I don't fit in with the engineer majors

Hi, I'm currently a second year ME major and my biggest problem right now is self doubt. I believe I have the intellectual capabilities to do the engineering coursework, but I feel like I don't belong in engineering. Mind you, I'm Latina who is a first generation college student and my parents aren't professionals of any kind of field. All my peers seem to be the exact opposite of me, even the females. I'm just not like them. I don't like video games, I don't like comics/anime, I don't have experience in building, coding, CAD, and the like; I don't know much about engineering companies or technology. You might be thinking, why am I doing engineering anyways? Well, I love math and science. The field is intriguing and challenging and I've been so set on being an engineer since middle school. It's something I've held onto to for so long, it's hard and (at this point in my schoolwork) impossible to let go. Are my feelings an indication that I'm not the right fit for engineering?

Related to Energy , Mechanical , Medicine , Self Doubt

Areas of Impact Energy , Medicine

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Katelyn Lichte , Corteva Agriscience

Answered Monday, April 9, 2018 at 8:58 AM

I don't think your feelings are an indication that engineering isn't the right fit.

I was also a first generation college student with parents that weren't in a similar field at all (they both perform manual labor jobs). Before college, I also had no experience with the engineering skills (coding, CAD, etc.) but I was able to learn them in college. Yes, it took a bit of extra effort but often times you can end up catching on to the skills quickly.

If you truly think that engineering is the job you want, then hang in there! The knowledge about engineering companies and the jobs/technology available will come. And, there's plenty of other engineers out there that aren't into video games, comics/anime and other stereotypical engineering interests. I wasn't interested in any of those, and I'm still not and yet, I still feel very welcomed within the engineering field. I was able to find friends through student groups and talking to the other students in my classes. Students groups are also a great way to quickly catch on to the engineering skills that you don't have prior experience with.

It's totally okay to seek friends outside of the engineering classes too! I had different groups that I spent time with depending on what I needed. I had a group of friends who I hung out with for fun and I had another group that I studied well with! Be creative with making friends, and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. You never know when you'll find the people that make you feel like you belong!

Feel free to reach out if you want to talk more, and best of luck in college!