Why I Became an Engineer
The idea of becoming an engineer was incepted into my mind from a young age, and I have never wanted any other career. I believe it is the combination of my past experiences that led me to this choice, and one could argue it's destiny. My mother’s side of the family has always been talented in mathematics, so I was constantly told that I would be good at it because of my genetics. Whether this was a placebo effect that boosted my confidence or my genetics truly did make me a better mathematician, it certainly helped me excel. My father, although not academically gifted, has extensive practical experience as a former mechanic. He had a wealth of knowledge about how machines work and could answer any question my young mind could conjure about car mechanisms. The combination of an aptitude for mathematics and an interest in mechanics eventually formed the idea of becoming a "mathematical mechanic"—or rather, an engineer.
As a child, my favorite TV programs were Roary the Racing Car and Bob the Builder, which nurtured my interest in cars, machinery, and the concept of "can we fix it?"—the mindset of building and problem-solving, which is key for any engineer. I also remember begging my parents to let me stay up past my bedtime every Sunday to watch the first half of Top Gear. Eventually, as I got older, I was allowed to watch the whole episode. I was always fascinated by the new technologies showcased on the show, and my favorite episodes were those where they would “cue the music” and engineer absurd creations—something I’ve always wanted to replicate.
Academically, I’ve always been on track to pursue engineering. I was in the top set for math from the age of eight all the way through A-Levels, where I achieved an A* in Mathematics and an A in Further Mathematics. Two key revelations helped me gain unstoppable momentum as a top-tier math student. The first came from my mother, who once explained, “There are only 10 numbers in the whole world.” What she meant was that if you break a problem down into smaller sections, you only have to work with the numbers 0-9. This process of decomposition set the foundation for me to tackle any problem by breaking it into manageable pieces that can be combined to form the final answer. Over the years, this practice has given me a strong intuition for problem-solving, allowing me to quickly break problems into components and make educated guesses for unknown parts.
The second revelation came from a school assembly, where the headteacher said, “Mathematicians are the laziest people in the world.” This quote meant that mathematicians always find the easiest route to a solution. By learning new techniques and methods, one can solve problems with less effort. Engineering is a problem-solving profession, and finding the easiest and most effective solution with the skills you have is usually the best approach. By enhancing your skills, you can become a more efficient—and, in a sense, "lazier"—engineer.
When choosing subjects for both GCSE and A-Level, I consciously selected those that would give me the best skill set to be accepted into a university for engineering. At GCSE, I opted for Computer Science and RM (Resistant Materials / Design Technology), believing these would be valuable for an engineer. However, I wasn’t allowed to study RM because the school needed to maintain a minimum number of students in one of the French classes, which clashed with the RM schedule. As a result, I was forced into that French class instead of the one I had originally chosen.
At A-Level, Mathematics and Physics were required for most engineering courses in the UK, so they were two obvious choices. I believed Computer Science would be helpful for programming control systems in the future, and I also decided to continue with Further Mathematics, which turned out to be a great decision since many university courses cover Further Mathematics topics.
