.
If you have any questions you should leave a comment. Get in touch with me and talk about anything you want to know about mechanical engineering.
Related articles to check.
