What is it like being a mechanical engineer compared

[JaniCalvani]

What is it like being a mechanical engineer compared to what you learn in university?
I've always been interested in engineering (actually I've been interested in most science-related things). I recently saw this video of a mechanical engineering project where you had to build a very simple design that could sort out heavy ping pong balls from light ping pong balls, and that problem-solving aspect really persuaded me.

How much problem solving do you actually do as a mechanical engineer? Can someone assure me that it's not all about fixing up faulty machinery (or is this where all the money is made?)

[Neo]

In my personal opinion mechanical engineering is the best engineering discipline in the world. It involves lot of mathematics than any other discipline in my opinion. Fixing up faulty machinery is something up to mechanics. It's not mechanical engineers job. However when the fault is serious where the level of knowledge is required more than of a mechanic, a mechanical engineer must involve to sort that out.

If you take anything that you see moving from planes, ships, vehicles to rockets, 80% of those are designed by mechanical engineers. So don't keep any doubt. It is a fantastic engineering discipline.

But you need to note one thing. In third world countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, etc... several engineering disciplines are lacking demand in the job market. Due to this reason lot of people are discouraged to select some engineering disciplines. So the result is brain drain... those engineers are moves to developed nations such as USA, UK, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, etc... where they are paid with a good salary.

[SemiconductorCat]

I have helped my father to repair offset printing machines.
So I have very very little experience of being as a mechanic.

If you don't have some-kind of working experience as a mechanic , very less chances there to be
successful as a good design level mechanical engineer.

For a example , I know mechanics who could understand the fault from it's sound. Such a mechanic could
repair that specific product with no time compared to a design engineer who designed that product.
But his life does not go beyond that, for a example he could find a trouble in a Hamada CD700 machine,
but if you give him a new machine , he may be not able to troubleshoot the problem at all.

Our mechanics are completely working without any Engineering disciplines. They even don't know how to
read a mechanical schematic or an engineering drawing. But they fix it from their experience, but that
experience is not a universal one.

I think it's better to study yourself for an engineer as soon as you have the little experience as a mechanic.
Today's technology goes beyond a mechanic or a servicemen. yes lots of mathematics, and yes it
required. Without calculus you could never explain how a machine works precisely. You could simply
explain it as how a 9 year old child explains. "Car got an engine , engine got pistons, pistons will operate
according to laws of thermodynamics, and that's it that's how car works!", but tons of patents and new
inventions behind the scene. Even to read and understand a new technology patent/white paper you need
lots of basic engineering mathematics.