In the first grade of high school, I didn't want to study any more physics than was required, and I filled my schedule with exercise as far as I could. During my exchange year, I realised that studying physics was worthwhile, as it would open up plenty of other options for further studies. I caught up by studying a few courses independently and also ended up taking extra applied physics courses. I was interested in mechanics – electricity not at all – and I was fascinated by the concreteness of things: the phenomena under discussion were visible and verifiable with one's own eyes.
I thought about studies after upper secondary school for four years, until I decided that I probably wouldn't be unemployed with my M.Sc. papers. I was able to study what was then a bachelor's programme, mechanical engineering and civil engineering, of which I was more interested in civil engineering, both because of family strain and because of the idea that mopeds and lawnmowers should have been used for mechanical engineering all my youth. However, I was wrong about that. After graduating with a Bachelor of Technology, I ended up in the Master's Programme in Mechanical Engineering through a bend, and after my first year of Master's degree, I have not regretted my choice.
Everyday life as a student is shaped by the courses you have chosen. In manufacturing technology courses, you can turn and mill blanks in the laboratory, in casting courses you make molds and castings yourself, while in mechanics courses you sit down and calculate. There is variation in the course selection, and different courses tickle the brain in completely different ways. I have also taken a few courses in materials engineering from the course offerings of the School of Chemical Engineering, even though my major studies are in engineering, and even during my bachelor's degree, I took an entire minor in economics.
I'm not a frequent attendant to lectures, but bills and lab visits make it to the top of the calendar's priority list. The circadian rhythm can be kept flexible, which makes it possible to participate in student events during the week and, on the other hand, also the fact that I am usually first in the guild room of the Guild of Mechanical Engineers: normally you can find me there at seven in the morning during the academic year. However, many enjoy evening shifts and start their day a little later, and with some 24/7 self-study spaces, it is also possible outside their own home.
Guild and guild members. I have found many new friends, friends and acquaintances in the pink overalls Guild of Mechanical Engineers, even though when I got to Aalto I said that I only came here to get a degree. However, the guild's volunteer work took me away, and this is my second time on the guild's board. In my role as freshman captain, editor-in-chief, guild mamma and current board chairperson, I have been able to organize events, edit the guild's magazine, maintain relations with the college and university, discuss students' perspectives with companies in the field, and do countless other things, but nothing would have been so nice without the other guild members.
Our team has a twinkle in their eye, because otherwise the guild wouldn't have a pink crawler tractor, a cushioning machine or countless trophies to win downhill races. In recent years, we have invested in well-being events at the guild, which have included lectures by a study psychologist and the enjoyment of self-baked delicacies, sport experiments and movie nights, and in theory the sky is the limit for developing and implementing different concepts. This year, I have greatly enjoyed enabling ideas from other volunteers in my role as chairperson.
Janni Kerkkänen, Master's student in Mechanical EngineeringOur team has a twinkle in their eye, because otherwise the guild wouldn't have a pink crawler tractor.
In addition to academic expertise, I have worked as a course assistant in a basic course in solid matter mechanics, so CV entries can also be obtained through course content management. In volunteer work, I have learned the secrets of effective meetings and other important things related to leadership and project work. In the courses, project work is supervised, but the schedules and goals of the guild's projects must be determined by yourself so that you do not reach for the heavens or go where there is no fence at all. I have also failed many times, and I have gained experience in tolerating it and dealing with difficult situations, which I am sure will be useful in the future. Through networking through courses and events, I feel that I have good contacts with companies in the field, and I feel that I have done both my course and guild projects with such honour that someone I know would dare to recommend me to their employer also in the future. I also never thought that I would give a speech at the guild's anniversary party and used the things from the upper secondary school's mother tongue speaking course and the bachelor's thesis speech workshop when planning it.
Mechanical engineering includes a huge number of different things that have, are and will be in demand when building the future. In this field, you can be involved in all kinds of mechanical engineering matters, from the production of raw materials to the finishing of the final product – for some, the machine is a cruise ship, for others, it is a tower crane, and for others it is something completely different. Experts and makers in the field of mechanical engineering play an essential role in the development of environmentally friendly solutions that support the circular economy, as machines will also be needed in the future.
So even if you haven't built your own internal combustion engine car or steamboat, mechanics and mechanical engineering can be a great field for you too! People come to school to enjoy calculating mechanics, learning turning or welding, and growing into a technology students, and the learning does not end when they get up from school. Missteps and spontaneous learning and working have also been an important part of my own development, so there is no need to fear them in advance. Young and older students also have enough working life ahead of them to have time to specify their own specialisation also in the business world.
In Mechanical Engineering Master’s Programme you can become an expert in Arctic Technology, Engineering Materials, Marine Technology, Mechatronics, Product Development, Production Engineering and Solid Mechanics, or create your own combination. We empower students follow their interests in the field of mechanical engineering as their professional skills are needed for creating more effective and safe solutions for the society.
