Have you ever noticed how engineering students often excel in fields beyond their primary discipline? Many love discussions about politics, finance and economics; some even are creative minds in the arts. Yet, despite these diverse talents, they choose one of the hardest academic paths — engineering — where they might end up being “just average”. What a paradox! Yet the answer is simple – we are drawn to the challenge.
Still, at least once, most engineering students have regretted their choice, feeling as though they’ve wasted their so much academic potential by picking the "wrong" major. When the relentless workload piles up, when peers in seemingly easier degrees thrive effortlessly — or worse, complain about how "hard" it was to read an entire chapter and do a group presentation — it’s hard not to question your life choices. Especially when you are writing a 3000-word report for your 4hr long lab.
The grass always seems greener on the other side, after all. And I’m not here to brag (but I would love to) about how easy degrees are journalism, psychology, philosophy when compared to engineering and medicine. Medicine, law, engineering these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, art – these are what we stay alive for, admittedly.
Engineering is not a pursuit of individual glory; it is a commitment to collective impact. That’s the paradox and the beauty of choosing a hard path — it’s a journey that shapes both the world and the individual walking it.
@shokhrukhs_diary
