Whether to choose ‘Mechanical Engineering’ Branch or not?
Gaurav Gupta
I woke up, rubbed my eyes, moved to the road, saw numerous vehicles – bikes, cars, trucks, and buses zooming away. I moved ahead on the road, saw labors working on construction of buildings with large cranes and machines. I admired the vehicles, admired the smooth road and the building nearby, before I moved towards the river canal. I saw fresh water creating jingles on the pebbles. I watched closely the trapezoid section of the river canal. Returning home I saw a factory which manufactures something, people say generates electricity.
People say I think a lot and am often perplexed. They are right, I was thinking a lot and I was pondering – who created all these vehicles, who designed all these buildings, the cranes, machines, road, why is the river section trapezoidal, who is behind all the manufacturing of all the products we consume – directly or indirectly. I got all my answers in ‘Mechanical Engineering’.
Mechanical engineering has never been my favorite topic to write about. I have written enough on it in my engineering exams. But motivating aspiring candidates and helping them is something I am always eager for.
Gears, machines, links, beams, cantilevers, engineering drawings, drafters, CAD, huge workshops, piping, automobiles, refrigerators, Air Conditioners, robots, trusses, structures – can all be connected by a single word—Mechanical Engineering.
A 12th standard guy is quite ignorant of the various engineering branches available. He often chooses his branch because of ‘peer-pressure’ or based on ‘parents’ suggestion’. If the person goes by the advice of his peers, then he is likely to join the bandwagon of some recent ‘fad’. In the latter case, he is exposed to the ‘obsolescence risk’, means he is likely to follow the advice which worked say 25 years ago and may not work today.
So any engineering aspirant needs to build a ‘vision’, what he wants to do in his life. The person needs to deliberate on which ‘industry sector’ he would like to join after his engineering. Accordingly, he should choose his branch of engineering. Mechanical Engineering takes you towards the ‘core sectors’ like heavy engineering, power sector, oil & gas, automobiles, cement, steel, aluminum etc. A mechanical engineering is virtually required anywhere where ‘designing’ is done, ‘manufacturing’ is done or ‘core projects’ are executed.
What I appreciate most about this branch of engineering is that, here things are all life related. Whatever you see in and around is being taught in books, be it buildings, automobiles, AC, refrigerator etc. Further, this branch gives exposure to maximum number of industries. This is unlike other niche branches like Computer Science or Electronics, where you are limited to a small area.
Now if a mechanical engineer wants to pursue higher studies in engineering, there are exciting fields like robotics, aerospace, hydraulics, nanotechnology etc. If the person is interested in pursuing a management degree, he can easily get into the booming ‘logistics’ & ‘Supply Chain Management’ area, utilizing the basic concepts of mechanical engineering like inventory management etc.
Further, if the person is working in any core industry after engineering, he can also join IT industry as a ‘domain consultant’.
These are the various alternatives that a mechanical engineer, can move into utilizing the knowledge of the stream. Apart from these, there is always an option of being an entrepreneur, by setting up a design company or a manufacturing firm.
Mechanical Engineering gives a person a holistic view of the various industries. It is an evergreen stream and will never be out of business. So, if the industry sectors it serves enchant you, then join the stream and make the world a better place to live.