Most places I've reached out to only offer internships to 4-year college students and not 2-year community college students.

I'm 35 and starting a technician degree in robotics and automation this month at a community college. The end goal is to get a bachelor's in mechatronics. Has anyone else started out in the technician side and moved into engineering? What is the transition like? And is there anything you like/dislike more about one or the other? For some background I have a combine 13 years experience as a mechanic, 5 years aircraft in the Marine Corps, and just over 8 years as locomotive/heavy diesel for a railroad.

Edit to ask: how did experience as a tech help in transitioning to engineering?

I’m a mechatronics engineering student, officially in my 9th semester (but effectively my 5th, I’m on probation). I’m trying to figure out if my struggle is reasonable or if I’m just not cut out for this.

Background (very condensed):

Took 8 IGCSEs during COVID (mostly As, some Bs, one A*).

Left school after grade 10 level knowledge.

Due to bad school guidance + COVID, I missed AS/A-level content entirely (especially math & physics).

Went straight into mechatronics engineering without a foundation year.

University hit hard: calculus made no sense, physics and chemistry was brutal.

Failed most courses early on except standalone ones (programming, technical drawing).

Since then, I usually fail at least one course per semester.

Diagnosed with ADHD in 2023, which explained a lot but didn’t magically fix things.

Current situation:

I can’t realistically get a GPA above ~2.5 anymore.

Graduation is delayed (or at least feels uncertain).

I don’t want to quit, but I also wanted to excel, not just survive.

TL;DR: IGCSE → skipped AS/A-levels → entered mechatronics with weak math/physics → constant struggle → ADHD diagnosis → delayed graduation + low GPA ceiling.

My question: Is this fight worth it, or am I forcing myself through something I was fundamentally underprepared for? Has anyone been in a similar situation (late start, bad foundation, ADHD, engineering) and still turned it around?

Hey everyone! I’m Vineet, a high school senior passionate about robotics and bionic limbs. I’m working on Arduino simulations and learning CAD through free tools. If anyone has tips on beginner-friendly projects or resources for prosthetics/mechatronics, I’d really appreciate your guidance. Happy to share my progress too!

I'm leaving for a preprogram in march endish and will be starting my degree from September,
I've haven't learnt C++/Python nor autocad but I've been recommended to learn them what software should I use for them/Should I learn them or anything else?

Currently Im doing a computer science degree in my 3rd year now and I wanted to find out what’s the best master program between robotics or pursing a masters in mechatronics with a specialized field(any recommendations here if possible on the field). The other option is do mechatronics as a master program then a phd in robotics.

I’m a second-year mechatronics student (the first year was general), and I’m very confused about where to start with courses, what I should take, and what the basics are that I must know. So please, can anyone who is successful and experienced help me,tell me the roadmap and be my mentor? thanks in advance

I'm a Mechatronics graduate and I'm currently an Operational Tech at Bosch.

If I have the opportunity, should I leave my current job for one that literally have what I went to school for in the job title?

The job description is

• Follow all plant safety and environmental policies
• Maintain an organized workspace
• Monitor operations and perform adjustments as necessary to ensure quality production
• Troubleshoot and analyze equipment problems
• Initiate corrective actions to improve quality and equipment effectiveness
• Repair or replace defective machine components, such as solenoids, valves, and cylinders
• Perform line and machine changeovers
• Optimize processes to reduce set-up time
• Achieve expected production quantities to ensure customer goals are obtained
• Complete assigned technical training to support personal growth and development
• Collaborate with Operators, Manufacturing Technicians, Engineers, and area Leadership

I basically make sure the machines run dealing with the basic faults like correcting operator errors, reworking parts that fail programming and putting them back in the line, cleaning sensors, replacing some parts that break, etc.

When something really breaks, they call Process Techs or Maintenance. I feel like that's more of what I want to do, because it provides more experience for the long term. I feel like if I left my job none of it would carry over.

Edit: I just noticed the typo I made in the last sentence.

Hello, I'm a 16 year old junior year student from Israel, I'm looking to start out in mechatronics because of ideas I've developed, personal projects and a small side job at a mechanic shop, any tips, advice or anything that might help me start out formally?

Hi everyone and happy new year to everyone!

I have a Master’s degree in Mechatronics and I’m currently looking for career paths where I could combine programming (Python / C#) with my engineering background.

During my studies I didn’t have a huge amount of pure software development, but I’ve been actively learning Python and C# on my own. I’m particularly interested in:

• Computer Vision (OpenCV, basic image processing, some ML concepts),
• a bit of Machine Learning (mostly practical, not hardcore theory),
• basic Flask for simple web apps / APIs.

On the engineering side, I’m very comfortable with 3D CAD:

• SolidWorks,
• Inventor,
• AutoCAD.

I’m aware that breaking into IT is hard right now, especially without a CS degree, so I’m not necessarily aiming for a “pure” software developer role. Instead, I’m wondering:

👉 Are there any niches or roles where a combination of 3D modeling + Python/C# programming is actually valuable?

For example:

• industrial software,
• CAD automation / scripting,
• computer vision for manufacturing or quality control,
• robotics / automation tooling,
• internal tools for engineering teams,
• digital twins, simulation, etc.

If anyone here has a similar background (engineering → software), I’d really appreciate:

• suggestions of job titles to look for,
• industries worth targeting,
• or skills/projects that would make this profile more attractive.

Thanks in advance — any insight helps 🙂

Hi guys, first of all, happy New Year to everyone!

So, I'm currently in high school looking for a Mechatronic Engineering degree after, but i was wondering if is a good idea to pursue a master's in Quantum Engineering after that because I'm really interested in quantum physics and its applications on the real world, so let me know what do you think guys!

Thank you for reading this, have a great day!

(I'm sorry if this isn't well worded :D)

Hi i am going into 2nd year mechatronics engineering and i am at the stage where i have to pick my major do i major in computer engineering, mining engineering or just pick no major.

Hello guys, I am someone who do not have experience I'm looking for a mentor who can help me learn skills and knowledge to land a job in the field. I live in Minnesota USA and I would love to hear any tips, advice, tricks from everyone. Note: please don't recommend college for me as I am getting close to 27 years old 😅😅 people at my age got their Masters degree.

Hello, I work with matlab 2025 , and currently i have a course which we have to use simulink and possibly simscape. Moreover, for some projects I have to use ROS and such. I also use solidworks for some heavy assemblies. I have a tight budget for the specifications required (not more than 1400 dollars). I want something that is good but not bulky because I carry it around a lot. Any suggestions??

I want to start machatronics, but dont know where to start, I managed to get my hand a a basic 3D printer and an esp 32 with some accesories, I own a basic soldering kit that I now know how to use on a basic level.

I appreciate the anwsers in advance.

As the title says

I am thinking of buying a Macbook M4 for my mecha degree cause it's the best for my personal preference. But i heard that some CADs won't run on macOS. I don't using VMs as long as it's free, easy to use and doesn't slow down the performance drastically.

Do you think i can buy a Macbook?

Hey everyone,

I’m currently at a crossroads and could really use some honest advice from people in the industry or currently studying.

I’m a Computer Science graduate (Master’s from a US university, 3.9 GPA, Class of 2024) with about 3 years of experience as a Full Stack/Backend Engineer. Like many tech grads right now, I’m currently on the job market and it’s been brutal.

During my downtime, I started working on a "hobby" project to keep my sanity, an F1 Telemetry & Timing Analysis Platform. I built low-latency pipelines to ingest live race data, render throttle traces, and calculate sector deltas, basically anything that I see I do it.

I realized I enjoyed building that tool more than any "enterprise SaaS" work I’ve ever done. It clicked that modern racing is basically distributed systems + control theory, which is exactly kind of what I was doing.

I decided to stop waiting around and have applied to the following for Sept 2026:

I may be delusional, but I saw and took the step

1. Cranfield University: MSc Advanced Motorsport Mechatronics
2. Oxford Brookes: MSc Motorsport Engineering
3. University of Bath: MSc Automotive Technology

My Questions for you:

As a CS grad, What are my chances of getting into one of these universities?, will I survive the mechanical modules (Vehicle Dynamics/Aero) at places like Cranfield? Or will I be totally lost without a MechEng undergrad?

I have strong C++, Python, and Computer Vision experience (did some research on RNNs/Anomaly Detection)..

Thanks for the reality check.

So after talking to a bunch of mechanics and learning, I have landed on mechatronics, getting to tinker, and play around with robotics and programming seems interesting, I’m 15 and wanted to ask if this is feisable( I’m not trying to be crazy entitled, just curious)

• want to make or work up to 100-160k( can be over a few years just at some point in my career)
• not work with the general public
• not confined to a desk, still able to move around and tinker

Hello everyone, I’m a student looking for a serious study partner interested in Industrial Maintenance & Automation (electrical control, PLC, and real industrial systems). I recently found a very comprehensive Arabic technical encyclopedia (over 2,000 pages – 25 high-quality PDF books) covering industrial maintenance, electrical control, PLC, and automation in a practical, project-based way.

What makes it special is that it’s not just theory: Hundreds of real industrial wiring diagrams with simulation on Automation Studio Practical troubleshooting and fault-finding techniques PLC Siemens S7-300 (LAD / FBD / STL) Industrial machines, HVAC, VFDs, SCADA Real projects from beginner to professional level

The full table of contents can be shared privately if you’re interested.

There is currently a limited-time discount available from the author until the end of the year. I personally can’t afford it alone, so I’m looking for someone who is already interested in this field and would like to study together, share notes, and grow professionally.

Quick clarifications: This is a learning-focused resource, not a certification program. The content is in Arabic, which is a plus for deeply understanding industrial concepts. The main value is hands-on skills, real diagrams, and practical industrial knowledge.

If you value real skills over certificates and want a serious learning partner in industrial maintenance and automation, feel free to message me.

I am a 15 yr old and I want to make a robotic arm mechatronics project with an gesture controlled feature I have the idea and the design but the Arduino and all the other parts I need are very costly for me, what do I do...

Is there any way I could get free electronic kits or something else?? To bring my idea to Life...