Name: Vincent Siu
Program: Thermofluids w/ Co-op
Extra-curricular Activities:
- Engineering Tri-Mentoring Program
- Club Mech Third-Year Rep
- Ultimate, badminton, lawn bowling
Click here to visit my mechanical engineering blog: Thinking Mech
Who I Am
Having moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong when I was 3 years old, I’ve grown up with a full dosage of Canadian culture. My personality around others depends on the amount of sleep I get the night before (from sporadic to tranquil). I’m a geek at heart and like to learn as much as possible about the world around me.
A Day in My Life
Living in residence lets me get up with just enough time to get dressed and walk out the door for my 8 am classes. With the dynamic Mech 2 schedule, you’ll never know what handful of lectures, tutorials, labs, and Q&A sessions occupy the day. Lunch is a great time to hang out with friends and fellow students. After a long day, I like to take an hour before dinner to just relax and recharge my batteries with some music, novels, or TV shows. Then it’s a grind through the night to review material and complete assignments. Somewhere after that is a good night’s sleep!
Why I Chose Mech
Narrowing down the different engineering disciplines through a process of elimination was definitely a challenge. I see engineering as a road with many paths; you shouldn’t set a specific route until you’ve seen the choices available. In the end, Mech presented the most enjoyable options for my future career. Additionally, I knew the Mech 2 program was hard and I always like a good challenge.
Life Beyond Classes
Once classes end on Friday, I like to take most of the time to make up for my absence from my friends. Sometimes it can be as exciting as going to a concert or as laid-back as playing some Gamecube. The Tri-Mentoring Program has also provided me with a great opportunity to talk to experienced engineers every now and then for career advice.
Getting Here from High School
Picking a degree from high school was a challenge for me. Once again, it was a process of elimination. I wanted something I enjoyed doing yet still offering me a huge diversity of career paths. Looking at my better skills, it was clear numbers and physical science would be involved. Knowing that engineering can be a stepping stone to an even further career path along the lines of managerial or law, it became the obvious choice.
The Best Part
My favourite part of Mech has been enduring a challenge with a close group of classmates. In addition to the intense group projects, the learning experience is unlike any other. I am confident that at the end of this battle educational experience, I will have a great skill set that will allow me to go very far.
I’ve made some great friends through Mech. We spend a lot time together studying and enjoying campus life. In general, I’ve found that Mech has a very friendly environment in which students are keen to help one another succeed.
My Advice to Prospective Students
- Study hard! Crossing your fingers after an exam generally hasn’t worked for me. You have to feel confident about getting it right.
- The lone Rambo approach doesn’t work anymore. Find a good group of classmates (or even engineers in other disciplines) to get different perspectives.
- Find other interests to pursue outside of your academics. Join a student design team, UBC REC intramural team, or knitting club…just do SOMETHING!