Why do you choose Mechanical Engineering as your major?

The purpose of education is to provide help for the future of work. But what if one cannot find a job in the future? Then why still spend a lot of money to attend school for high-quality education?  Many people ask me the same question when they know what I am majoring in. Why mechanical engineering but not computer science as an international student? I can understand why they asked me such a question. Many US mechanical engineering jobs have a protective hiring process (limited opportunity for international students), like NASA, Boeing, or SpaceX. It is hard for me to find a job in the US. Also, if I go back to my own country, it will be hard for me to find a job as well because HR in Chinabasically focuses on the QS ranking of the school you graduated from, and RICE is not very high in QS ranking and is not that famous in China. Computer science, on the other hand, is a different story.

There are many companies hiring computer science engineers of any nationality. According to data provided by Statista, math & computer science are the first choices, with a 22.2% proportion, for most Chinese students. Next time I meet Chinese students on campus, I can basically say that they are majoring in computer science without asking.  I do know the future may be dominated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and all computer-related products. Everything can be done by computer, and probably one day, the unemployment rate will sharply increase because of the replacement of high intelligence, high speed, and emotive AI robots. I know that the prospect of studying computer science is better, and it is easier to find a job in the US in the future. Though there are a lot of advantages to studying computer science, I will say NO to the major. You probably asked if you could give me a million-dollar scholarship or guarantee I will get a job at one of the top high-techcompanies like Apple or Google and earn tens of thousands of dollars a year. Will I change my mind to major in computer science? I will tell you my answer, “NO,” without any hesitation. I am studying for my dream but not money!

I started making things myself when I was very young, whether it was Legos, magnetic rods, model airplanes, or crafts. Hands-on skills are developed very early on. My first dream was to become a pilotbecause I thought aircraft were the most fantastic invention in the world, and driving the vast machines must be more astounding. At the same time, ten thousand questions flew through my head. Why can the aircraft fly like a bird? Why can the airplane fly that fast?  When I grew up, in a chance in junior high school, I watched an automotive race, which is the highest level of car racing–Formula One. The first time I watched the game, I fell in love with it and began to study it further. It gave me the biggest shock of my life. How is it possible for a land species to have such a terrifying speed that it can almost catch up with the speed of an airplane? How do these teleporting machines maintain good stability at high speeds without losing control? These questions and interests prompted me to continue in-depth research, learn relevant knowledge, and participate in some internships (in some College Formula Racing teams in China). I realized that I enjoyed learning complicated physics and math knowledge in countered during my internship and my Formula One exploration journey. Also, I enjoyed the process of using carbon fiber, glass fiber, and other materials to build the race car we designed on our own. I was more fascinated by the aerodynamics part of both Formula One cars and airplanes, which is an integral part of enhancing the overall speed of those powerful machines. My strong interest in these machines led me to a major that seemed tailor-made for me: mechanical engineering. I am a person who knows what I want to do in the future at a very early time (either an automotive engineer or an aircraft engineer), and then the next thing I am going to do is work hard to pursue my dream. I love what Einstein said: “Interest is the best teacher.” When I had an interest in Formula One and aircraft, learning about basic subjects such as chemistry, mathematics, and physics became easier. I want to spend time on them, and I am initiatively studying but not being forced to study because I love it, and this is my dream.

However, Computer Science is entirely the opposite. I have nearly no interest in them. I don’t even play many video games, and the only video games I play are mobile games, which are not related to computers. I have no idea what those standard computer terms, like CPU and GPU, are. Whenever my classmates were discussing their computer configurations and programming problems, I could only silently bow my head and walk away without interfering with their conversation. I took a one-year AP Computer Science A class during high school. It was really a tough year, in which we learned programming terms every day and had tons of homework and exams. In return, I only got a three for my final AP exam, which is not a good score compared to my classmates, who all received a beautiful five. I discovered that I solved problems by memorizing the steps without understanding the principles. I just got them right by rote memory. No matter how much I asked the teacher, I couldn’t understand them completely. Maybe it’s just that I don’t have a talent for it, or I’m not interested in it. I am struggling and losing my confidence in it.  My parents were very strict with my electronics when I was growing up. When I was growing up, I had very little access to electronics. This is probably one of the reasons why I’m not interested in computers at all. When other children were playing computer games, the only thing I could do to relax was design and make crafts, which furthermore increased my interest in mechanical engineering while staying away from computer science. Hence, there’s no way I will be miserable for the rest of my life, not to mention I already have clear goals and dreams. Even if I am asked to choose my major again, my answer will not change every time – Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical engineering is where I belong!

I was born to be useful. As long as I work hard enough and do well enough, I can indeed find a job in thefuture. Education does offer guidance and help for future employment, and next is the support of interests and dreams. Never to forget, “If you are gold, you will glitter sooner or later!”