It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding
So you chose to become an engineer. Being a woman in engineering is not easy, but don’t let that scare you. Being an engineer is one of the most rewarding feelings you will have during your lifetime. People have asked me, “If you could go back, would you choose the same path?” Absolutely I would. Engineering is awesome. You are at the heart of innovation, and you can do anything you want; however, it takes a lot of resilience to get to that point.
Five years ago, I was a high school graduate about to start my first year of college. I was excited, nervous, and curious all at the same time. I dreamed about the days I would attend a university lecture by a professor and couldn’t wait to be surrounded by other students as passionate about science and technology as I was. But in real life, school isn’t like the movies. By the second week, we had assignments in each class, midterms just a few weeks away, and lab reports to write. It felt like all we did was eat, sleep, and study—it was exhausting. By my second year, I started burning out. The workload had picked up significantly, I rarely saw my family and friends outside of school, and I wasn’t focusing on my mental health. This story is common to many, if not all, students in our field.
Read more about it on IEEE Xplore Digital Library.
