Engineering Navigating the World of Engineering Projects as a Biomedical Engineering Student

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A third-year biomedical engineering student expresses anxiety about not having hands-on building experience, especially as peers are already engaged in projects. The student questions whether engineering education expects them to independently apply physics principles to create projects or if they will receive guidance. Responses highlight that many engineering programs incorporate hands-on work, and it's common for students to start with foundational courses before moving into practical applications. It is emphasized that engineering involves building upon existing knowledge and standards, and that most engineers gain significant practical skills through mentorship and on-the-job experience rather than starting from scratch.
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Hey guys, right now I am a 3rd year Biomedical engineering student, and I am a bit nervous seeing how a lot of my engineering friends have already started working on projects that involve building things.

This scares me, because I have never really built anything before and want to know if we are just expected to know how to put the laws of physics and just create something out of the blue. Or will we gradually be taught how to create things.

Thanks
 
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Mdhiggenz said:
Hey guys, right now I am a 3rd year Biomedical engineering student, and I am a bit nervous seeing how a lot of my engineering friends have already started working on projects that involve building things.

This scares me, because I have never really built anything before and want to know if we are just expected to know how to put the laws of physics and just create something out of the blue. Or will we gradually be taught how to create things.

Thanks

I'm surprised; I'm in my first year and some of my us are already building calculators and clocks out of logic gates as well as race car parts out of solidworks, and a bunch of other things.

Don't they make you build things in your engineering classes?

BiP
 
You haven't had to do any hands-on work in your engineering degree up to your 3rd year? :-o
 
I actually misspoke I'm a 3rd year college student, and just finished my undergraduate Core curriculum to get accepted into the program, so I start the actual engineering classes next semester.
 
Engineering is a state of mind. You create things based upon what you know that works and how it could be made better.

Note that there are standards, and that you will have examples of working things. You can then decide what you want to do. Very few engineers start from a totally clean sheet of paper.
 
Mdhiggenz said:
Hey guys, right now I am a 3rd year Biomedical engineering student, and I am a bit nervous seeing how a lot of my engineering friends have already started working on projects that involve building things.

This scares me, because I have never really built anything before and want to know if we are just expected to know how to put the laws of physics and just create something out of the blue. Or will we gradually be taught how to create things.

Thanks

My expectation of a new hire engineer is that they are hands-on. By this, I mean I expect you to have taken apart something yourself and restored it to working order. I ask this question frequently in interviews, because it gets to the heart of what you need to know. You should know enough science and engineering to see how something works, but you will probably not have free reign to do whatever you like to start. Most engineers learn a great deal on the job, under the mentorship of more experienced engineers.
 
Hello, I graduated from undergrad a few years ago with a Major in Physics and minor in Electrical Engineering. I tried to get experience working on and testing circuits through my professor who studied Neutrinos, however covid caused the opportunity to go away and I graduated with no experience or internships. I have attempted to break into the engineering industry with no success. Right now I am considering going for a Masters in Electrical Engineering and I need advice on if this would be...

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