Category Archives: Student Life

Working Through Imposter Syndrome

Students working on a weld. Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash.

No matter who or where you are, it’s possible to be feeling imposter syndrome. For me, it was brought out by my intimidating perception of university, engineering, and MECH. In this post, we’ll learn more about what imposter syndrome is, what it feels like, how you can work through it, and my personal experiences with it.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Author and poet Austin Kleon defines imposter syndrome as “the inability to internalize one’s abilities and accomplishments”. So what does that feel like? It could look like any of these traits identified in a medically reviewed article on VeryWell Mind:

An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
Attributing your success to external factors
Berating your performance
Fear that you won’t live up to expectations
Overachieving
Sabotaging your own success
Self-doubt
Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short

My personal experience

Even entering UBC during Covid, there were the expected changes from transitioning to being university student. From being at the top of my class in high school, I became more or less the average student at UBC. After working so hard always chasing that 100% mark, it’s hard to slow down and be okay with something much lower. Suddenly being surrounded by so many talented students can easily cause you to rethink your own abilities that were previously celebrated.

On top of that, I felt the most pressure, or the most “imposter syndrome” when starting MECH 2 in person. Like many high school students, I had little exposure to what engineering was and what a career in it looked like. More importantly, I didn’t have the experience working on the family car or woodworking in the backyard that many people, mainly the men, in my class grew up with. When I started to meet my classmates in MECH, it seemed like everyone already had it figured out, like they were already far ahead of me in knowledge and expertise. Especially in this current time with LinkedIn, it’s hard to see so many of our peers celebrating their successes without feeling insufficient.

What did that feel like for me? I felt a sense of hopelessness and otherness; I felt like I was inferior to my peers, that I didn’t belong in this community. Although I had a lot to be proud of, I couldn’t help but compare myself to others’ accomplishments.

I’m not someone who “lives and breathes” engineering. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I study and what I do for work. But I’m a person outside that, with interests and passions that go beyond it. In university, you are going to meet many people that devote every part of their life to their career; and that can make you feel like you aren’t doing enough to keep up. It was a process for me to see value in what I did outside of school and work. Those are things that I love to do, and it doesn’t make it me any less successful as a person. In my opinion, being successful is living happily and without regrets, which for me means following however many interests that I have.

Even after gaining much more confidence in my skills and abilities over the first couple years of my degree, the journey still doesn’t end; I still battle with imposter syndrome and work on getting through it to this day. As a woman of colour in an industry where straight, white men are the norm, there will honestly always be microaggressions and unintended actions that feed a feeling of inferiority, no matter how qualified I am. That’s just a reality of where we are currently as a society and as engineers, despite pushes for more diversity in recent years.

What can I do about it?

There are many different strategies that may or may not work for you. Personally, other than finding a company with a positive work environment that works toward inclusion, here are some things I learned and still use to work through my imposter syndrome:

Detach my worth from my career

As I talked about earlier, I find meaning in multiple areas in my life and don’t depend on my career to find pride in myself. My success as an engineer is just one aspect of my success as a person. One part of this strategy for me was finding hobbies that I enjoy! Especially now in my final year where I have a few less classes (thanks exchange credits!), I’ve been devoting more time to exploring old and new interests. In particular, I’ve been working on growing my creativity, activity, and mind:

Two hand made ceramic flower pots sit on the window sill. The taller, donut shaped pot holds baby's breath flowers, while the shorter vase shape holds peonies.

Current creative: pottery – I made the two vases.

Players playing ringette on the ice. The white team is about to score a goal on the blue goalie in the top corner.

Current activity: ringette – me scoring a goal!

Book cover for "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman

Current read: apt for this blog post! Image from Amazon.

Work towards your own goals, uninfluenced by other opinions

It’s a lot easier said than done, but working hard towards what you deem as valuable really worked for me. Everyone has a different definition of success – to be able to motivate yourself from within and celebrate your own wins is a skill that will help you in every aspect of life.

Find likeminded people

It was extremely reassuring to meet people who had the same struggles and thoughts that I had regarding this topic. By talking with people who understand how I felt, it helped me acknowledge where these feelings come from and discover strategies that other people might have learned.

Look into counselling

Oftentimes imposter syndrome can be coupled with other feelings like anxiety or depression. The tools that I listen above are what help me, but everyone has a different experience and there may be other strategies that would work better for you. I believe that seeing a counsellor can help anyone whether they think they are struggling or not!

Finally, I’d just like to mention an article that I thought was really thought provoking titled “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome”. I won’t break it down in this post, but I highly recommend reading it in addition to these strategies mentioned.

If any of this post resonated with you, you’re not alone! Although starting university and beginning this next chapter is challenging, it comes with a great amount of learning that ultimately helps you in the long run.

My Exchange Experience in Denmark – Part 2

The iconic double-decker bus drives past the Palace of Westminster in London. Photo by Aron Van de Pol on Unsplash.

Welcome back to Part 2 of my exchange in Denmark! I’ll be continuing on with the next two topics to introduce you to what your international experience could look like:

travelling and exploring
my professional and personal growth from this experience

Travelling

Growing up in Canada, travel is somewhat inaccessible. With how large the country is, there are fewer options for easy travel to any place significantly different than home. When I came to Europe, I was shocked with how simple and cheap it was to visit such diverse places. I’ve always prioritized experiences over things – I believe that they provide the most meaning in my life! Additionally, I’d like to live and work outside of Canada post-grad, but I’m still unsure of where I want to go. I was hoping that through travel I would find some clarity in what I’m looking for in a future home. In this section, I’ll recommend some tips for travelling on a budget and also some of my favourite spots I visited on exchange!

Travel tips for the budget student:

Set a central home base – Denmark wasn’t the best choice for this due to its geography, but somewhere like France has many train and bus routes alongside air travel for more options.
Have flexible expectations – It’s good to know where you already want to go, but you might have the opportunity for somewhere you didn’t expect! I chose my destinations depending on price and timing, so I ended up going to unexpected places that happened to be cheap.
Understand your standards – Don’t get too cheap! Know what your boundaries are: for mine safety was number one. Oftentimes cheap prices align with sketchy areas – do your research!
Do your research – It saves money to be prepared! You might get deals on attractions or know the best local restaurants. Depending on the location, we would cook meals instead of going out to save money (the food is not always the main attraction).

Some Favourite Destinations

I learned through visiting multiple countries that there is a difference between wanting to live somewhere and enjoying travel there. These were my favourite cities that I visited in Europe:

To live (and work):

A group of people sit and lie under the sky, which is filled with views of the green and purple Northern Lights. The field they lie in is empty, and the trees lining the horizon can be barely made out in the darkness.

Northern lights in Copenhagen.

Another view of the Palace of Westminster on a typical London cloudy day. The streets are calm and winding.

Palace of Westminster, London.

Copenhagen, Denmark: The vibes and energy of the city, especially in the summer, were amazing. The only things are, it’s very expensive, and I wish there was more diversity in the food and people living there.

London, UK: I loved how lively the city was, a big change compared to living in Vancouver. It was very diverse, and the Chinatown was great. But the pound made things very expensive, and although I got lucky with the weather on my visit, I hear that it’s cold and wet almost all year.

To travel:

The Budapest parliament building lights up the night, seen from a boat riding down the Danube canal. The waters are calm and peaceful.

View from a boat ride down the canal in Budapest.

Colourful buildings rise in rows up a hillside in the town of Cinque Terre, Italy. Ocean waves crash against a dock at the bottom of a road lined with small boats.

Colourful town in Cinque Terre.

A hidden cove in Mallorca lined with bushes and trees. The water is clear and blue, and many people wade out in the shallow water.

One of the secluded coves in Mallorca.

Budapest, Hungary: Such a lively and youthful city, and the canals are beautiful especially at night. Everything was so affordable so it’s a great spot for budget travelers.
Cinque Terre, Italy: Going in the off-season, the weather was colder but the towns were so serene and quiet. The colourful buildings were beautiful and the food was amazing (especially tiramisu)!
Mallorca, Spain: The coves and beaches are gorgeous and feel so different than beaches in Vancouver. Every spot feels like a hidden gem, and the water was incredibly clear and blue.

Growth

Through my exchange experience, I definitely feel that I’ve grown as an engineer and also as a person. Meeting and learning more about so many people from all over the world broadened my perspectives on the world and helped me better understand different points of view – which I believe is vital for engineers designing solutions for others. I was also able to learn more about the industry in a another country, how they approach the working life, and discover what elements I look for in a future workplace or home country.

Personally, living in Denmark has taught me to truly live in the present and appreciate the beauty of where you are, wherever you are. Moving to another place and leaving so quickly reminded me how fleeting experiences are, and how we should treasure every moment. I’m beyond grateful to have been able to experience this and would recommend it to any student considering going on exchange or working abroad. If you are interested in exchange or CIE and looking to learn more, visit website here. We also have several other posts about CIE on the MECH Ambassadors site: this one would be a great start for learning about CIE!

My Exchange Experience in Denmark – Part 1

Nyhavn, a popular canal street in Copenhagen. Photo by Max Böhme on Unsplash.

Last term, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go on exchange through CIE (Coordinated International Experience), which is the APSC customized exchange program at UBC that connects students with partner universities. I spent one 5 month term abroad at the Technical University of Denmark, one of UBC CIE’s partner institutions. By going abroad through CIE, I was able to take advantage of premapped courses for transfer credits and use the term as a co-op work term.

This was something I had always wanted to do even prior to starting university, I was super excited to gain experience living away from home in a new place! This is Part 1 of 2 where I’ll be sharing what my life on exchange looked like, in this post I will be covering the first two points:

Danish culture
learning at DTU (Technical University of Denmark)
travelling and exploring
my professional and personal growth from this experience

I hope through this series you can learn more about international opportunities for study through UBC!

Danish Culture

Other than considering the university, it’s important to think about the city where you will be living for the next couple months. Experiencing a different culture was a priority for me, and definitely helped me grow even more as a person.

The concept of hygge is at the core of the Danish soul. Hygge is described as “cozy, content, and warm” – but it’s a feeling that can’t be put in exact words. Hygge for me was hosting brunch in my dorm in the early morning, having a warm kanelsnegle (cinnamon bun) in a funky cafe, or laying in the sun when the weather is just warm enough. Walking around the city, I had never seen so many cute cafes, restaurants, and even just nooks and crannies in the streets.

The Danish essential.

Spring in Copenhagen.

Cute cafes are a must.

Both the city and community felt grounded. With the focus on organic and seasonal food, and biking or walking normalized, I felt like my healthiest self while living there. During my term, I got to witness the change of seasons, and with it the change in energy of the community. The winter was cold, windy, and dark. Days were spent bundled up drinking hot drinks and indoors, and the streets were quiet. When the weather shifted to even the slightest bit warmer and sunnier, it was like the city came to life. People were outside at all times, sitting on patios and on the grass lining the canals in the middle of the day. I was shocked, wondering where all these people came from! With most of the year being cold, you could tell that the people here appreciated the nice weather so much, reminding me of summers in Vancouver.

At the beginning of my term, I regretted coming to Copenhagen in the winter. But seeing both sides of the city was so valuable – I would recommend anyone to experience Danish hygge any time of the year.

Learning at DTU

During my four month term, I took 4 classes, with one being an online course:

At the top of the wind turbine!

Introduction to Wind Energy
Since Denmark is one of the world leaders in this technology, I was excited to take this course. It provides a base understanding of how wind turbines work, what calculations go into designing one, and its role in Danish energy supply and economy. This was my most involved course, where we went on field trips and built our own turbine blade. My favourite part was the opportunity to climb up a ~200m turbine, a worthwhile challenge for someone afraid of heights.

Robot Autonomy
This course teaches the analysis, design, and evaluation of robotic/automated systems using ROS2! It was definitely my mostly challenging course since it was at the Master’s level. As a general MECH student, I was happy to try something exploring the MECHA and software side of things.

Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers
After learning about what PLCs were in my co-ops, I wanted to explore building and using these systems in this course. Although it was online, every assignment was a lab requiring coding and testing programs with industrial PLCs. In this course, I investigated different PLC programs and was able to create, test, and troubleshoot these automation tasks.

Economics for Engineers
This was a credit for MECH 431 and has very similar content. We analyzed financial accounts, developed business cases, and did a case study presentation for our final project. It was interesting to learn about economics at DTU since we were able to learn more about Danish/European companies and listen to guest speakers from these companies.

In general, the learning style at DTU was quite different compared to UBC. Each class is once a week for four hours, which makes it easy to plan travel and studying. The Danes also have a culture of flat hierarchy in the workplace, meaning that coworkers view each other as equals regardless of position or job title. This reflects to university as well, where students are encouraged to address their professors casually by first name and prioritize independence in learning. Since the way courses are taught have similar principles to how the workplace environment will be, I really enjoyed learning differently than at home, and working towards discovering what kind of workplace is ideal for me.

This is the end of Part 1 of my experience, please stick around for Part 2 where I discuss travelling and my learning through this experience!

5 Perfect Long Weekend Escapes in Vancouver: Unwind from Midterms and Recharge for School

As midterms loom on the horizon, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the mountain of assignments, deadlines, and labs. But hey, before Vancouver turns back into “Raincouver” and we’re buried in our textbooks (or laptops), there’s no harm in hitting pause to soak in the last bits of sunshine! For those of us who aren’t from Vancouver (like I was, once upon a time), there’s so much to explore. Over the past five years, I’ve had the chance to experience the city like a Vancouverite. Here are my top 5 (sober!!) must-dos if you’re looking to unwind this long weekend!

1. Chill at One of Vancouver’s Stunning Beaches

I know, I know, it sounds basic, but how many cities can offer both mountain and ocean views at the same time? Vancouver’s beaches are a magical combination of golden sands, volleyball games, and that calming sea breeze. Whether you hit up Kitsilano Beach for a casual day out or paddleboard at Jericho, the beach is the place to unwind. If you’re lucky, you might even spot an orca playing in the distance. Not a bad way to hit pause before exams, right?

2. Hike the Sea-to-Sky Highway

If you’re a nature lover (or even just someone looking to disconnect from all things tech), there’s no better cure for midterm stress than a hike along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The drive alone is breathtaking, but the real gems are the trails that wind up into the mountains. Garibaldi Lake, Stawamus Chief, and Joffre Lakes are just a few iconic hikes that will reward you with turquoise-blue lakes, towering waterfalls, and views that feel straight out of a screensaver. Bonus: Being out of Wi-Fi range gives you the perfect excuse to ditch your phone and just breathe.

3. Gastown: Where History Meets Hipster Vibes

Gastown has that old-European charm, with cobblestone streets and architecture that takes you back in time. My personal favorite? The iconic steam clock that whistles every 15 minutes—no matter how many times I see it, it never gets old. And hey, while you’re wandering, grab a coffee at one of the quaint cafes. Just remember, stay away from East Hastings if you’re not looking for any “surprises” (trust me on this one).

4. Feel the Need for Speed: Go Karting

Okay, this one might seem random, but there’s nothing like the thrill of racing around a track at high speeds to clear your head. Whether you’re a speed demon or just someone looking to blow off some steam (pun intended), go-karting is the perfect adrenaline rush. Plus, it’s a solid way to take your mind off the fact that you haven’t started studying for that midterm yet…

5. Explore Nature at Bloedel Conservatory and Stanley Park

If fast cars aren’t your thing, maybe a more tranquil escape is calling your name. Stanley Park and the Bloedel Conservatory offer lush green spaces where you can walk, bike, or just sit and people-watch. Wander through the tropical rainforest under the Bloedel dome or bike along the seawall for a full nature detox. Don’t forget to check out the Aquarium, where you’ll find mesmerizing sea creatures and get a break from reality.

Honorable Mention: Sleep (My Personal Favorite)

If you’re more of a homebody, a long weekend is also the perfect time to catch up on sleep. Waking up without an alarm for even just one day is pure bliss. Throw in a TV binge session (you earned it!) and maybe some snacks, and you’ve got yourself the perfect recharge. Forget your stress, calorie count, assignments, and your upcoming deadlines—just for a little while—and you’ll be ready to tackle the next round of school madness with fresh energy.

So, there you have it—five solid ways to unwind and make the most of a long weekend in Vancouver. Whether you’re an adventurer, a beach lover, or someone who enjoys a quiet day in, there’s always something to help you reset before the academic grind kicks in again. Enjoy it, because before you know it, we’ll be in Raincouver mode! ⛈️

Managing Stress

In third year, my life became a feverish balancing act. It was the year I took up 6+3 first and second term courses while trying my hand at leadership on the SUBC drivetrain team. In September, I had moved to downtown Vancouver with friends after living with family for years in Richmond. It was an exciting transition that would kickstart a much more social life – something I’d craved for a while.

I remember brimming with energy those first few months. On SUBC, I had assembled a strong team ready to tackle the design of our submarine gearbox. Classes kept me engaged and eager to learn more. I even found time to enjoy the downtown high life with friends and roommates.

I flew through first semester, eventually hitting second. That’s when my schedule changed dramatically as my SUBC commitment grew. My Saturdays became fulltime SUBC work sessions, pushing homework to Sundays. Soon enough, I was working 7 days a week, often more than 8 hours a day consecutively. Fewer were the weekends I found time for leisure.

“Paltry,” you might be thinking, “that’s Mech bread and butter.” And I would have agreed with you. My meager 12 credit course load in second semester signaled no excuse to compromise working hard. After all, now I had too much free time on my hands! In no universe could I allow myself to perform poorly. As the semester progressed, this mindset became increasingly sabotaging.

Before I knew it: burnout! It’s a condition I didn’t entirely understand or even really believe. After all, stress fuels productivity—until it doesn’t. Reality set in when I began to notice growing frustration over the simplest tasks. Exhaustion seemed to kick in unusually quickly. Ignoring these telltale symptoms, I fell into a cycle of downplaying burnout, reminding myself that I’d survived MECH 2 during COVID, so obviously I could survive any onslaught.

But despite my rationalization, every bit of work continued to feel like a step in some gargantuan supertask. I thought that my effort and energy could only be bounded by ambition, but much like an apparently infinite series, I discovered they needed to converge to a finite sum.

Even precious downtime with friends seemed to feel like a burden. An ever-present mental checklist fogged my brain, pulling me from enjoying life in the moment. I was chronically anxious that I had forgotten some crucial SUBC task or course assignment. My confidence waned and grades declined. I fell ill with a prolonged seasonal cold and experienced constant back pain – all the while beating myself up over being so “weak.” My stubborn work ethic turned exhaustion into a cruel measure of self-worth.

As a workaholic, the line between dedication and self-neglect blurs as perfectionism clashes with the need for rest. In my experience, this made burnout a nearly imperceptible threat. When your commitments start feeling like they’re getting to you, ask yourself:

Have I been feeling exhausted recently?
Do I feel ineffective at the work I’m doing?
Do I feel distant from my work or a loss of interest in it?
Am I feeling easily irritable?

If your answer is yes to one or more of these, I encourage you to critically reflect on your workload, schedule, and mental wellbeing. According to Mayo Clinic, among the biggest signs of burnout are exhaustion, reduced efficacy, depersonalization, and cynicism. This can make it very challenging to honestly assess yourself. Verbalizing my frustration with a supportive friend was a great way to get an outsider’s perspective on my situation. The UBC Student Services website also offers a comprehensive guide to managing stress responses, emphasizing support-seeking, relaxation activities, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness practice. These tools, while not guaranteed cure-alls, can help you think about how best to manage your response to stress. In my experience, starting with the simple admission that I even had burnout was a great way to dissolve the ego that kept me from addressing it.

Why? Because ego has no place when health is at stake. Consider the fact that prolonged burnout can even heighten susceptibility to depression and illness.

Unfortunately, Mech can certainly seem like the perfect breeding ground for stress-induced burnout and complications. I take issue with the student culture that accepts these as necessary corequisites to being a Mech student, and worse yet, the subculture that flaunts their stress to signal the program’s superiority over others. Stress is how our bodies tell us that something about our situation needs to change. A healthy amount of stress can motivate us to excel, while stress in excess immobilizes. There is nothing commendable or useful about the latter.

My fear while addressing my burnout was “what if by letting myself relax, my grades slump and the drivetrain team loses momentum?” It felt like an impermissible compromise. But the reality was that my grades and drivetrain team were suffering as a result of my burnout anyway. It was useful to reframe self-care as an investment in my future performance, especially for when it might really matter, like during midterms, finals, or the homestretch just before a submarine competition.

Mech demands more than academic prowess—it demands resilience, reflection, and adaptability. You might be pleasantly surprised what the occasional movie, workout, or hangout might do for your mental health and grades. I certainly was.

Surviving winter

Vancouver winters. They may not be full of snow and ice storms like the rest of Canada, but they do involve a severe lack of sun and no shortage of rain. Coming from Ontario, I honestly thought winters on the west coast would be a joke. And although temperatures don’t dip far below 0℃, dealing with the constant rain and zero sunshine can really get to you. Especially when the winter is also packed with assignments, midterms, exams… It can be difficult to adjust to after growing up outside of Vancouver, so I thought I’d share some things I find helpful when dealing with rainy season.

For reference, this is the kind of winter I’m used to

Proper Rain Gear
This cannot be stressed enough. A good pair of waterproof boots or shoes and a rain jacket go a long way. An umbrella might be nice, however, it can get pretty windy on campus. I have struggled with too many umbrellas and after their ultimate destruction, I decided to stick with the rain coat. If you can find a waterproof / water resistant backpack, that can be quite helpful as well. Otherwise, some people buy waterproof backpack covers to keep their stuff dry.

Warm Drinks
In the hot summers, it can be uncomfortable to try to enjoy warm beverages. Personally, I’m a hot drink person. Coffee, tee, hot chocolate, apple cider… I just love to curl up in some blankets and enjoy something toasty. This is something the winter is awesome for! Appreciate that you have the time to aesthetically sit with your tee and stare out the rain-streaked window.

Explore Indoor Attractions
In the summer, there’s plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. So, use the time in the winter to enjoy some of the indoor ones! From museums both on and off campus, galleries and more, I think some of Vancouver’s attractions are often overlooked.

Still Dress Warm…
Don’t be fooled. Even though temperatures may read above 0℃, I find it feels colder. I’m used to feeling some -30℃ temperatures (poor high school Emily waiting for the bus in her school uniform kilt), so I tend to dress pretty relaxed (long sleeve, light coat). But man, it really feels so much colder. I learned pretty quickly to ditch my “Vancouver isn’t cold” pride and start dressing warmer than I thought was necessary.

Appreciate the Rain
Isn’t it kinda cool that water just like… falls from the sky? Spend time enjoying the rain. It’s still important to get outside and get some fresh air, so gear up, step outside, and have fun splashing through the puddles.

Give yourself breaks!
When the weather isn’t nice, it’s easy to just spend all day inside studying. Going for a walk to give yourself a break doesn’t sound like a nice option anymore, so some people find themselves stuck studying all day. Don’t get stuck. Even if you don’t want to go for a walk in the rain (although I think rain walks are underrated), you can still take breaks by watching an episode of a show, eating a snack while not staring at your laptop, or something else indoors.

So, there you have it. An Ontarian’s take and tips on Vancouver winters. Again, I advise you to not underestimate the rainy season, and the impact it can have on your mental health. But for now, enjoy the summer while it’s here!

Feeling lost in your degree?

In the first few years of my degree, I felt a little lost. It seemed that all of my peers had their whole engineering careers planned out – what company they wanted to work for, what research area they were interested in for grad school… and I’m just here because I like problem solving and things that move.

That’s totally okay! Some people come into engineering with a specific path, and others come to explore what engineering has to offer. You’re not alone if you don’t know exactly what you want to do after your degree. Know that people’s plans change too. In first year, I had friends who were very interested in a specific field, but after second year they were interested in something completely different.

I find there’s a lot of people who even question their decision to go into MECH or engineering in general. It can be easy to get this idea in your head of “this is what a Mechanical Engineer should do” and “this is what a Mechanical Engineer should be,” but that doesn’t exist. Mechanical engineering especially is very broad, and involves so many industries. You develop strong skills throughout your degree, including problem solving and determination. These are highly transferable skills, meaning its also possible to branch out after your degree.

If you’re looking to find a more specific direction in your degree, here’s what I can recommend:

Co-op: gaining work experience in industries you might be interested in is very valuable whether you end up liking the industry or not. If you’re really not sure where to go, it can be beneficial to do shorter co-op terms, and try out as many different career paths as possible.
Electives: take a good look at the elective courses offered at UBC, and take ones you think might be of interest to you. This will help you develop skills in an area of interest, and can also give you a better idea of specific fields you can pursue with that knowledge.
Talk to profs: ask any of your profs if they have a few minutes to talk about their field. They can give you insight into research prospects and often industry as well.
Informational interviews: I haven’t done this myself, but I’ve had friends who perform informational interviews with people in industry. If you’re on co-op, that is a good opportunity to ask to speak with other people in the company in different positions. I recommend looking for connections through family and friends as well, and potentially and industry partners you have through design teams and extracurriculars.

In general, I think taking the time to explore different fields in mechanical engineering can help you make the most of your time at UBC. If you don’t know what you want to do after school, don’t panic! There are many people who don’t know as well, and many people have come before you and figured it out 🙂

Summer on campus

So, you’re spending your summer on campus. What goes on here? What can I do to keep myself busy? Well, I might have a few ideas.

Work Learn

If you don’t know what a Work Learn position is, they’re part-time paid positions offered through UBC in both the winter and summer terms. For the summer, Work Learn positions are typically posted around March. Depending on the position, they can be pretty competitive, so it’s best to apply early! You can work a maximum of 20 hours/week in a Work Learn during the summer, which puts you to a total of 300 hours. There are many different positions available, from research, to office and library work, to working with MECH Student Services (yay!).

Undergraduate Research

If you’re interested in a specific field, or think you might be interested in research, then why not reach out to a prof and try to snag a research position? Undergraduate research positions can come in many different forms. There are full-time, paid positions that are sometimes posted through co-op, but full-time opportunities can also be accessed through grants like NSERC. In my case, I’m doing some part-time unpaid casual work for a prof, which will hopefully lead to a publication. If you’re interested, I recommend reaching out to a professor whose research focus appeals to you, and simply ask if they are interested in taking on a student over the summer. You can also take a look here, for more undergrad research opportunities.

Personal Projects

Who doesn’t love making things? During the winter terms, students are typically much too busy to take on extra projects. Over the summer though, you have lots of time to explore your passions and build your resume. There is a wonderful previous post that includes some ideas for personal projects. If you already have some past projects, I can also recommend creating a projects portfolio. Building and coding your own website showcasing past work you’ve done is a useful thing to have to send to employers, and can also be put on your resume!

Design Teams

Joining a design team for the summer only might be difficult (although it doesn’t hurt to ask), however, if you’re already on a design team, there are often opportunities to get more involved. Most design team competitions happen over the summer, which means they are usually even more busy than during the school year. I know people who have spent full days in the shop with their team, and you typically gain a lot of hands-on experience. Often, you also get a chance to go to the competition, which can involve fun road trips and hotel stays.

Explore!

Have you spent the summer in Vancouver before? If not, this is your chance! Since the winter term is unfortunately dominated by cold and rain, the summer term is really the best chance to get outside and see what Vancouver has to offer. Go hiking on the north shore, climb and mountain bike in Squamish, or simply enjoy the UBC campus. With the roses coming out and flowers in bloom, the summer is a beautiful time to take relaxing walks and explore the campus and city itself.

This list just contains a few things that come to mind when thinking about the summer, but there really are endless possibilities! Even if you’re on co-op or not staying in Vancouver over the summer, some of my suggestions are still applicable, and I strongly encourage you to make the most out of your free time. That being said, I think it is also important to recognize that the summer is your primary time to relax and destress from the previous term. For some people, doing projects and research are their way to relax and destress. Others may benefit more from simply taking a break, and that’s okay too! In a demanding program like engineering, we need to know how to take a step back and prepare for the next year, in order to avoid burnout. While some people (including me) want to constantly be productive and push themselves, knowing what works best for you and following that is important.

My MECH experience

Hello! Emily here. I’m a third year MECH student, specializing in Mechatronics. I’m originally from a small town in South-western Ontario, which is actually where I did my first year of University, during the Covid-driven online year. You might be wondering, what was it like doing your entire first year online? Well, I actually found it alright. I was worried about making friends and finding a community within engineering while being alone in my bedroom, but apparently everyone else had that worry as well, which lead to countless group chats, zoom calls, and friends I am still close with in person.

With the transition to in-person classes in second year, it sort of felt like starting completely new again. This was my first time living on campus, first time living alone… but again, everyone was in the same boat. The MECH 2 group became quite close, and we all managed the transition together.

Well, at least the transition to third year must’ve been easy then, right? Not exactly. After spending all day everyday with my friends in MECH 2, I wasn’t used to not having the same classes as everyone. I was the only one in my friend group taking the Mechatronics stream, which meant we only had a few overlapping classes. In addition, third year is when people’s schedules start changing due to co-op. Some people will take a 12 or 16 month co-op right after second year, so they will be a year behind, until they catch up in forth year. However, these changes also gave me the opportunity to connect with people I didn’t get to know as well in MECH 2, and people with similar interests as myself.

Laptop, graham crackers, chocolate, and other miscellaneous materials.

Our capstone experiment in third year (part of Mech 305/6). Yes, we’re making s’mores.

I have done 2 four-month co-op terms so far. The first one I did back in Ontario, for a small company that designed and manufactured storage racks for car parts on the assembly line. Before working there, I honestly didn’t know that car part storage racks was an industry. My second co-op term was with Engineering Services at the Vancouver Airport, which was a really cool experience. Although my role was primarily reviewing HVAC and plumbing drawings, everyone there wanted you to make the most of your time there, which resulted in airside visits, tours of the secure side of the airport including the baggage system, and most excitingly, a hangar visit to get up close to some impressive planes.

During my third summer in University, I decided not to do a co-op term, but rather to develop other skills and gain different kinds of experience. In addition to my Work Learn with MECH Student Services, I am doing some statistics work with a professor I reached out to last term, and am also taking time to work on some personal projects. Since this is my first summer in Vancouver, I’m trying to take every opportunity to spend time climbing in Squamish, and will also need to take some time as I prepare to head out for my exchange next term in Germany.

Student Experiences

The Department of Mechanical Engineering houses several sub-specializations, and the difference between them isn’t always clear when choosing a program in the first year. Around the end of 2022, we had a student experiences panel with upper-year MECH students from each specialization to answer questions and try to demystify the program. Here are a few things they to say!

But before we get started here are our panelists:

Janet Sun – Mechatronics
Ahijit Banerjee – Thermofluids
Phoebe Cheung – Biomedical

Why did you choose MECH?

Janet: I have always been very interested in robotics and how things move the way that they do, I am now furthering my studies with a Master’s in Kinematically Redundant Parallel Robots which is very exciting. My choice stemmed from pure interest and curiosity, wanting to know the why and how behind mechanical movements in addition to what I could do to control those motions. Hence, I have specialized in Mechatronics which was also a factor as to why I chose MECH.

Ahijit: I come from an ECE and CS-dominated background and I was naturally inclined towards it from a young age. But during my first year here, I loved the hands-on projects we had – building the cardboard chair and seeing it support 17 sandbags or the metal claw trying its best to pieces of pasta from the floor. I hadn’t had much exposure to hands-on projects prior to coming to UBC, but I knew I wanted much more and that’s why I choose MECH.

Phoebe: Back in the first year, I was introduced to the concept of biomechanics, and the synergy between mechanical and biomedical engineering quickly became something I was interested in learning more about. Through the First Year Program Fair and the Mechanical Engineering First Year Networking Event, I had the opportunity to learn more about MECH and talk to current students about their experiences. As MECH offers a biomedical specialization, I discovered that a MECH degree would be the best choice for where my interests lie. I wanted a strong foundation in a core engineering discipline while still being able to gain experience in the biomedical industry. My goal was to build my toolbox of skills and knowledge through my degree to be able to design and develop medical devices in my future career.

Opportunities in the program

Janet: There are so many various way to be involved. Either through design team, student council, work learn positions in the mech offices, volunteering in labs or joining various clubs on campus. There are infinite ways of enriching your degree. If you would like to gain technical experience, joining a design team would be the best way to apply what you learn in the classroom to a tangible project and also allow you to polish those team working skills. During my time on both SUBC and Orbit, I have really enjoyed watching our design concept come to life with the combined efforts of the entire team. If you would like to develop professionally and or practice your interpersonal skills while taking on a leadership role, I highly encourage you to apply as a work learn student or join the mechanical engineering student council. I have been part of the council since my second year, having taken on roles such as 2nd Year Rep, Academic Rep, Secretary, and my two terms as President. These roles have taught me so much and I enjoyed being able to work closely with an amazing supportive team to ensure that all mechanical engineering students have access to a wide array of social, academic and professional development opportunities. I was also fortunate to be able to take on a few work learn positions during my undergraduate career and it was a really nice way of improving my soft skills such as technical communications. Being a work learn student gave me so many more opportunities to interact with staff, faculty and also incoming students. From my various roles in the department, I was able to interact with profs and I was able to volunteer in the CARIS lab working on a really cool controls project leading me to my master’s degree. There are so many opportunities that may creep up on you without you even knowing.

Ahijit: MECH has several opportunities for students to get involved outside of classes, the most common being design teams. Working on larger projects with technical and non-technical folks with different backgrounds is some of my favourite and most exciting moments in school. They helped me develop my technical and communication skills, and it is a fun way to meet new people.

The department is also very supportive of undergraduate research. MECH has the CREATE-U program exclusively for MECH students interested in research, I had initially asked my professor if they had any opportunities in their lab for an undergrad student, and I was able to complete a co-op term at their lab through this program. The department also has paid opportunities like teaching assistantships and work-learns. I found the time I spend TA’ing or helping out with work learn tasks to be a refreshing change from the technical projects and a way to give back to the community.

Phoebe: In addition to coursework, I had a multitude of opportunities to gain experience outside of the classroom. One of the highlights of my degree would be my time on UBC AeroDesign. It was my first time working on a large-scale team project, and it was very rewarding to watch our airplane take off for the very first time! In addition to the technical experience, I’ve also gained experience with project management during my time as Team Captain. Navigating the team through the pandemic and the transition back to in-person work was a unique challenge, and it has undoubtedly taught me important leadership and communication skills.

The MECH Community

Janet: One of my passions is to build community and as such I have taken up roles such as Mech Prez and Residence Advisor. I really enjoy hosting events and bringing people together through common interests and providing opportunities for skill development. The mechanical engineering community is very diverse, with students from vastly different backgrounds but we all come together under CEME or Rusty working on our projects, labs or course work knowing that our classmates will always lend a hand to help when they can.

Ahijit: The MECH community is a tightly knit one. Starting from the days of MECH 2, we see each other all the time from classes during the week and at design teams over the weekends. But it’s the days when things don’t go according to plan or it’s the day before the competition and we’re still at Home Depot picking up parts, is when I made my closest friends whom I knew I could count on. Alongside seeing everyone for school nearly every day, club MECH hosts events frequently that are an amazing opportunity to detox and relax.

Phoebe: Although 2nd year (“MECH2”) is as challenging as every upper-year MECH student claims, reflecting back on it now, it has certainly helped me build a strong academic foundation and become a better future engineer. The variety of courses and labs allowed me to get a taste of what mechanical engineering has to offer for the rest of my undergraduate degree. Because of its rigour, MECH2 has also allowed me to learn how to better manage my time and prioritize my tasks. The overall MECH community is also very welcoming, which allowed me to build a strong support system of peers and professors.

Additional Comments

Janet: Being involved in not only the mechanical engineering community but also the greater engineering community to show our mech pride has been a highlight of my undergraduate career. From winning E-week this year with all the hard work from very dedicated and committed mech community to competing in the ball model in my second year with a small group of friends. We went from design conception to sourcing materials and building the overall contraption. I was finally able to realize my dream of building a claw machine. I am super thankful for my friends joining my team and their dedication to the project. There is nothing quite like building something from scratch, getting your fingers superglued onto the project and getting a burn from the activator. This experience will forever be engrained in my memory as a very stressful but thrilling time.