Which Degree is Right for Me?
If you are applying to the School of Engineering and are worried about choosing the right major, don’t stress - you have time. Long story short, at Tufts, you don’t decide your major until February of freshman year, and even that date is a bit arbitrary. Originally, I applied to Tufts, thinking I would study biomedical engineering and was certain I wouldn’t change my mind. So naturally, I took a BME class my freshman fall, Reproductive Engineering, and in this class, I got to learn more about the department. The more we learned about biomedical engineering applications, I realized that maybe this major isn’t for me. Now, this isn’t a biomedical engineering hate blog, because I love all the work and research they do, but personally, my interests didn’t align.
The biomedical engineering department focuses a lot on cellular engineering. Which is contrary to when I decided to become an engineer, I wanted to work on the more macro side of things, like robotic arms, and working with my hands. I talked to my BME professor freshman year and told him about all the things I was interested in, and he asked me, “When you picture yourself as an engineer in the future, what do you see?” I replied, “Working with wood and metal, designing products, I just wanna build things to make people’s lives better.” He advised me to look into the mechanical engineering department and that maybe it was more up my alley. I appreciated his feedback because, as a first-generation college student, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and no one at home to help make this important decision.
Fast forward a few weeks, in another class, Redefining the Image of Science and Engineering, we took a visit to Nolop, Tufts Makerspace. I got to see all of the senior mechanical engineers working on their capstone project, and it felt surreal; it was exactly what I pictured myself doing. Nolop was loud. I could hear and see the 3D printers, laser cutters, bandsaw, and laughter. It was truly poetic how I felt. The fear of picking the right major finally lifted off my chest, and I knew that by February, I could call myself a mechanical engineer.
Personally, I like planning out my life and imagining every outcome and decision, but life and reality have a funny way of going against that. So don’t stress about your major because Tufts truly has it all, everyone has so many different niches that you will find the degree that is best for you. Plus, Tufts engineering has a really great environment to help sway you in the right direction. Professors, upperclassmen, and senior advising deans have all helped me get to where I am today. I am so grateful for that because picking a major is a really important decision, but it surely doesn’t have to be set in stone before you apply to Tufts, or even when you first arrive.
If you like working with your hands, are curious about a wide variety of engineering fields, I’d say you’re probably a bit like me and should look into mechanical engineering. I have friends in all the different engineering disciplines, and we’re all super passionate about our majors, but we all started from the same place. Starting as one major can be reassuring that this is the place you’re meant to be, but it can also be clarifying that maybe this isn’t what you like. Trust me, everything happens for a reason, and you will be supported in finding the degree that’s best for you.