a new season

Wow, it’s been a whole month since I last posted! That was not my intention, so here I go getting back in the swing of things.

What I have been up to

My last post was right before finals. I only had the one, fortunately, so it was uneventful enough that I took time to take care of myself. It’s easy to forget to do that during the school year, especially during finals when you start feeling the pressure to pass. I’m happy to report that this semester was my best one since my first year in engineering! It’s a huge accomplishment for me, especially since I’ve struggled with my GPA so much.

After that, I went to my hometown in Wisconsin, where I surprised my mom with the visit for Mother’s Day. It was a nice change of pace for a week, but Philly is my home and I was happy to be back.

Last week, I started my second internship with Lockheed Martin. I took the week to get acclimated to my new position—and the commute, and the earlier start to my day. Technically I have the freedom to start my day later than I do, but having the earlier hours certainly has its benefits.

Summer – make the most of it before it’s gone

Going into the second week of my internship, my manager (who is fantastic, by the way) sat down with me to discuss what my goals would be for the summer internship. This included not just what work I will do, but the value and purpose of each, along with metrics of success.

It reminded me of a list I began before the end of the semester that I’ve been meaning to revisit. I know a lot of people make New Year’s Resolutions, but I find that I can make the most headway on things I want to achieve outside of school, well, outside of school. Summer is a short window, and I have to remind myself that I may not achieve all of my personal goals in that time, but I’d be happy to meet half-to-two-thirds of them.

Here’s a sample of the goals I would like to achieve this summer:

Continue weekly blog (hey, look! I’m making progress already!)
Set up a personal/professional website
Establish a newsletter for Temple SWE Corporate and Alumni contacts
Get in the habit of packing most meals (two weeks running and I’m doing good!)
Get in the habit of working out
Find a focus for Senior Design project

There’s a few others, both personal and professional. This summer I’m particularly trying to focus on forming some new habits, so that once fall rolls back around, it’ll be easier to continue doing them after the demands of school kick in—or at least that’s my hope.

Always growing

I didn’t always set goals like this. I didn’t always have this kind of focus. But I’ve been learning and growing—and I want to continue learning and growing! Setting goals gives me a direction to grow in, as well a measure of that growth. Sometimes it takes longer than I expect to achieve my goals; I mentioned I probably won’t check off everything on my list this summer, but it also applies to my education path. But that definitely doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, and I’ve found that it’s both ok to take a little extra time when you need to and sometimes even better that way (just don’t take too much time).

Speaking of growing, on the more literal sense I’m working on growing my garden for the season. Last week I planted a variety of vegetables and sunflowers, and today I already saw some sunflower seedlings poking their heads out! It will be awhile before I see any flowers or veggies out there, but I know it’s a thing worth waiting for. It’s funny, because I didn’t take an interest in gardening until after I moved to the city. It’s rewarding, though!

(Even the lemon tree I bought back in March has been branching out, with little flower buds getting ready to bloom.)

In my next post I plan discuss one of my summer goals: finding a focus for my Senior Design project. Stay tuned!—and thanks for sticking around!

who is that girl I see

It’s the last week of the semester! Most of my group work is finished–or nearly so–and all that’s left is a few regular assignments and finals. Truth be told, it’s a bit hard to focus on weekly homework at this point in the semester as I struggle to keep my energy up, but I’ll do my best to try.

As it is the end of the semester, it seems like a good time to do some self-reflection.

Last year around this time, I had…a lot going on in my life, both in and out of school. Last year was a bad year for the flu; I got it early on in the semester and did poorly on my first set of midterms because I was in the middle of it, fever and all, during that week. Later in the semester, my uncle got diagnosed with cancer. At the beginning of April, my roommate and I were informed by our apartment complex that the building was being sealed by the city and we had to move out by the end of the month. Around the same time, I was informed that the company I worked for was being sold and that I had to reapply for the job I already had, with no idea what kind of management changes would take place. Then, of course, finals were starting.

Understandably, it was not a great time for me, and I still look back and consider it fortunate that I only failed one class in the wake of all this. However, I do have a short journal entry I made at that time that I like to look at when I’m feeling overwhelmed or unhappy:

“Not great” things aside, I really wish I could go back and talk to my younger self and reassure her. Like yeah it really sucks now, but I promise it’ll get better—not perfect, not what you might expect, but better—and I promise you won’t be stuck back there forever, and I promise one day you’ll be a strong, independent, beautiful, accomplished woman. One day you’ll start to accept and love who you are—all of it, even the things that scare you now, because you don’t understand it yet, but you’ll learn to love yourself and be comfortable in your own skin, and you’ll be so much better and happier for it. Keep reading, keep writing, keep doing what is important to you, keep doing what you think is right, and don’t be afraid to speak out. Don’t let yourself live in silence, because you have such a strong and beautiful voice and maybe no one appreciates it now, but they will. I promise they will. And as empty as it sounds that “you can do anything you set your mind to” or “be anything you want,” once you find your footing, you’ll know. It takes a while to find it, maybe longer than you want or expect, but once you’ve found that path, maybe you’ll stumble down it at first, but eventually you’ll be walking tall and proud, and you will be so great. So don’t ever lose hope, because I love you, and someday, you will too.
me, April 2018

I’ve written before about how I haven’t taken the most direct or easiest path to get where I am. Still, it’s hard to have regrets when I look at how far I’ve come since I was younger and less sure of myself. Despite all the stumbling blocks and road bumps, I’ve managed to build a strong support system and get myself on a path that I am happy to be traveling. I hope to continue in that direction and keep improving; I hope in the future that I will still feel as satisfied and fulfilled with my life as I am now.

For those of you reading this: I hope you can find yourself in a place that you appreciate even through the hardest of times. Thank you for reading!

burn rubber…not the candle at both ends

We’re entering the final stretch for the semester–less than three weeks left! It leaves me a bit torn, though. On the one hand, I’m counting down the days and can’t wait to be done. I have plans to attend Philly’s annual Science Festival Carnival on May 4, and I have a week free before my internship starts to go visit my mom for Mother’s Day (which I haven’t been able to do since moving out). Then I have a full summer of gaining experience in my field, and more importantly, earning a significant income. It’ll be much more relaxed than attending school, and I’m really looking forward to it.

There is a downside, though. It’s mainly the looming deadlines for group projects and studying for final exams. We’re in crunch time, and everyone is tired and stressed. We’ve been working non-stop since January, with only a few brief breaks during the semester and a slightly longer break over winter. There’s less than three weeks left, but each week is jam-packed with last-minute quizzes and midterms and deadlines for group projects. I wrote before about my concerns for scheduling time for group meetings for these projects; so far I think I’ve been managing…but we’ll see in a couple weeks just how well I’ve been managing.

With all that said, I think it’s understandable that one of my concerns for the tail end of the semester is burnout. When I began writing this blog, I mentioned that last semester I overloaded myself because I thought I had enough time to take on extra classes. It ended with a nearly-spectacular burnout at the end of the semester: I was ill for the last month of classes, I was constantly exhausted, and as a consequence, my work suffered and my grades tanked. I can say with confidence that I’m in a much better place this semester compared to last semester, and I’ve mostly managed to avoid burnout.

How I felt at the end of last semester…and what I am trying to avoid for the future

I read an article on LinkedIn this morning, How to Protect Your Team from Burnout. It was geared towards leaders in the workplace, but the bottom line can be applied to school, too. The subheadings were: “manage the whole human,” “realign your team’s expectations–and your own–through compassionate directness,” and “help your team detach in the evening–and reattach in the morning.” The bottom line of all of these sections was this: the physical and emotional experience of work are just as important as the actual work; an open dialogue around expectations can help relieve stress; it’s important to detach from your work at the end of the day, rather than being engaged 24/7. I will say that school is a good environment for managing expectations, as professors issue syllabi with grading criteria, etc., although the rest of the points were things that could be counted as self-care.

These things aren’t exactly revelations, but it’s easy to forget about them. Speaking personally, I know there’s often temptation to be on for school the whole day. There’s so many things demanding our attention and we have to be sure to meet all of our deadlines, etc, and sometimes we even feel guilt doing something that’s not schoolwork, despite the fact that we need the break. I know I’ve had trouble in the past, but I’ve made an effort this semester to do better.

Here’s a look at things I did differently this semester that I think really benefited me compared to previous semesters:

I took breaks during homework sessions. In particular, when I got stuck on a problem, I stepped away and came back to it later, rather than allowing myself to get frustrated. Recently, I did push too hard trying to do a homework assignment, and wound up only making things more difficult for myself, but when I returned to the assignment later, I had a fresh mind and was able to finish it with much less difficulty than the first attempt.
I started keeping a physical planner, which has made it easier for me to keep track of all of my obligations, assignments, group meetings, etc, which has consequently made time management and prioritizing much easier.
Perhaps most importantly: I have set hard cut-offs for my “work” day. This was a bit more difficult for me to do in previous semesters, where I worked off campus and/or worked more hours. My work day and school day stretched from whenever my classes started to whenever my work day ended, and I did homework when and where I could. This semester, I’m fortunate enough to have on-campus work. Now, I try to get all my school work done before leaving campus, so that when I do leave campus for the day or the weekend, I’m done. It doesn’t always happen that way, but having that mindset has made it easier for me to disengage from school–which I think has improved my productivity and success overall.

Near the start of the semester, I wrote about improving my time management. I can confidently say that I’ve made progress with that goal, and that I’m seeing improvements in my work and mental health because of it. I’m still stressed, but I’m not five minutes away from a breakdown because of burnout like I was last semester. Granted, what works for me might not work for others, but what’s important is to figure it out, either way, for the sake of grades and productivity and mental health.

I’d rather do the burnout that you do after you win a race!

I guess I’m ready for the semester to be over, after all. I’ve got a pretty good handle on things, especially compared to past semesters, and I just have to see them through to the finish line!

If you made it to the end here, I appreciate you sticking with me! Remember to take care of yourselves, if not for your mental health (though personally I think that should be a priority), then for your performance at work/in school. Figure out what works best for you, and run with it!

When life gives you lemons…

…make lemonade.

It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard a lot. It encourages you to make something good out of a bad situation–the lemons are the bad situation. Personally, I’ve always liked lemons and lemon-flavored things. In fact, I bought a small lemon tree at the Philadelphia Flower Show over spring break last week! It was definitely a high for me.

Still, there’s definitely wisdom in trying to make the best out of a situation that may not be ideal. Last summer, I worked as an intern at Lockheed Martin–which is probably an ideal internship for some people! Unfortunately, they placed me in robotic process automation–as a mechanical engineer, I felt very out of my depth during my internship, and it had the potential to ruin the whole experience for me.

Sometimes we get so desperate for any internship or work that we’re willing to take anything, even if it’s not a good fit. In my case, I was excited for the opportunity to work at such a strong company, and I assumed that they would give me a position that fit my background. It didn’t happen that way, and honestly I was disappointed at first. Still, I saw it as both a learning opportunity and a way to get my foot in the door. I knew there were mechanical engineering positions within the company, so I made an effort to network to find a a position that would be a better fit.

We’re encouraged to network throughout our college education, with the obvious goal of finding a job when we graduate, but networking can be a scary, unknown beast at times. How do you do it? As someone who has struggled with social anxiety, I know it can be hard to approach new people, especially if they are managers or recruiters and you want to make sure you make a good impression. Ideally, you want to do your networking before you start working, so that you can get the connection to get the job, right?

I’ve found that, in fact, the best way to network is to do so organically. By that I mean, it’s better to make natural connections with people–don’t just add random people on LinkedIn, for example. My internship at Lockheed didn’t start with Lockheed; it started with a person I was acquainted with from my day job (a concierge at an apartment building) who suggested I look into the company he works for, which turned into me attending a networking/info event, which then turned into an internship offer. And once I was there? I connected with people that had similar interests. I connected with the president of Philadelphia SWE through our shared involvement in the society, and then she introduced me to a Temple alumna. One of the people in charge of my intern group introduced us to her protege, and I connected with her.

It sounds easy, but really, it should be! If you think about it, you’re more likely to remember someone from a warm, interesting conversation, than from a cold, stinted approach. We all have interests that make us animated when we talk, and the key is to find a way to bring that into a professional conversation–what’s your favorite thing about your degree, or your school? What really makes you want to get up in the morning? Sometimes the person you’re trying to approach will be closed-off, and in that case, it might be time to move on, but there will probably be at least a few people you can connect with.

Yes, the point of networking is to have connections for finding work, help, etc, but also the point is to find the right fit for you in the workplace. Do you really want to go work somewhere where everyone is closed off? Or would you rather go to work where you can have a conversation with your coworkers that makes the day more interesting? I know I really enjoy a lively work environment, and that’s why I’m going to be returning to Lockheed this summer–this time in a position that’s more suited to my background!

But what about the position that wasn’t a good fit for me? I used it as a learning opportunity. I know software isn’t where I want to go, but it could’ve been, and if I hadn’t had the first-hand experience, I might not have known for sure. Still, I dug my hands in and gave it my best, and I learned more about coding than I ever have before. I learned vocabulary that I wasn’t familiar with, and I learned more about how computers and networks go. As an engineer, we’re still going to have to interface with computers and technology–perhaps even more than ever before–and this experience has given me a leg up on my previous knowledge.

So maybe I’m not meant for any kind of software job, but I learned so much over summer that I’m still grateful for the experience. Lemons, lemonade…it’s only bad if you make it so.

In search of success…

This semester is really flying by. Spring break is in a week! And as ready as I am to enjoy a week of no classes, I have to say that my excitement for spring break was quite possibly exceeded by my excitement for Engineer’s Week, which was this past week. It happens every year: the school hosts a bunch of Engineering-related events such as panels and round-tables with alumni and professionals, demo days, and student org-sponsored events. Since it’s recognized nationally, there’s also events around the city—today they wrapped up the week with a celebration at City Hall, with hands-on STEM-related activities, etc.

Even though it’s yearly, this is the first year I’ve really had a chance to participate in any events: I helped out Temple’s SWE chapter at our table for Demo Day, and participated in a round-table event organized jointly between SWE and NSBE. I was especially pleased with the round-table event, which we called the Five Pillars of Success

The idea was to give underclassmen an opportunity to ask upperclassmen about their experiences with challenges as engineering students, and how different approaches have succeeded…or not succeeded. Our five pillars were: academic planning/major decisions, internship experience, interviews and professional development, time management/study habits, and stress/mental health. It’s the kind of event I wish I would’ve attended when I first started studying engineering, and I wish that more underclassmen had taken advantage of, because many of the things I know now would’ve been so helpful back then—and I imagine it would be a huge help for new students.

For my part, I discussed my internship experience. Things like, how did you get your internship? That one’s a bit hard to pin down—I think partly because bonded with my interviewer when he saw I listed French as a second language and we talked about his recent trip to France! Although I’ve also been told that having a second language on your resume helps you stand out because it shows you can adapt to other languages, which is a must when programming languages are becoming more and more integrated with engineering jobs.

Another question was, what was expected of you during your internship? Of course it varies depending on what your particular internship entails, but a good friend already in the field helped allay many of my fears by telling me that the company you intern for will teach you everything you need to know that’s specific for your project. In fact, my internship last summer required my team to teach ourselves an entirely new program the first couple weeks, and then use it to complete our project—again there’s that adaptability!

Of course, that only scratches the surface of the conversations we had, and every person’s experience will be different. After all, I’m a non-traditional student, so some of my challenges will be different from someone who’s come to university straight after high school. But in the end, we’re all engineering students trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B.

I want to succeed on my path. It hasn’t been easy, and there’s been plenty of times when I’ve doubted if I’m even cut out for engineering. The truth is, not everyone is. I look at the kids in the Intro classes and think, probably half of them will decide they aren’t cut out for it. I had to look up the retention rates after the thought, and according to CollegeTransitions, “A gulp-worthy 60% of freshmen engineering students eventually drop-out or change majors.” That’s…a lot.

I want to succeed, but I also want others to succeed, and I know engineering is a strenuous and intimidating pursuit. However, I know I think it’s worth it, despite all my stumbling and set-backs, and I don’t want other potential engineers to be scared away. I think that’s why I enjoyed sharing my experiences and offering advice so much, because I want to help others avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made, and to show them the potential I see in this path.

While I’m here trying to promote success and motivation, and because this is my own blog, I’m going to use the space to promote another SWE event coming up! It’s a little short notice, so I’m hoping attendance doesn’t suffer…so feel free to sign up if you’re interested!

(As a side note, I put the event in my new planner that I bought to help me with my time management–it’s got unicorns on it, which is perhaps not ‘professional,’ but it’s FUN and MAGICAL and motivating!)

The road less traveled…

This week I’m in the process of applying for scholarships through Society of Women Engineers (SWE). It’s probably no big deal for some people to fill out scholarship applications, but somewhere along the way to where I am now, I thought, “most scholarships are worth more trouble than it’s worth.” I think this was more true when I was studying liberal arts, where you’re often required to submit long, thoughtful essays about a piece of literature or something that impacts society, blah blah blah, on top of a list of your “volunteer work” or other “extracurricular activities”—as if working full time while attending school full time and maintaining a decent GPA wasn’t enough!—and you’re competing with who knows how many other students. Then of course, there’s the doubt that even after that, you’re still not “worth it.”

It’s an attitude I’ve been trying to change for a long time. I’m still not entirely sure how to navigate applying for scholarships, especially with a less-than-exemplary GPA, but I’ve been working on changing my way of thinking about the scholarships, but perhaps a bit more importantly: myself. As I was writing my scholarship essay (which asked why I want to be an engineer), I spent several minutes thinking critically of why I might deserve a scholarship any more than another person: what makes me different from other students. But then I had a thought that changed how I approached the question.

In choosing to pursue an engineering degree, in investing in my education, I am also investing in myself.

It’s often said that our harshest critics are ourselves, and that’s absolutely true for me. For a long time, it was difficult to see a future beyond my day-to-day job, and I think it was partly because I didn’t believe I had it in me to do it. Choosing to leave the security of my day-job to return to school was an especially difficult decision when you consider the ever-increasing cost of tuition. However, 5+ years in working in retail made me realize that I have so much more potential, and that investing in my education–myself–would be the best way to reach that potential.

Of course, that’s not what the essay prompt asked, but it was part of my thought process. The actual question was both easier and more difficult. The short answer is, I want to make money in a job that challenges me and I like making things. The real answer is much longer, and has changed and taken shape as I’ve gone through the experience of being an engineering student, and actually is tied very closely to why I became involved with SWE in the first place.

As I mentioned above, it was difficult to see a future for myself for a long time. Aside from personal doubts, one thing I realized (after I chose engineering) is that women still represent a minority in STEM fields. Without bringing politics into it, what this means for me is that I didn’t see myself pursuing an education in STEM because I didn’t see myself represented in STEM–I didn’t have a role model to look up to when I was younger. I don’t want that to happen to other young girls, so I want to be that person that I didn’t see in my younger years. I enjoy engineering, and I want young girls to see that they can enjoy it, as well.

Perhaps this post began with the discussion of scholarships, but what it’s truly about is self-growth. When I first returned to university, I kept to myself and struggled to connect with my classmates. It had a little to do with the lack of self-confidence I discussed above, but it didn’t help that I was working full-time while trying to balance a full class load and readjust to attending school. There’s so much I didn’t know–resources to use, people to lean on or build me up when in needed it.

But eventually I managed to fit in the time to become more involved. By being involved with SWE, whatever my reasons, I have been able to connect with people that are like-minded, and who are going through many of the same trials that I have faced. I’ve been able to connect with students in other organizations, through collaboration or shared spaces, and I’ve not only made wonderful friends, but have also been able to connect with my classmates to form study groups.

It may be a no-brainer to some people. Of course you’re better off with making these connections, being involved, etc, but sometimes it’s easier said than done, and sometimes you need a little help to get there.

Someday, when I’m not balancing quite so much, I’d like to mentor young girls interested in an education in STEM. I may not have taken a traditional path so far, but that just means I have more experiences to draw from. I’d like to do it now, truthfully, but I keep reminding myself not to overload myself. If you read my previous post(s), you’ll know that my goal for this semester (or just in general) is to work on time management. It was easier at the start of the semester–and it seems like just yesterday I was making my first blog post!–but it’s already time for the first round of midterms, and I have a quiz or exam or two every week now. All of the ease of the first few weeks has given way to the pressure to do well on these. (As a side note related to fluids, this morning we discussed how a difference in pressure along an airfoil/plane wing causes lift–high pressure below and low pressure above–and I think as an optimistic person I ought to relate that to success, somehow.)

In any case–until then, I will have to satisfy my desire to be a mentor through SWE outreach and part-time work. I have been tutoring at the local community college, which has been more rewarding than I initially expected, but this week I was offered a position as a TA on my campus, instead. It’s not terribly different, because I’ll still be helping students, and it’ll be easier on me because I’ll have less commuting to do–and it’ll free me up to pick up ice skating lessons again, which is a huge win for self-care! But it’s still a change, so wish me luck in readjusting my schedule!

As I wrap up this post, I want to stop and circle back to where I started: the “volunteer work” and “extracurricular activities” that scholarships look for, that once seemed impossible to me, have become an integral part of my university experience. Perhaps it’s a little ironic, but I think it may instead be more likely that I just hadn’t found the right thing for me yet. Maybe a straight path is faster, but I’ve learned a lot more by taking one less traveled.

*“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” –Robert Frost (*http://www.chicagonow.com/)

Don’t stop me now

In my last post, I talked about time management, and how it’s a weakness for me that I’ve been wanting to improve. One of the ways I said I was going to work on this was spreading my homework assignments out through the week, rather than doing them all in one shot (and often, last-minute). It’s not just time-management–it’s a good study habit, to keep the information fresh in my head as I revisit it throughout the week.

I’ve been keeping up with this particular goal for the most part, so far, and it’s paid off, especially this week! As it turns out, I’ve fallen victim to illness, as so often happens when one is surrounded by people. As we all know, it’s much harder to be productive when you’re ill, and it’s much harder to recover from being ill when you’re trying to be productive. Luckily, I already made headway in my assignments for the week, so that by the time I decided I needed to stay home and recuperate, I was more than halfway through the work. It meant I had less time I needed to dedicate to studying, and more time to dedicate to resting and recovering. I’m still not feeling great, but it certainly helped that I had some wiggle room with that. The last thing I have left before the weekend starts is this blog.

Dr. Ferrar gives us optional prompts to use for our blog posts, and while they’re just that–optional–sometimes it’s helpful to have a little direction when working on these things. Otherwise I might go off on some tangent that’s only partly related to fluid mechanics (we would call that a streamline in fluids: a family of curves instantaneously tangent to the velocity vector of a flow). In any case, this week’s prompt is to pick a topic we’ve discussed in class and find a real-world application for it, and how the concepts from class might have influenced its design and function.

Since I’m distracted by how much my nose is stopped up, I thought I’d take a look at dams.

The infamous Hoover Dam (photo from: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/10-americas-grandest-dams/dam-great )

The Hoover Dam is possibly the most well-known dams in the USA; a veritable feat of engineering. Of course there was so much more to consider in the design of Hoover Dam (and other dams) aside from the most basic fluid mechanics aspects–I’m not a civil engineer but I know enough about concrete to know that the concrete aspect alone was a challenge–but from the fluids side of things, I can better envision the whys of the dam’s design. We’ve been discussing fluid statics and Pascal’s Law recently, and with it all of the force reactions, and while it may seem obvious that pressure–and therefore force reactions–are greater as the depth of a fluid increases, due to the weight of the fluid above it, it may not be so obvious to make the connection between that information and the shape and design of a dam. But it’s there in the dam’s specs!

Aside from the curved shape of the dam that forces the concrete into compression, it is also much wider at the base than at the top: 660 ft at the base, compared to 45 ft at the top, according to Wikipedia. It makes sense, because the pressure and resultant forces near the top of the dam are much less than those at the bottom of the dam.

Of course, the Hoover Dam is just one of so many. As a Wisconsin native, I’ve heard the phrase “The Wisconsin River is the hardest working river in the nation,” so many times over that I can’t pick out any one source, but a quick internet search tells me that there are 26 hydroelectric along its 500-mile-long journey through the state (Wisconsin River Power Company). It’s a subject that makes me want to know more…but perhaps that’s something for another time.

Time is a construct…maybe.

The semester has just started, and like every semester before, I’m trying to stay wary of what’s to come—the semester tends to start out slow, and it can easily lull a student into a false sense of security. You’re coasting along, and the next thing you know, it’s week five and you have deadlines and exams in every class, all at once. On top of that, you have other considerations: it’s going to be Engineers Week before we know it, and the Career Fair is just around the corner!

I’m not sure what my plans are for Engineers Week yet, and I’m lucky enough to already have an internship lined up, but it doesn’t hurt to drop by the Career Fair to work on approaching people to network and build those professional skills. Whenever I have to approach someone in that kind of setting, I try to remember my favorite character from the Princess Bride:

It’s a meme, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant to understanding how to approach potential employers. Or even just connecting to people through LinkedIn! Just remember to be courteous and professional.

But back to where I started: I’m wary of what the semester has in store for me. I know that time management in an academic setting has always been a weakness for me. I’m a returning student, and while I have been back in school long enough to be aware of the expectations and lifestyle that comes with being a student, I still struggle to strike the right balance between school and work and home. I’m hardly the only one with this issue, but there’s a huge difference between simply working and leaving your work at the job when you go home, and being a student, where homework is where most of your work needs to go—and that’s on top of the hours already put in inside the classroom. This year has been particularly challenging for me, because it’s the first year I haven’t worked full time hours during the school year—which may sound like a load off, but I’ve found that it comes with its own set of challenges.

What kind of challenges? As it turns out, I have a bad habit of overestimating how much I’m capable of doing, and as a result, end up overloading myself. It’s less of a problem when my only commitment is to a job, but each class is like a job in itself, and each semester it takes me time to find a new balance. Without having to dedicate as much time to going to work, my first response was, “I can take more classes!” It sounds good in theory, but again, I overestimated, and in my attempt to take on more classes, I ended up shooting myself in the foot.

My goal for this semester (and for all future semesters), therefore, is to work on time management to allow me to strike a balance without overloading myself. It is doubly a personal and a professional goal–if I find that balance personally, I will improve both professionally and academically.

In order to achieve this goal, I want to start by becoming more aware of my current load: what obligations and tasks do I currently have? How much time/energy does each one require? What needs to be prioritized? Does any particular obligation or task give me more trouble than another? Answering these questions will give me a time frame to take care of each obligation or task, and by prioritizing, I can begin tailoring a schedule for my current tasks, based on time, priority, and other considerations.

For example, these blog posts are fairly straightforward and easy, and although they take some time to reflect on and write them, I can do them on my phone while I’m on the bus or the train–one less thing I have to worry about when I sit down to work on homework. Meanwhile, the problem set portion of the homework takes much longer, and requires more concentration–so I should plan to spread out the work over the course of an hour-to-two hour blocks through the week. Etc etc for other tasks, until I have a nice round schedule.

And then, the key thing for me: will taking on another obligation/task be feasible? My instinct at the start of the semester was to say yes, but after a couple weeks of class and reflecting over my time constraints, I have realized the answer is, probably not; at least, not without having adverse effects on the things I already have on my plate.

So, here goes! I’ll work on improving managing my time, and share my results as the semester goes on.

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Who is Melony Breeze?

“I am a Mechanical Engineering student…”

It’s true that this is probably the first thing I would tell an employer or professor, and it’s true that “Mechanical Engineering student” defines a significant portion of my life. But it is far from the whole of who I am, or even representative of the rest of my experiences. It’s hard to remember that when I’m neck-deep in homework and group projects and trying to study for my next exam. In fact, sometimes it’s hard to even remember why I’m here.

I like to consider myself a learner. I like learning new skills — I’ve taken up knitting and figure skating and I even tried to play violin for a bit — and I enjoy contemplating history and literature, and comparing the physics of Ant-Man to those of the reality we live in. I like building things, and I find space both terrifying and immensely intriguing.

It can be difficult to remember all these things that drove me to decide to be a “Mechanical Engineering student” when I’m busy being frustrated with trying to recall some bit of Calculus I learned two years ago.

I’m still learning how to balance the what and the why. It’s taken me longer than I care to admit. I’m 30 and I still sometimes need a firm reminder to not overload myself. It’s how I ended up in Fluids this spring (for which this blog is a requirement!), having only just missed the passing mark last semester. It’s a bummer, to say the least. Still, I didn’t made it this far to give up now, and even failure teaches us things (I’m sure plenty of engineering students can relate). Even the spaces in between, the time it takes to figure things out, is an opportunity to grow.

Sunset just means there’s a new day just around the corner!

So maybe I’m behind the curve in my education, compared to others. And I’m certainly not a model student. But the important thing is that I am here now, and that I am making the effort to keep learning, keep moving forward. When I say, “I am a Mechanical Engineering student,” I mean, “I want to find my full potential.” The finding isn’t the same for everyone, but for now, our paths are tangent.

Blogging as a part of that path is a way to enforce the lessons I learn and the discoveries I make along the way, and a course requirement is as good an excuse as any to start doing so. So, here goes!