Yes, I do MechE.
So after a couple of suggestions, I have finally decided to do this.
First off, I am pretty sure most of you guys, my amazing readers, have been wondering what I am studying in university, well, except my friends who frequent my blog. Well, I study Mechanical Engineering. Did I hear an “Eishh” back there? Why do people always do that anytime you mention some engineering course? We aren’t Einsteins in engineering. We are there barely making it through a semester. Averaging 4/10 on tests. Only God knows how come we have made it this far, honestly.
The next question someone would ask is, “Was it your first choice course?” Surprisingly, YES! Yes, it was. There is a whole story as to how this happened. Anytime I remember it, I laugh and sometimes cringe. The story even extends all the way to the Head of Department’s office. Maybe one day, I will tell it.
Coming into the course, I had little expectations, because I had my own plans Chale! But little did I know!
Now in third year, I look back and I am not surprised I ended up in Mechanical Engineering. Here is a little background story:
When I was six, my dad bought a DVD player for my family. Prior to the purchase, he was very reluctant as he was convinced it was a waste of money and would even prevent my brother and I from concentrating in school. Typical of parents.
He bought it anyway. And guess what happened next?! My brother disassembled the whole DVD player all in the name of being an aspiring engineer. He said he was checking the components to see if they worked properly. I innocently joined him, being his handy man — serving him with screwdrivers and other tools. We re-assembled the DVD player and turned it on. Lo and behold, it didn’t work no more! APASKA! Brand new DVD player, destroyed by two boys, of which one was an aspiring engineer, with his little right hand man!
Now we had to find a way to explain this to my Father. We didn’t, but he realized and never bought us a DVD player ever again, even till this day! So yes, my childhood wasn’t as visual as yours, probably.
But the point is, from looking at my brother disassemble and re-assemble the DVD player to listening to him lecture me about cars everyday unknowingly built a passion for Mechanical Engineering in me. I wouldn’t realize this for another 12 years.
My first career option was to be a soldier because I thought shooting guns was cool. Then I switched to Pharmacy then to many other things, I even considered being a Banker because my neighbor who was a Banker had the latest Toyota Corolla.
In JHS, I participated in my first and only career day. Everybody in my class was planning on dressing up like doctors. I hated the cliche nature of the medical profession, so I wanted to deviate from it. I went home and boldly asked my Father for his engineering overalls. He looked stunned for a bit, but he gave it to me anyway, and even added a helmet. I went to school the next day dressed as an engineer in blue overalls with a white helmet. Man, I looked good and stood out because all around me were doctors. I kinda wish I had taken a picture that day. It would have been amazing for this story. I basically wore the overalls to show my friends that being a doctor wasn’t the only profession that existed. But again, little did I know that I was setting myself up for a possible career in engineering.
Getting to the latter part of JHS, I had an invention-book. I drew a lot of crazy innovations in it. My favorite was the talking shower. I realized I couldn’t control the shower when I had water in my eyes while bathing, so I thought of including voice recognition in the shower so I can put it on and off easily. I thought it was a bright idea back then, do you think it was? I even calculated, or so I thought, the amount of energy required for time travel using E = mc². Safe to say I was a mad scientist then, like Rick from Rick and Morty. Even tried disproving gravitational force, which was pretty dumb because I didn’t even know the formula.
Then in High School, I low-key enjoyed Physics because my Physics teachers were always funny, in my eyes. My first one would pass silly comments at me anytime I made a mistake. It made me like her teaching more because I knew I would get a description of my head or face once in a while. My second one was pretty emotional and we sometimes used to study just so he wouldn’t get emotional in class. Other times, we wouldn’t and we would watch him get emotional over our inability to answer questions or score high marks on a test. My third one, I believe I have written about him already. Herh, that man was funny!
I enjoyed Chemistry too, but memorization was too much for me. As for Biology, the least said the better. Even the teacher knew this!
Ey, the story is becoming long oh!
Fast forward, I got extra interested in STEM and went for a STEM camp, which even further ignited my passion for STEM. Thinking about careers in high school, I wanted to go into Materials Science and Engineering because an internet survey told me so and it was research oriented, so I would get to wear a white lab coat and actually look like Rick from Rick and Morty.
I also thought of Mechanical Engineering as a second choice programme of study, if I ever didn’t get to study Materials Science. I guess I was fascinated by Tony Stark’s machines!
In the end, I started studying Mechanical Engineering after a quick change because my family was concerned as to whether there were any job opportunities for Materials Scientists in Ghana and was constantly pushing me to apply to Medical School or Law School. I went in reluctantly and eventually began to enjoy the programme. I have some projects under my belt too. All of which still leave me awestruck!
The whole point I sought to make is, I realized the build up to my current place in engineering had started when I was six years old and I barely even knew what was in store for me. Well, I can say, God works things out for good, all things.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28 (NIV)
The funnier thing is, I haven’t even graduated yet, so my current perception could even be quite different in a few years. Maybe this whole MechE path is leading to something else? I’ll never know, but the best I can do is to Trust and Obey!
Oh yes! I am working on a few “projects” and I would be documenting the process here from time to time. Stay tuned! Keep it locked, don’t touch that dial! I feel like a radio station presenter right now. LOL!
