Why Engineering Students Must Work On Projects Outside Of College For A Winning Career

The career of an engineer is one of the most sought after one in the world, especially in a country like India. It is understandable, given the exquisite and impactful lifestyle that engineers lead.   

Take the case of India, for example. India produces millions of engineers every year. In fact, India, a 2 trillion-dollar economy, produces 15 lakh engineers on average.

On the complete other end of the spectrum, the United States of America, a 16 trillion-dollar economy, produces just 1 lakh engineers – that is a 15-fold difference!  

Since the demand for engineering degrees is high, numerous engineering colleges emerged around the world, some providing better quality of education the others. 

But, despite all evidence to the contrary, most engineering graduates of India find it difficult to even secure a job with average pay.  

The Problem With Engineering

A study showed that a bewildering 80% of engineers that graduate every year are unemployable. So, what is the root cause of India’s engineering crisis? Well, the problem can be attributed to many factors, such as: 

• Poor quality of education
• Lack of equipment in colleges
• Lack of practical knowledge
• Poor infrastructure
• Bad direction and mentorship
• Outdated mode of teaching
• Outdated syllabus

Many experts have proposed various solutions to counter these hurdles at all levels ranging from the student-level to organizational and government levels. 

Most of the proposed solutions can possibly take years, if not decades, to be thoroughly implemented. The immediate solution for the betterment of the engineering graduates is ‘Projects’.  

Let us explore how engineering projects can transform the lives of engineering students for the better. 

The Importance And Impact Of Engineering Projects

Engineering, in its truest form, is an art of using science rather than doing it. Hence, practical applications should be at the forefront of the engineering courses. 

Unfortunately, due to the low budget, lack of equipment, and other restrictions, most of the learning that happens in the majority of engineering colleges and universities is theory-oriented and not practical. 

If you want to hone your skills as an engineer, a project-based learning course or program is the best way to go about it. 

But when the entire framework of the educational institution is not aligned with a project-based learning system, then it becomes daunting to do projects inside your college. 

Hence, students should get into doing projects outside of college for a winning career in engineering.  

If you are an engineering student, here are 4 reasons why you should enroll in project-based learning courses as soon as possible.

1. Unlocks Many More Opportunities 

When you do projects outside of your college, you will unlock so many opportunities that you did not even know existed. You might even find new interests or specializations to diverge or tunnel into. 

For example, if you are somebody from a Mechanical Engineering Course, then you might find an interest in industrial design engineering.  

Getting involved in engineering projects outside of your own college also makes you meet new people and widen your network. 

Networking with people within your niche and attracting like-minded personalities is one of the most blissful and fastest ways towards your dream goal! 

You might even get a high paying job in your core stream through networking soon after your graduation. 

2. Bridges The Gap Between Theory And Practicality

College tests and exams are a test of memory rather than skill. A person who scores the highest marks may not have the most knowledge of the subject that is relevant to the real world’s needs.  

By doing projects, students take what they have learned in theory books and apply them in real-world situations.

It is here that they realize and understand the significance of their learnings and how the real-world engineering challenges deviate from book problems and ideal conditions.  

They catch a glimpse into what they can expect in the future when they encounter an engineering-related problem in their career. 

3. Improves Problem Solving Skills 

An engineering problem is much more than finding the right numbers and variables to plug into the equation. 

Real-world engineering challenges test not only your skills in mathematics and physics but also your will power, patience, and attitude!  

For example, if you work in the aerospace industry as a combustion engineer, then you should not only consider the efficiency and heat capacities of the fuel. 

Rather, you must also take into account the pollutants they create and how the emissions affect the environment and the health of humans. 

If you are a civil engineer and working on a dam-building project, you would also have to work with environmentalists and account for the environmental impact of your work. 

ALSO SEE: PhD Scholarships for Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi, India for International Students.

4. Teaches Team Work And Refines Communication Skills 

Engineering problems require large teams of skilled people from multiple fields. You could even be working in a team with people from several different countries.  

When cultural diversity is so large, it also increases the gap between ideologies. An engineer should be able to work without moral or political disputes in a team with peak efficiency. 

This is only possible when you are a good team player and can communicate with your peers or colleagues without errors or scope of misinterpretation. 

5. Greater Flexibility

Although there is some overlap among engineering domains, colleges tend to assign projects solely based on your specialization. For instance, there’s a misconception that only CFD students can benefit from projects in the field.

But, computational fluid dynamics projects can be worthwhile for students from various streams, including mechanical, aerospace, automobile, and civil engineering. 

Due to this rigidity, it can end up being a lot more difficult to widen your horizons via college projects than, say, an educational institute that offers flexible, hands-on learning.

Conclusion 

Project-based learning is the ideal method to learn and hone real-world engineering principles that are relevant to the industry. 

With the advent of technology, you do not even have to step out of your home to get involved in engineering projects. 

Projects are the stepping stones to becoming an engineer from an engineering student. So, what is your next project going to be?