My journey to become an engineer: Mozart Benedict

When we are in classes 11^th and 12^th, supposedly the last years of our school days, we seriously start to give thoughts on how to move forward in our lives. I was no different, but I was always interested in Mathematics, Physics and Programming. So naturally, I took Computer-Maths stream in my school, and engineering became my career goal along with it. I was in love with Mathematics those days and the love for it only increased as 11^th and 12^th progressed.

I joined a coaching institute called MathIIT in my neighborhood. They taught and guided us to target IITs. But I always knew I was not IIT material, so I focused on getting into NITs. During my days of preparation for engineering entrance exams, I never gave a thought about the branch of engineering I would opt for. I really liked the Mathematics class of my coaching institute and it is still the best class I have attended till date. I wrote only JEE Main and KEAM (Kerala Entrance Exam) and secured 10k rank in JEE Main and 313 rank in KEAM. Ultimately, I was down to two courses – EEE from NIT-C or ME from CET (both under general category). I chose Mechanical Engineering (ME) in CET (College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram) and it was best decision of my life which changed me for better. How I chose ME was a matter of shortlisting, wherein I did not want CE or EEE because of the complexities in understanding. I considered CSE but did not opt for it as I understood CSE is not only about programming but much more than that. And so, I chose ME, the real core of all core branches.

The best way to prepare for engineering entrance exams is to go for a coaching institute rather than individual preparation or individual tuition centres for each subject. In a coaching centre, you will be taught all the subjects at the same place and you won’t have to needlessly travel from one tuition centre to another. Quality teaching will be assured. Plus, they will conduct regular tests for us to measure where we stand and to improve ourselves. They will also give good study material and we won’t have to go for extra books which are usually very costly. They will guide us through the whole paper of engineering exam and the weightage of different portions i.e. what to study and what not to study. Another plus point of coaching centres is that you can ask them to arrange doubt clearing sessions on certain topics, which is not possible in tuition centres.

What really counts in the end is how you write your engineering exam in the given 3 hours. You may have to go for some guesses as well. Try to be as calm as possible and efficiently use your time. You have to understand that every second and every mark is precious.

Now, coming to my college life; firstly, college is nothing like school wherein teachers follow you and force you to study. College is where you’re free to do what you want and you’re completely on your own. You will have the best 4 years of your life in college. Mark my words. I had a great time in college bunking classes, hanging out here and there, dancing during cultural nights to the harmony of pro-shows, submitting assignments after deadline, studying on the eve of exams and it goes on. I learnt and enjoyed a lot during my college days. I will never forget anything that happened and the things I learnt there. I came to understand that Mechanical Engineering is beautiful and why it is a core branch. The professors were very interactive and always open for discussion for anything, be it subject or life. I do not regret taking ME as my career choice and I wish to advance deeper into it by pursuing masters soon.

My advice when you choose your career is this- Go for what you love. If not, go for what you do best, meanwhile figuring out what you love.

About the Author:

My name is Mozart Benedict. I just completed BTech Mechanical Engineering from College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (2014-18 batch). My hobbies are reading books and Manga, watching movies and TV series, gaming, writing on Quora, and blogging. My areas of interest are mainly automobiles and researching on topics and renewable energy resources. I was a nobody who became a somebody recently, through a process called Engineering. I am curious to find out where it will take me through my life.