I just accepted an offer for an engineering internship that starts beginning of January. It's hybrid, there's no set end date, and my plan is to keep doing it until I graduate in August 2027 and hopefully convert to full time after that.

The problem is I have a vacation booked for January 18-23. I booked it months ago, way before I even planned to apply for internships for this term, and it's non-refundable so I can't move it or cancel without losing the money.

The one thing working in my favor is Monday January 18 is MLK Day and the company is closed, so I'd actually only miss Tuesday to Friday. Since the role is hybrid, I was also wondering if it would be reasonable to ask if I can work remote for 2 of those days while I'm away, and only take 2 days fully off.

I didn’t mention any of this before accepting the offer just so I don’t ruin my chances which is why I’m stressing about it now. I’m just now looking for advice on what to do. Obviously I’d prioritize this internship, but also want to see if it’s reasonable to ask about this considering I don’t want to lose all that money.

My questions:

1. When do I tell my manager? Now, Couple weeks before I start, or when I have already started?

2. Is asking to work 2 days remote during the trip a reasonable ask, or does that look bad?

3. Has anyone else had a trip booked this soon after starting an internship? How did it go?

Since it's an ongoing internship and not a fixed 10 or 12 week one, I'd only be missing 4 days out of what I hope is more than 8 months of working there. It's really just the timing, third week in, that worries me.

So far, I’ve been using ChatGPT Plus for everything. I have to say that it’s worked well when it comes to modules such as maths, physics, etc. But my experience hasn’t been particularly good when it comes to modules such as Engineering Mechanics and Structural Analysis.
I suspect this is partly because diagrams/drawings play such a big role in those subjects and a lot of the information is implicit in the diagram/drawings or the problem statement, which is why the AI isn’t yet very good at picking that up. Often, you have to draw something yourself or add to the original diagram/drawing or sketch in order to work with it.
But it’s also possible that I didn’t provide ChatGPT with enough material and information and/or used the wrong prompts.
What are your experiences, recommendations and opinions on this? Thanks!

The job search is so mentally draining, and I got lucky and didn’t have to do half the work most of you do. Just don’t quit and keep your head up. Be patient, you’ll get something. Electrical engineering if you’re wondering.

I'm a first-year CSE student who took Biology in 11th and 12th.

I'm finding coding kinda hard (hard in the sense,amdist demanding engineering subjects trying to bulid a foundation is so tiring, people who cs in scl are taking it easy but i can't i knew this,but i'm having this feeling of like i'm gonna keep catching up but never reach there.) because most of my classmates already have 2 years of CS experience, while I'm literally starting from zero 😭

I feel like I'm constantly trying to catch up while everyone else is learning new things, building projects and exploring different skills.

For those who went from Bio to CSE:

- How did you catch up?

- How was your first year?

- When did coding start getting easier?

- Did you ever feel like you were falling behind?

- How are things going for you now?

I am in the final year of my BEd (Teaching degree) in Physics and Maths at UCC in Ireland. I’m not too keen anymore on teaching, and I want to work in aerospace/avionics, ideally propulsion, rocket design or astrodynamics. I know this is a very competitive field, but my idea is to shoot for the stars and land on the moon. (Pun fully intended).

My plan was a BEng in Mechanical Engineering at MTU. A lecturer in that university has now suggested I’d have a better chance of getting into an electronic/electrical engineering masters than a mechanical one.

I have no engineering degree yet, but I have hands-on electronics from uni workshops, basic SolidWorks, and some coding experience, which is why the lecturer thinks I could have a chance of qualifying for the electronic/electrical engineering masters.

I have a couple of questions:

1. With an electronic/electrical engineering masters, how realistic is aerospace or space work (avionics, GNC/control, satellite systems)? Does a non-engineering first degree count against me, even if I have a masters?

2. Can you reach propulsion or rocket design from an electronics background, or do you need mechanical/aerospace?

3. Would a mechanical/aerospace BEng be the better route, even if it’s slower?

4. Does accreditation (e.g. Engineers Ireland) matter to employers in this case?

I know this is a lot, but I would very much appreciate any feedback or advice I could get from professionals or students all the same. Many thanks!

genuine question, i feel like i'm missing something.

every tool i've tried assumes the problem is on paper in front of me and i'm going to take a picture of it. but none of my work is on paper. it's a pdf the professor posted, or a webassign page, or a problem buried in a lecture slide. all of it is already on my screen.

so the workflow is → problem is on my laptop → pick up my phone → photograph my own monitor at an angle → wait for the ocr to misread a subscript → retype it anyway.

for something that was already digital text four inches away 💀

i've started just typing problems into a chat window by hand, which is slow and introduces its own errors, especially anything with a matrix or a limit in it.

is everyone else doing this? am i the only one whose homework is entirely on a screen? it feels like these were designed for high school worksheets and then sold to college students without anyone checking if the workflow still made sense.

what are you actually doing when the problem is already digital?

So Basically it's an 11 months Internship so I'm still doing internship but why not share with you guys I learned from this Experience:-

1. Never think that you know everything:- So before coming to this company at my college I was spamming DSA for 4 weeks and if you know or experienced it's not enough but enough to help you think a little technical, so when I joined I thought, I know enough DSA and C++ I'll understand their codebase instantly (spoiler alert:- I didn't). I was overwhelmed by the amount of things I discovered about C++ and how much companies are sensitive about how much kb of memory they use, that means you need to be cautious while writing your code.

2. It's ok to not know things:- I know the above point sounds similar, but after realizing the 1st point I was becoming shy and shier (no idea if its the correct spelling) about asking a question because every time I asked something I felt stupid, I felt like that's so basic, how did I land this internship, but slowly I understood when I started asking there are stuff that even these guys don't know but are open to learn and that's what is making them genius because they aren't afraid of asking, for example We asking to make a project for our companies internal work (can't disclose here) using AIML, now our lead was not very familiar with AIML topics so when he started suggesting using neural networks to solve this using weights blah blah blah, we started writing the regression mathematical formula which I suggested in the start of this project but when I pointed it out I thought I "F\\\*ed" up but he actually praised me to pointing out that and then we continued (again spoiler we didn't went with either, we used gradient boosting) but from that day I understood begin open enough to accept your shortcoming and asking around even if you are a beginner, its a sign of growth.

3. Never just approve a code just because AI wrote it:- I won't deny literally everyone is using AI, it's convenient and fast but AI does mistakes too but when you are working for a company not a personal project you have to diligent with what you ship, So I fixed a bug or a potential problem I'll say which was a function was copying a constructure which was taking 300 kb extra, which was a problem but this static analyzer was not taking the consideration that the function was calling a copy of that constructor not the original one and since an operation was going on that constructure we didn't want that original to change but I shipped it for review anyway without checking and maybe the senior guy didnt checked it properly that's why when I went to review 2, the senior asked me who approved this code and explained me that if it was merged the whole 2000 lines of code might have went to waste and the debugging would have taken even longer, now I don't how much of that what he told was correct but it made me think of my dependency on AI

4. Enjoy:- See when you are doing internship, its most about learning because what I see is people treating it like a job but what I think it's about meeting new people understanding different point of views, how experts work, how they write code, what's production level code, how to efficiently spot a bug, make mistakes because since you are an intern expectation from you is already low, so take it and use it with pride.

Hey guys! I'm currently struggling to choose between Computer Engineering and Computer Science. I've been coding on and off since I was 16 (I recently turned 20), mostly doing full-stack web development and some games from time to time.

Why I'm considering CE:

I've read that CE graduates can pursue careers in both software and hardware, which sounds appealing. However, some say that CE graduates are at a disadvantage compared to CS graduates in software and EE graduates in hardware (the so-called "CompE cage").

I'm genuinely interested in how computers work at the hardware level, and designing CPUs or GPUs at companies like NVIDIA or AMD sounds fun. I also see hardware as a potential backup if AI makes software jobs increasingly competitive.

Why I'm considering CS:

I'm leaning more toward software because I enjoy coding and already have experience with it. I also value remote work a lot.

However, all the talks about AI make me question whether CS is still a sensible choice. I also feel that software is easier to learn independently, while hardware is harder to explore without university resources.

My main dilemma:

If I choose CE, I could explore hardware while continuing to develop my software skills independently. But if I ultimately end up working in software, would I have been better off choosing CS?

I'm not concerned about CE being more difficult academically. I enjoy math and physics.

My questions:

1. Is CE actually as flexible as people claim for pursuing both software and hardware careers?

2. Would CE put me at a significant disadvantage when applying for software jobs compared to CS graduates?

3. For those who chose CE over CS (or vice versa), do you regret your decision?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from graduates or people working in these fields. Thanks!

Am I the only one feeling like there’s a hostility towards Mechanical Engineers from Electrical Engineers? I hope it’s all in my head but it just feels like some EE majors view ME majors as lesser. I don’t think that’s right.

Budget - $ zero. I was having fun on my limited free time, while decompressing from my reinforced concrete midterm. Kinda making fun of the fact that a lot of my classmates use AI for literally everything.

I think this reflects the need to properly balance the use of time saving shortcuts so one can actually learn material.

So I just received an offer for Manufacturing Intern: General Assembly based in Warren. Do y’all have any information on what to expect, how the overall experience is, and what exactly I’ll be working on? Thanks!

just wanted to share my first internship search! im a college sophomore with no prior work experience targeting space companies in summer 2027. happy to answer any questions

A few habits that made DC circuit problems much less painful for me:

1. Redraw the circuit first. Straighten wires, merge nodes that are connected by plain wire, and label every node. Half the confusion is a messy diagram.

2. Pick one method per problem. Node voltage (KCL) is usually faster when there are few nodes; mesh current (KVL) when there are few loops. Don't mix them mid-problem.

3. Choose current directions and stick to them. A negative answer isn't wrong, it just means the current flows the other way.

4. Write the passive sign convention down once at the top so you don't flip signs on resistors halfway through.

5. Check with power. Total power delivered by sources should equal total power absorbed. If it doesn't, an equation has a sign error.

6. Simplify before you solve: series/parallel reductions and source transformations can cut the number of equations a lot.

What helped you most when you started?

In short: I got a generous scholarship after high school that requires me to maintain a decent GPA & attend classes full time in order to renew the scholarship.

I manage well enough to fulfill those requirements but it takes a lot of my time to do so, time that I wish could be spent applying for/working with internships. I know how important internships are but I don’t think I can manage to balance my grades & work well enough to renew my scholarship.

To remedy this I’ve been considering taking classes part-time to free up more of my week, but this would disqualify me from scholarship renewal. So I have to choose either a pretty meaty scholarship & not worry much about paying for classes or drop the scholarship & free up more time for internships.

TLDR: I’ve gotta choose between big scholarship money or more time for internships.

I've been feeling horrible these past few years. I graduated almost two years ago with my bachelor's degree and I haven't gotten a single job offer. I started my graduate school this semester and still haven't gotten any internship offers. At this point do I just realize that aerospace engineering is just not for me? Is there something out of my control or is it just the fact that my resume is just not that good? I don't know what else to do. I can't do any research since my degree is online and I work a part-time job unrelated to my field. I feel like I wasted 6 years of my life for nothing.

It's a shame because now it hurts hard knowing I am never going to work in the industry that I always wanted to which is with spacecraft. Now I have to reflect on my life and realize that I just wasted so much time and money for a degree (and maybe even two) that meant absolutely nothing in the end.

as the title states, I’ve failed calculus 1 and knowing it’s the foundation of engineering, i don’t think i can go further as much as i’m willing to push through the degree. I just feel stupid as fuck, and I simply don’t know what went wrong but a 36% on the application of the derivatives exam is no excuse. Any advice moving forward is appreciated

All I get from this subreddit are people saying how bad their life is while studying and how meaningless it feels. I’m currently looking to major in one purely for the money aspect

I’m a first year mechanical engineering student, and I used to do a lot of projects back in high school. Now I’m in university in another country and the things here are much more expensive. I was thinking to make a drone with a microcontroller to learn more about mid loops and CADing some test stands and the frame to be rigid, as like a challenge to myself. Would this be considered a good project? I want to show my interest in aerospace with projects I’m doing, as well as learn more things and get hands on, but the price of the whole project is making me hesitant.

Hey everyone!

I’m currently studying medical and nuclear physics at the postgraduate level. I really enjoy what I’m learning and would love to eventually work in the field or pursue research. However, I’ve been struggling with depression for several years, which has affected my ability to study effectively.

Some of the main symptoms I experience include:
Fatigue
Brain fog
Poor concentration
Difficulty processing and retaining information when reading or listening to lectures

I know I’m capable of understanding complex scientific concepts, particularly because I’ve had periods when my depression was better and my cognitive abilities improved considerably. However, maintaining that level of functioning has been difficult.

It’s especially discouraging studying a subject as intellectually demanding as physics or engineering when my brain often feels like it’s working at a fraction of its capacity. I’ve sometimes questioned my intelligence and academic potential because of this.

I’d particularly like to hear from engineering or physics students, researchers, or graduates who have experienced something similar over an extended period.

Did your cognitive abilities improve when your depression improved?

What study methods helped when concentration, processing speed, and memory were particularly poor?

Were you eventually able to achieve strong academic results or pursue research despite these difficulties?

How did you manage the demands of a technical degree while experiencing these symptoms?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and what helped you.
Thank you!

I originally started college as a business major but switched to engineering a year in after gaining hands on experience working in industrial automation and maintenance. I’m currently deciding between Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering.
I’m pretty set on earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering because of the wide range of opportunities that comes with it and i genuinely enjoy working in automation and having one will help me progress further.

However, I’m also trying to think long term and In the event that I eventually lose interest in engineering, or graduate during a difficult engineering job market, I’d like to know how realistic it would be to transition into business or finance. Would I be at a significant disadvantage compared to someone with a finance or business degree? Specifically where in finance would be the easiest transition for someone with either degrees. Does one offer an easier pathway to finance? Any insight and help is appreciated!

I've been recently stressed because of my grades.I have been studying like crazy but my grades aren't keeping up,I've passed my exams but my gpa is horrendous.So I have been thinking of dropping out.I usually study by first trying to do it on my own but then i usually cannot and look up the amswer and do it by myself after not looking at the answer sheet.Many of the other students study way less than me but get much better grades and I feel tired.I study ee btw.Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

I’m in my first year at uni studying aerospace and I’m completely clueless what I’m meant to add to a CV to make me competitive for any positions. It’s a top 5 in the UK for it apparently but I don’t think the uni gives much helpful advice and don’t really know if ranking holds any weight so I’m a bit lost what to do

I got through the phone screening interview a week ago and I have my next round interview coming up on Wednesday. Does anyone happen to know what kind of questions they may ask or how technical they may get?