10 tips for surviving undergraduate engineering
By: Rick Cadena
Tags: Students, Learning, College, Tips And Tricks, Engineering

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Engineering degrees are known for being some of the hardest undergraduate degrees a person can earn. After three and a half years of being an electrical and computer engineering student, I am inclined to agree. I came into college without much in the way of school discipline, and I had to learn to be a better student. Here are some of the tips and tricks that I found helped me the best. This article is applicable to other degrees but focused on engineering.

1. Have a to-do list /task management system

Have some sort of to-do list system or task management system. To-do lists have been getting somewhat of a bad wrap in recent times for being ineffective as a task management system, but I will say that having a to-do list is way better than having nothing at all. When I got to college, I had no real process for completing homework. That lead to fiddle farting around, procrastination, and waiting until the last minute to really work on homework. Simply having a to-do list each day changed that, so I at least knew what I needed to work on each morning.

There are two main functions of a to-do list. Firstly, Capture all tasks so nothing falls through the cracks. Secondly, Help the user to sort and prioritize what tasks to do next. This can be done in a variety of ways from Timeboxing, to might-do lists, to kanban whiteboards. The important thing is that no tasks are forgotten and tasks are finished in a timely manner.

One other important feature of a to-do list should have is a feedback loop. Someone way for the student using the system to view how well the system is working, and make any adjustments that are needed. This normally takes the form of jotting down notes about the system and reviewing them. By having a feedback loop, the student can improve and refine how their homework and other tasks are accomplished.

2. Pomodoro until either the homework is done or you are

The Pomodoro technique is a way of creating a little sprint of work. You set a timer for a small period of time (25 minutes is standard but this can be adjusted) and then you work on a specific task until the timer stops. the short work session is then followed by a 5-minute break, and the process starts again. I have found this to be helpful with procrastination, as it sets an intention for what I am going to do with the time period, and it specifies when I get to take a break. Sometimes after the 25 minutes are up, I continue working because I am in the zone, but other times the break is much needed and I switch to something else afterward.

3. Break down big projects into manageable pieces

Big projects and assignments can be overwhelming. I have faced personal resistance when trying to start a big project. The best way I have found to combat this resistance is to break the project down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Instead of having a monstrous assignment to do, I would focus on completing a small portion of it at a time. Instead of writing the entire programming project, focus on the user input. Instead of writing the entire lab report, just write an outline for it.

there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time — Desmond Tutu

I have a mindset when it comes to assignments: If I turn in nothing, that is zero points, and everything I do leads to additional points. Turning in something, even if it is not the best, is way better than turning in nothing at all. I have found myself

4. Take walks

There have been times where I was stuck on a problem and I would spin my wheels trying to figure the problem. I have found going on a walk to be one of the best ways to cope with being stuck on a problem. Sometimes, I have found the solution to my problem when I was walking. Other times, a walk would let my mind just “catch its breath”. By stepping away from the problem and getting some fresh air, I would be able to return to the problem refreshed and more ready to tackle it.

Not to mention, walking is just a healthy activity to do. Getting exercise helps keep a sharp mind and going on a walk is one of the simplest ways to do that. Both Einstein and Nietzsche advocated for taking walks. Not to mention, it is just enjoyable to do. Life is too short to solely focus on homework. Go on a walk and enjoy the world.

5. Learn things that you enjoy

As an engineering student, learning for fun can seem like a superfluous activity. After all, “I am already doing plenty of learning in class, and would that not take time away from homework?” That’s what I thought the first couple of semesters of college, but I learned after a while the benefits of spending time learning things I enjoy. Solely focusing on school has led me to feelings of burnout. Only learning through school makes learning seem like a chore and something to be graded. After all, there is only so much one person can take of electromagnetic fields. Doing some learning in my spare time helps keep me sane and feeling like myself, instead of a working robot.

What an engineering student learns for fun is up to them. It can be engineering related or not. I spend my free time writing and programming. I have one friend that reads philosophy books, fiction books, and manga for fun. Another one of my friends likes to read up on SpaceX. I have one friend that spends his free time practicing guitar and building circuits for fun. What each person learns is up to them, but having something fun to learn outside of classes keeps spirits high and helps the student grow into the engineer they want to be.

6. Know the equation sheet

This tip is the most focused on engineering. Often in STEM classes, the professors will hand out an equation sheet for the students to use on an exam. Sometimes these sheets will label things well, but other times they are intentionally kept vague. I have found it very useful to study the equation sheet for an exam and memorize where everything roughly is. By knowing what each equation does, it is easy to judge when an equation is applicable. Knowing where an equation is located reduces the time spent trying to find a proper equation. An equation sheet is a tool, and a student who understands it can use it properly.

7. Perform a cost-benefit analysis of sleep

I am not going to be one of those people that says you should never pull an all-nighter. That is somewhat unrealistic. I have pulled many an all-nighter, and some of them could not really be avoided. With that being said, I have found sleep to be very important to my performance as a student. When I get regular sleep, I complete homework quicker, solve harder problems, and work for continuous periods of time.

8. Ask questions, ask for resources

One of my engineering professors shared this saying with us

Don’t ask; don't’ get

Basically, if you don’t ask for something, you are guaranteed not to get it. Ask questions in class, ask for resources, ask for the assignment to be pushed back. The worst a professor can say is ‘no’. I have found most professors are receptive to students' questions and concerns. Just make sure to do so in a pleasant manner, and only ask for things like extensions when they are needed.

I used to be afraid to ask questions in class because I was afraid I would look dumb, but after a while, I noticed that the smartest people in my class would ask questions. Why? Because they wanted to understand the material. It’s not about looking good, it’s about learning. If someone thinks you are dumb for not understanding something, who cares? Not your GPA, who only cares about what you know come test time.

On top of asking questions, ask for resources from your professors. I used to struggle a lot with writing lab reports. The main reason I started writing medium articles was to get better at writing. After turning in the first lab report, and subsequently receiving a bad grade, I would ask for an example paper for what a lab report should be. These example reports were paramount for me achieving better grades on lab reports, and I would not have had them had I not asked.

9. Batch like tasks

A surprisingly simple productivity technique, complete similar tasks at the same time instead of switching between different tasks. I have found this to be useful for overcoming the resistance of starting an assignment. I face the resistance once, and then I have momentum for the rest of the day. This also helps with context switching. Computers are good at starting a task, stopping it, working on a different task, and then coming back to the original task. Humans are less so. I have tried scheduling my time like a computer, working on tasks for set intervals of time, and then switching to another task. That has not worked for me. Instead, I do best when I have one task for the day (i.e. write semiconductors lab report) or a collection of similar tasks (i.e.catch up on readings for classes). By batching like tasks, a student is able to stay in the same mindset and finish to-dos effectively.

10. Failure happens, be persistent

I have failed plenty of times in college. I will continue to fail plenty of times as I finish out college and into the rest of my career. It happens. The important thing is to not let that failure keep you down. Each failure is an opportunity to learn and improve oneself. If there wasn’t any struggle, wouldn’t it be a waste of time? So if you fail, it’s okay. Pick yourself up and keep going. That’s all you can ask for.

I hope you found this article helpful. Best of luck on your journey!