Do engineering majors have a social life?

Being an engineering student can be socially challenging. You will often have many weekends in, catching up on homework and studying. However, I do believe it is good practice to be self aware enough to sacrifice some weekends of study, for a mental health break. As you go through your engineering program, you will learn what best works for you. Some students designated Friday and Saturday nights as their time off. Others took a week day or full weekend. I highly recommend taking only 4 classes your first semester of college as you get adjusted and learn what schedule works best for you. The benefit of college is that you can tailor your schedule to what suits you best. Best of luck!

Engineering majors DEFINITELY have fun in college! The most important thing about being in college is to allow yourself to learn, grow, and explore the interests you have, so it is important to have a social life outside of school. In my experience, I joined an automotive club on campus where we’d meet weekly for boba and to talk about our interests in cars. My best advice is join the club(s) that you feel most passionate about investing time into and participate! Engineering is not easy, however. I do not recommend overloading yourself by taking 4 engineering courses your first semester in school. Engineering only gets harder as you get deeper into your career, so take it at your pace and try your hardest to do well in these courses.

The honest answer is, any field of study as exciting and challenging as engineering and STEM majors come with a heavy workload. The coursework tends to be intense and yes, there will be long hours and study sessions. But ultimately, you will be able to enjoy your college life if you plan appropriately. I personally found sticking to a well structured and daily study schedule allowed me to take a break and have some fun. This worked for me during my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well my most recent graduate degree in Information and Data Science (during which I was actually also working full time). There will still be occasions where you have to prioritize your studies over something else but I don't see any reason why you won't have a great college experience. In the end, I truly believe that all my hard work and studying has led me to a career in STEM that I thoroughly enjoy.

Work-life balance will always be something to navigate in college or any other point in life. While engineering courses definitely require a healthy amount of studying, classes, and project work, it is important to have good time management to navigate the workload while also doing other things that you enjoy. For one, the engineering and fun can be combined – I belonged to a few social groups specifically for those in engineering and there were definitely times when being with classmates included laughs and silliness. My class participated in national bridge-building competitions, which not only meant a lot of time spent together within our school buildings but also meant traveling, networking, and socializing together and with other schools. Outside of that, I learned how to rock climb, played a ton of recreational intramural sports, did volunteer work, and learned how to cook, clean, and live on my own. I also, among my STEM courses, took introductory classes from the dance department for fun! College is more than just getting through and coming out with a degree in order to enter the workforce – as with any chapter in life, it is important to enjoy the experience and learn more about yourself, so definitely give yourself the permission to do so!

Absolutely. One of the biggest life lessons that can be learned is that you will always make time for what is important to you. If you have lots of things that are important to you (like grades, social life, family, etc), you will learn the arts of balance and time management. I graduated a long time ago, but I have a daughter who graduated recently in engineering and the same thing is true today. She had fun, was very active in her sorority, and made lasting memories all while successfully completing her coursework and maintaining her GPA. You will have to decide for yourself what is important, but you will figure out how to balance all the important things in your life.

I would say absolutely engineering majors can have a social life, but with one caveat. I had to be very strategic about planning my homework and study time. In addition to my major, I was in a sorority and held executive council level positions for multiple years while I was on campus and was engaged with some other periodic activities. The way that I made time for that and other fun events was planning around things I knew I wanted to attend. I did have to pick and choose which events I could attend, and work during those hour here or hour there that popped up between classes to get homework done but that ensured I cleared up my weekend and evening time for socializing and attending events. I also would look at the office hours schedule and try to prioritize working homework prior to the office hours so I could get help when needed rather than scramble at the last minute. Even with all the planning sometimes there were some great events I missed out on because of homework or studying, but I think that happens to everyone. Overall, I was able to attend a lot of the things I wanted to with careful planning and the help of teachers and study groups.

There’s no one answer to that question – different engineering disciplines all present challenges, and as students, we are not all equally equipped for them. Even then, a lot is dependent on your expectations. Are you aiming for a top tier school, looking to become a CEO someday? Many people enter college, and many also leave without a clear vision of a career path.

I do believe it’s important to find a balance in one’s life, between professional aspirations and personal goals. Some of the things college/university education can provide include: opportunities to lead or participate in social activities involving your discipline or major (Engineers’ Week is often a huge event); group study or design projects; internships with companies to experience “a day in the life.” Some companies have well-structured internship programs to give interns a chance to interact socially with their peers.

Most people in engineering leadership, both in academia and in industry, recognize the need for that balance. Study and work will both place huge demands on your time, and often, the push for social activities will need to come from you. I find the best way to look at it is as another constraint to optimize, since that’s a lot of what engineering is at its core. Can you have a social life? Yes, you can, and in fact you HAVE to.

Great question! In my experience, the workload was very heavy and the homework problems and projects were difficult. Be prepared to work. I did have a social life in addition to the heavy workload, but my social and work life were connected. In my sophomore year, I found ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and joined. This club gave me a way to make friends that were taking the same courses I was. We formed study groups, and the older students were free with advice of which professors to take and avoid. These were the friends that I hung out with on weekends, went to parties with, studied with, shared apartments with, etc. The club itself hosted lots of activities, trips to conferences around the country, weekly meetings where I made connections with engineers from the industry, and mentorships with professors. If I had a chance to do it over again, I'd go to more basketball games and other sporting events in addition to engineering-related activities. The bottom line is that if you're interested in engineering, and you're willing and capable of doing the work, go for it. Be prepared to put in the work, but the social life will be there, too.

In my view, everyone needs decompression time and that can take many forms - for some, it’s reading a book, watching TV, playing sports, and more. It’s vital to maintain a balance. Yes, studying engineering is challenging and sometimes you may feel that you are only studying. However, make sure you take time for what you love or you will become burned out (unless studying is what you love). You need to set your own rules and these will become clear once your studies are underway.

Those of us who have gone through it can easily say - “there is much more to the engineering college life beyond studying.”

When I was in college, my social life was centered around the musical groups I was in (band & clarinet choir, plus a clarinet quartet) and my church, which had a college group. We’d have informal gatherings after rehearsals and meetings, as well as weekends. There were also occasional social events with my department and Engineering Council. College is busy, particularly if you are employed and involved in activities, so you will need to decide your priorities and make sure that you’re not attempting too much. It will vary from semester to semester, too, depending on your course load. I would also recommend finding a few classmates to study with – explaining to others helps you learn, and it makes studying much less stressful. And don’t hesitate to take advantage of office hours – I graded for a few classes while I was in college, and I found that the best students were regulars at office hours. If you are having problems keeping up, be sure to let your instructor know ASAP.

Good luck!

In my experience, engineering majors do study more than many other majors. Study groups can be fun, and a way to make lifelong friends. But you do have time to engage in many other activities on campus – and I would encourage you to do that! When I was getting my engineering degree, I participated in so many campus activities. I played just about every intramural sport they offered, I was in a sorority (president my last year), I was involved in Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society) and IEEE (student chapter of the Electrical Engineering professional organization). Good time management allowed me to do this. I also found plenty of time to do things with my friends, have a boyfriend, go hiking, and have various part time jobs. Knowing my personality, I found I needed to work first and play later. Otherwise, I would be worrying about getting my homework or studying done, because sometimes you just never know how long homework will take. So I prioritized school work, got it done, and found time to enjoy everything else. There were times when my friends would be heading out in the evenings to go play, and I was doing homework. Or they might get their homework done in 45 minutes and it took me 3 hours. But I would say we all had equal fun. Good time management is key!

Engineering is indeed a lot of work and requires plenty of studying, but it’s necessary to set aside time for fun and relaxation! It is really important not to burn out by taking time for yourself and enjoying some time outside of the classroom. Developing effective time management skills can also be helpful in allowing time for rest and relaxation. In my experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is both extremely challenging, but was some of the most fun I’ve had!

For me, the line between social life and engineering school blurred as I found amazing study partners to both hang out with and to study. Granted, we spent a great deal of time studying but we definitely had fun, too. Although I did study with both males and females, I primarily studied with females and we became quite close and remain so to this day. My advice to you would be to find people to study with that you enjoy being with. That way you can study together and hopefully have time to play together, too!

Of course yes! Engineering majors still have social life, it’s just a matter of time management. It’s not just about studying, but it should be on top of your priorities. Studies come first before anything else, but always have time for yourself, your family, and your friends. Planning is the key. Enjoy studying and also enjoy life.

Yes, engineering majors do have a social life. All you need to do is to optimize the time spent on your academic activities and your social life. Your social life is where you make important contacts and do networking. Engineering does not thrive in isolation. Your interaction with others will assist you to innovate products that will benefit end-users at minimal costs. Social life also helps your mental health.

Engineering in college does not mean the end of your social life by any means. It does help to be willing to allow new friends, new experiences, and new adventures while you are obtaining a degree. I usually took 15-18 credit hour semesters through most of my college years and also worked part-time, but I have to say it was one of the best times of my life. At first, I was opposed to study groups (not my thing I thought) but after I gave it a try, that turned into some of the most supportive, encouraging, and fun experiences I had with my colleagues while we worked out homework and studied for tests (we ate together, spent evenings together, commuted together, shared life or special events together – simply everything you share with close friends, but add a textbook). Learning is not a chore when you have friends sharing the same experiences. We often went out hiking, to the lake, visiting friends/family together, dancing, 5k runs, and even some school sponsored trips. Going to class was never boring or drudgery with all these close friends. While in college, I also volunteered as a logistics manager for a non-profit (for the logistics experience tied to my degree and for my resume). This committee usually had a social hour after every meeting in which I met some great friends. Engineering is tough, but given the shared experiences, friends, and adventures, I would not trade a minute of those years.

There is always time to have fun if you manage your time wisely. Engineering requires time and dedication, a lot of study time will be needed, that does not mean that you cannot have fun. Also depends on what fun means to you – if you enjoy what you're working on for your classes, that is fun. Party time is different, and you will have time for that, especially celebrating your academic accomplishments. For me, when I was in college, there was no better party than at the end of each semester where me and my friends could relax and celebrate a successful completion after putting in so many hours of hard work. There was no better reward than that. If you like what you are doing, you will be having fun most of the time. Cheers!

Engineers do have a social life. I feel like my social life flourished in college. I was able to travel regularly on a budget and I made a lot of lasting friendships. I did go to school in a city so it was much easier to find things to do during the week but that doesn't mean you can't do weekend trips. Some weeks like midterm and finals week, I had more studying than fun things but it was a balancing act. Some subjects were harder than others and had more homework but I had much more free time during college even with a part time job.

Of course Engineers have a social life! I have a 10 year old daughter, a huge group of friends and community members that I support and have a social life with.

During engineering school, while library, assignments and labs do take up a lot of time there is an amazing camaraderie that is developed over time. All schools have associations and organizations that also lend to a social aspect.

It was my experience that we met awesome people with similar interests. We found time to go to the beach even if it was for only 1-2 hrs, and other fun stuff. We met a lot of people that are still friends, both when doing the BS degree and in grad school. People from all over, some invited us to their apartment to learn about their culture/food/music, and still today, when we need expertise in some specific areas, we contact them. We also sometimes see each other in professional conferences all over the world.

What a great question and one I can answer with 100% assurance! I am just about to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary to a man I met when we were both students in a school of electrical engineering. Before we started dating, I had a very active social life and dated a number of other guys in the program and several others in other departments.

I am currently a professor in a College of Engineering and we have a number of faculty couples, and most met as students. When I was teaching at another university, two of my graduate students got married. In fact they joked that I should officiate at the wedding but the bride's mother thought that a religious leader should do that. :-)

Bottom line - the workload in engineering can be quite demanding but there is definitely room for a social life as well.

Yes, engineers have a social life. We work hard in both college and in the industry, but the work is incredibly impactful, fun, and collaborative. Invest your time wisely in college, if you study and work hard and do well in your classes, you'll most likely find a job in which you both enjoy and get paid well for. You need to also remember that colleges and universities are businesses. It's in their interest to enroll students, even if the degrees aren't worth the initial financial investment, in some of the "easier" majors, which perhaps don't have a great financial payback post college.

It's so important to do something meaningful with your time and with your life. I'm a Mechanical Engineer who works on net zero energy and net zero carbon buildings, helping to fight carbon emissions and climate change. I am constantly meeting people who amaze me with their talents and knowledge and passion for a more sustainable future. However, if I didn't knuckle down in college, I wouldn't be where I am today. I also have a great group of friends, I spend time with my husband and our son, and love seeing other family members too.

We cannot gauge what your idea of “enough” time for fun might be. In general, engineering is not as intense as pre-med or architecture. But you’ll probably need some all-night and late study sessions to finish a project or study for big exams. Some schools have a reputation for being more cut-throat, but that’s an environment I’d personally want to avoid (and did).

More importantly, though, is what happens after you graduate? I urge you to start out at a community college first. You’ll save tens of thousands of dollars per year, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time you graduate.

Think of it this way: If you’re paying off a huge student loan, you won’t have time (or money) for fun, regardless of your major. You cannot discharge student loan debt even if you declare bankruptcy. And interest rates are higher, because student loans are unsecured debt as opposed to secured debt (meaning, the bank has nothing to repossess, unlike with a car loan or mortgage. Whether you graduate in engineering or another major, you are not guaranteed to make enough money to justify the kind of tremendous loan amounts we see people graduating with. Also, do NOT rely on the loan office to deny your loan application based on future ability to repay. A lot of people made the mistake of thinking “if the bank let me borrow it, they think I’ll be able to repay.” Nope... They hope you can’t repay it until more time elapses, because that means your amount due will keep increasing!

Engineering degrees are almost the same for the first two years. Go to a cheaper public school and then transfer after your sophomore year. And you’ll be able to decide if the workload will work for you. You want to consider work-life balance for LIFE, not just your time in college.

I majored in civil engineering and I still had a lot of fun in college. I also had a part time job. Engineering is really not that much different from other majors. Some classes are going to be easier and some are going to be harder that will require more of your attention and time. You will have to make time to study, just like you will in non-engineering classes. I have always considered college a “weeding out” process. The students who are dedicated, persistent, and disciplined are the ones who make it through to graduate. The trick is balancing the work with fun, and remembering that you have to be an adult about managing your time and doing the right thing.