Top tips to prepare for your first engineering classes

My university provides lots of resources for students like books, online reading and videos, and it's up to us to take advantage of them. You can also ask your professors for advice about tutoring or further resources to help you to succeed in your course.

Before the semester starts, make time to read the resources available to you because it's your responsibility to get the most out of your studies.

Take your learning outside of the classroom by doing practical projects at home. You can find tutorials for projects like building an alarm clock or a mini robot on YouTube, Skillshare or Udemy and it can really help you to put the theory into practice.

Now you’re feeling prepared and ready to take on the world, let’s look at some tips and tricks for surviving your first class.

Taking notes during lectures is one of the most important things you can do as it’ll help you to study for exams. Make sure you have a notebook specifically for your lab classes too. The process of writing down what you see and think during an experiment will help to solidify the information in your mind.

My best advice is to always ask questions if something doesn't make sense to you. You might feel silly, but asking questions is a great way to confirm that you understand the subject and will also help you build a relationship with your professors, as they can see you are engaged and want to learn.

For taking notes, I use the Cornell note taking system which helps you divide your notes into key information, summary of the main point and supporting details. Other note-taking systems you might want to use are:

• Mind mapping (great for visual learners)
• Box and bullet method (the best for lab notes)
• Outlining method (when you want to go in-depth with a topic)

In engineering, there are many formulas and equations that you need to master. Flashcards are my favourite way to memorise formulas quickly. You can create your own or find digital alternatives online, like Anki which also provides helpful learning techniques for memory retention.

Flashcards have helped me to memorise equations like Laplace Transform and differential equations that I would never be able to remember through simple studying.

If you don't know something, make sure to ask your professor or classmates, but you can also head online and look for helpful resources via Google or any other search engine. There’s a great selection of free talks and lectures from prestigious universities like Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, and plenty of engineering blogs that explain difficult concepts when you’re stuck.

The first year of university can feel overwhelming when there is so much to learn, but I found that setting a goal for class makes it feel easier.

For example, set a goal to get an A in a specific module or to complete all the homework on time. Having goals and believing you can accomplish them will motivate you to do well and make sure you are prepared for upcoming classes.

If you lay down the right foundations at the start of your studies, it will only get easier and more fun. You might need to put in a little extra work and effort at the beginning but soon enough, things will start to fall into place. And don’t forget to make time for friends!

Engineering is not an easy subject to study but if you keep up with your work, ask questions when you’re not sure and get involved in projects and clubs around your subject, you will survive. I did!

Good Luck.