What makes me aspire to engineer.

"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer) 02/20/2018 at 22:00 • Filed to: None

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As some of you may know, given my handle is pretty leading towards that fact, I’m a professional shitposter I’m a student in university, my degree? Mechatronic engineering.

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What is mechatronics? I’m glad you asked!
It is a multidisciplinary field of engineering where the crossroads of computer science, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering meet. In some countries it has the fancier name of Robotics, but here in Mexico we keep the original Japanese-soruced name (you could call it JDM!). However, I must admit something.

I am here by mistake. You see, a year ago my father said to me “You will not take a semester off, so you better fucking chose now!” He meant it. Back then I was uncertain about what to study, and it is impossible to tell a 19 year old that they must chose their career. What my father didn’t understand was that I grew in the internet era, so I know about the struggles that some degrees have overseas... even the ones that I like. What I didn’t understand is that Mexico is an emerging economy.

Emerging economies ALWAYS need more college educated people because all the sectors are growing; do you specialize in liberal arts? Well have a good paying job! Are you an engineer! Good for you! here, get an administrator job that pays 5x the average salary!

So it didn’t really matter what I studied as long as I studied at all. He wanted me to become a journalist because, and I quote,I have “Very critical thinking” but I don’t really think that matters. What journalists need in this country is a backbone, ethical concerns, and charisma. I lack two of those and the remaining one is really a perspective.

I also like computers and cars; a lot. So I wouldn’t be able to live comfortably on a Mexican journo’s salary (not unless I sold myself off to a governor o a drug dealer). No disrespect to journalists, on the contrary, the very reason I didn’t study journalism was because I am a very risk adverse person (I lack a backbone). Hanging heads from a bridge and sporadic deaths of journalists reek of RISK! So I googled quickly what I should study. After little research I realized that engineers rarely get kidnapped by drug dealers and here in Mexico you can’t go wrong as an engineer; if you really suck that much at actually engineering, companies have a very elitist view of the world, were they don’t hire accountants or MBA graduates for their administration positions.

They hire engineers.

So there’s no question that in the future whenever I buy Aeromexico tickets my title will be “Ing.” but what kind of engineer?

Well, I went to Tecnologico de Monterrey in Santa Fe to check out some degrees. After speaking with the head of engineering for a while, he said I’d be a great candidate for Mechatronics. Funnily enough the university I liked the most, UIA, has a course on Mechatronics. But it’s totally different.

You see, Tecnologico de Monterrey thinks “Mechatronics” is what Ibero thinks “Mechanical and electrical” so when I applied to Mechatronics in Ibero I was surprised because they follow the international meaning of it. It’s robotics.

While I love computers, I couldn’t stand thinking that I’d be a programmer because I don’t like code. So, two semesters in, I am changing over to Mechanical and electrical. But so far, I love it.

Tomorrow I’m going to present the head of the automotive program an engine design, it’s got those weird Honda NR pistons and 8 valves per cylinder. I want to make one that runs on hydrogen with a procharger. Worst part is that he might say yes! I’m still working on the piston seals because Honda’s solution wasn’t very good.But, knowing that I attend a university that will entertain my AutoCAD dreams, well, there are fewer more satisfactory things in life!

I love it because to me the world makes a little bit more sense. You could often find me, sat in absolute wonder, looking at cars, buildings, even basic machinery because, at a very basic level, I understand how and why its made a certain way. Only two semesters in! I can only imagine how i’ll feel when I actually know jack shit about engineering and not only the basics of torque pretty much.

In a country filled with self serving assholes for politicians and leaders of industry, engineering is almost refreshing because you would almost never encounter a hypocritical desision, within Mexico City buildings aren’t made hypocritically, all over the country cars aren’t made to be specifically bad. These huge structures and sprawling factories that are being built across the valley aren’t hypocritical: perhaps their payments are, but you will very rarely find a product that engineers made wrong wholeheartedly. At least never as wrong as our tax system or the national health service.

When it comes to professions here, engineering is the least broken and corrupted compared to other sectors. So, to missquote the very famous saying.

If you can’t beat em, help them design their new building’s electrical system.

E90M3 > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:06

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Why I became an engineer:

f86sabre > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:07

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Engineering is a good time. Enjoy it and enjoy your time in school.

You mentioned Aeromexico. They have a good engineering department. People don’t realize that airlines have engineers. It is a great place to practice the trade.

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:08

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Why I became an engineer:

Spanfeller is a twat > f86sabre 02/20/2018 at 22:08

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Thanks for the tip!

I guess that if Ibero has a school in monterrey I’ll go practice with Brembo, as of now I thought my only real choices were Ford here in Mexico City or VW in Puebla. But Aeromexico seems like a sweet deal!

Discerning > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:09

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Why I switched from engineering to business: I didn’t want to be the guy responsible for redesigning a window switch when I desperately wanted to be working on engines and such. Also, bean counters. Also also, the automotive industry is a PITA to get into.

Now I am the bean counter who tells people to stop spending money on X, but at least I’m not nixing items in the automotive industry.

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 22:10

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Elitism, certainly.

Even between engineers.

Have you ever seen an ingeniero industrial carry out a material resistance analysis? they’re as thorough as a Trump speech!

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > E90M3 02/20/2018 at 22:10

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Because you can actually parallel park?

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:11

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I so get it

And I’m not even a real engineer

E90M3 > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 02/20/2018 at 22:11

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You want to know something that will blow your mind? I used my turn signal while I was parking there.

f86sabre > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:12

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Flight benefits are amazing. Also, the Sky Team airlines are starting to do rotation programs. Some Aeromexico folks are coming to Delta and we have people going to Virgin. It’s cool.

I believe Aeromexico has an intern program as well.

Spanfeller is a twat > Discerning 02/20/2018 at 22:13

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Yeah, realistically I won’t end up in automotive even though it’s one of the things I like the most. I’m thinking I’ll probably end up in a sort of made-to-spec design company for various large scale mechanisms.

My ultimate dream would be having a sort of ICON or Singer like company. But instead of “re-imagining” classic cars, I’d try to iron out the defects and sell them to rich people/enthusiast so that they can daily drive a 1970's range rover but it has hidden bluetooth and it doesn’t roll over easily!

Maxima Speed > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:13

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Quality Oppo, wish I had stayed in at 19, then I wouldn’t in the situation I’m at now where I’ll be 27 before I get a degree because I dropped out and learned lifes lessons the hard way. Thankfully I had enough sense to come back.

Spanfeller is a twat > Maxima Speed 02/20/2018 at 22:16

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what are you studying?

Textured Soy Protein > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:18

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I majored in English because I was good at writing papers about books I hadn’t read, and I wanted the absolute easiest path to a college degree of some kind with the least amount of effort.

I’ve somehow through a combination of guile and trickery managed to find my way into a series of lucrative business-y jobs in which I get paid to slack off while also for the most part accomplishing what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m just good at doing stuff in less time than most people so I fuck off on the internet a lot.

I probably should have applied myself more but here we are.

Spanfeller is a twat > f86sabre 02/20/2018 at 22:18

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Very probably. However I’m quite scared that Aeromexico might begin doing Jet-blue like stuff where they service aircraft outside of their home country.

But finding a post in Aeromexico might be hard considering that my university is heavily laden on automotive engineering and not necessarily on aeronautics (read: our thermodynamics course isn’t thorough enough for aircraft)

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 22:19

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What are you?
*Hits bong*

Spanfeller is a twat > Textured Soy Protein 02/20/2018 at 22:20

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Well, I could take the easy way out and continue in construction business. I do like it and the developers say I have a “talent” for it. Note that my only noteworthy suggestion was that they went for quality over quantity when talking about a small apartment building.

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:23

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Senior Software Configuration Management Engineer.

Long story short, I got fed up with stupid people making stupid mistakes and breaking things on a national scale. So I built a series of applications, tied them into a centralized ‘home’ system, and put those stupid people out of jobs. The Business liked it and gave me a   title

Now I take any repeatable process within my company and turn it into a clickable. Or a service that automatically does it when conditions are met. All tied into a tidy database where I can report on all the good

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > E90M3 02/20/2018 at 22:27

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Oh, so you were driving the Genesis?

E90M3 > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 02/20/2018 at 22:28

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Nah, cause I parked in my spot. Not the road.

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 22:31

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That looks a lot like what my colleagues in Mechatronics (full name: Ingenieria Mecatronica y produccion) will be dedicated to; automation. But of manufacturing processes, not administrative ones. Don’t be shy, call yourself an engineer. Come down to Mexico or any spanish speaking country and enjoy having the title “ing.” (pronounced “in-jeh”) attached to your very name!

It’s a very controversial topic, and I don’t have enough knowledge about it to have a real conversation about it. I just know that about 1/2 of the jobs are in high risk of becoming automated, 1/2 of the jobs aren’t.

As a society I think that automation has us at a crossroad, personally I think that unless there’s a tax on automation (along with some sort of guidline of how many workers/robot you must employ) we will see economic mayhem

Spanfeller is a twat > E90M3 02/20/2018 at 22:37

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Hopefully I can buy a ridiculous car in four years too! But I’m thinking bigly.

Why not get an RS4 wagon imported here to Mexico legally, and then take it to the US and SHOW THE FUCK OFF!
LOLOLOLOLOLOL

#25YearRuleSUCKS

Spanfeller is a twat > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 02/20/2018 at 22:37

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Hey! calculating those tangent lines is a very complex process that most BMW drivers cannot fathom!

E90M3 > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:40

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I bought mine less than 2 years after graduation.

I find the Mexican market to be interesting because you can get cars like that and then cars like a 1995 Sentra.

Spanfeller is a twat > E90M3 02/20/2018 at 22:45

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Jesus, well that’s very nice. I’d probably be keeping my Kia for as long as the sucker lasts, my big first investment will hopefully be a house of my very own (or at least an apartment)

We don’t get the wagons (RS5, sure, but everyone gets the RS5), I’d have to import it from France probably (If I wanted a real pain in the ass, from the UK). Fun stuff, I think we actually got the M4 CS, despite it being supposedly a Spain-only car.

Not with a single kilometer above 600KM though! As the import rules to Mexico state. If the car is above 600km, I’d have to wait 6 years... only six because its an EU or US car; if I wanted a car from any other place, say a JDM car, I’d have to wait 25 years like ya’ll.

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 22:46

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I touched on the subject on OppoTalk a couple weeks ago actually. Automation, whether physical or the logic behind it, is a real and measurable threat to the workforce. However the human element can never be replaced in its entirety, in any line, because there isn’t a system designed that can manage every failure. There will always have to be a backup; there will always be someone to fix the thing. There will always be a need for someone, or a group of someones, to apply critical thought to resolve a problem.

The job types may change - more maintenance than production, for example - but the labor need will always be present.

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 22:49

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Well, I think that what makes us humans is common sense and creativity.

I doubt we could ever create a machine with those because those things, beyond very basic dictionary definitions, are impossible to describe in a way that could be programmed or designed in a machine.

That I robot line that everyone quotes, Soni saying “Can you?” well... This is my interpretation of that line.

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 23:00

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Quite true. And maybe, when automation is at critical mass, we humans - with our common sense and creativity - will find something to better fill our time with than work and pursuit of currency.

I look at Star Trek. The Federation, the 23rd and 24th century humans, and their pursuit of the intellectual, as kind of a utopia. When 95% of the work is completed by things, the human race as a whole can expand to better pursuits. That’s my theory of singularity - we wont meld, for lack of a better term, with technology. Technology will remove the mechanical aspect of human life and usher the next biological evolution; the search for all the knowledge.

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 23:16

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Well, I actually was asked to write a book about life in 2050 in exchange of fixing my computer’s display: I have weird parents.

it’s a spy novel, but there is a very important political aspect about it.

Basically, in 2025 humans enact policy world wide that would tax robotics in the primary and secondary segments of the economy, a tax that would generate money that would be used for the terciary and quarterly sectors.

Humans would be relegated to the service industry and to research and development (academics basically) People would also enter the workforce later, as they’d be forced to study both a STEM field and a humanities field if they wanted to go to college.

Nibbles > Spanfeller is a twat 02/20/2018 at 23:21

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That is awesome and something I’d probably read :)

TheRealBicycleBuck > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 23:50

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My rule: If I have to do something more than three times, I’m coding something to do it for me.

I work for an engineering firm and part of my job is streamlining processes with software. We are just a bit too fragmented to implement things nationwide. Too much autonomy in our local offices...

Spanfeller is a twat > Nibbles 02/20/2018 at 23:51

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Hopefully I’ll publish it one day....

Maxima Speed > Spanfeller is a twat 02/21/2018 at 00:16

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Cyber Security, once I finish that I will complete another semester to get a Computer Tech Support degree. Both are only associates degrees but with two associates degrees I’ll have a fair chance of getting into the field and working on a bachelors gradually. If I get the job I want with the Treasury Dept. they would almost definitely pay for me to get the bachelors degree once I got in the door.

96Formula6spd > Spanfeller is a twat 02/21/2018 at 00:28

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Yeah I am back in School over at Clemsux for another round of school in Mechanical Engineering. In the second of three semesters of this really really really sucks. I have a masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. Granted I have been out of that field for 3.5 years now after getting laid off from a company that went out of business. Never got rehired anywhere else as nobody was really hiring non PE Civil guys. I have an FE. At this point I would say I have forgot half of what I learned.

Move on to school and I am not enjoying classes and all and am extremely bored. Still making all A but who cares. Really debating quiting engineering forever after this semester and moving into IT work. Had a couple professors trying to get me into Formula SAE and a few other projects after they herd of what I did but had zero interest. I would rather spend my money in the lemons Dodge Coronet or doing track days with the Miata. Plus have other hobbies like scuba diving. Had a few friends telling me about projects at work and nothing made me go man that is cool. This was including some suspension design work and engine designs. When I was 18 this sounded awesome. Really wanted to build buildings and dams or move into automotive stuff. Now I just want to get a decent 8-5 job with benefits with enough money to go play on the weekends. Why IT fit this pretty well.

Another battle is watching other friends getting laid off(six so far this year alone). Out of the 14 guys that graduated with me at USC none of us work in Civil Engineering anymore. None care to go back either and have given up. Two of them never got hired out of school. We graduated in 2013. All that schooling for zero gain. My Dad just got laid off Friday from a Chemical Engineering job. 4th time in 5 years. Mostly due to work loads going up and down. Not the first time he has been laid off. As a kid I watched him get laid off from many companies in the 90s as they closed their doors. Makes me not even want to be back in the field anymore. Here in Greenville most of the engineers he as worked for play musical companies. Get laid off at one, swap to another for a year....rinse repeat. Who knows what will happen if I stay on track to a December graduation day.

So I sit here now 29 years old trying to get a start in life. But figure its going to be another 2-5 years before that happens. Pretty sure I am going to waste the sixteen grand I threw at the last two semesters and hammer down on IT work over the summer. Figure I can probably hammer out some certifications and get working in the field before the end of the year and pay back the student loads in one to two years. Who knows but will say engineering sucks from my point of view. To much up and downs in a field that should be steady.

Spanfeller is a twat > 96Formula6spd 02/21/2018 at 00:42

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I suppose mileage may vary... I certainly understand your point about wanting to focus on hobbies rather than career work. I think my hobbies all intersect in design so I find most of what i’m learning to be quite exciting and fundamental for my hobbie!

I also lament hearing about all those layoffs. I suppose that nothing in life is truly stable, not forever at least. It’s wise of you that you’re searching for the best rather than giving up! More power to you, Sir!

pip bip - choose Corrour > Spanfeller is a twat 02/21/2018 at 04:57

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mechatronics is the internals of an Audi DSG auto gearbox

f86sabre > Spanfeller is a twat 02/21/2018 at 08:59

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One thing to keep in mind about airlines, you are not designing airplanes you are maintaining them. You really just need an engineering degree and how many thermo classes you had doesn’t matter much after you graduate. I just hired someone from Kettering University here in the States. They are the main pipeline for engineers for Ford and GM and focus on automotive stuff. No big deal really and diversity of thought is a plus.

Don’t worry about airlines outsourcing maintenance to other countries. Aviation is a global industry. Aeromexico is a partner of ours in Queretaro.

http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/aeromexico-delta-mro-jv-add-third-party-maintenance

We send some of our planes to Mexico, Aeromexico sends us their CFM56 engines off their 737s. Right now we have planes from all over in the hangar. It is just the way it works.

96Formula6spd > Spanfeller is a twat 02/21/2018 at 11:03

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Its definitely and up and down world in engineering. Half the reason I want to bail. I would rather get into something where I can work for years and not have to worry about job security. Always going to need someone to fix the computers in an office. Brother does IT work and he is happy at work. He might never make the same as someone who is in high level engineering but he is able to do what he wants.

That being said make it 7 this year...at least he saw it coming and has a few interviews lined up.Said that company has not been doing well. Management issues there running the company into the ground. His second time in four years. He is getting tired of it as it looks like he gets to move again. Even she is ready to ditch engineering like me.

Who knows what will happen but one thing is for sure engineering kinda sucks.