During the Engineering in London program, we journeyed through the history of engineering in London by going on many coordinated group excursions. One of these coordinated excursions was to the British Science Museum. Out of all the museums we visited on this trip, there were a lot, this was by far the most impactful to me; Bletchley Park was a close second though. It was chock-full of incredible pieces of engineering spanning across ages and disciplines. I was reminded of why I am pursuing a math minor by Charles Babbage’s astounding analytical marvel The Difference Engine. More importantly, as a Computer Science Major,  I met some of the British Science Museums’ computer science team getting a glimpse at what they do and how they do it. I also realized I may have a passion for the mechanical side of engineering from all the engines displayed in the “Energy Hall”. Of course, I cannot forget getting to look at the famous James Watt’s workshop. While walking amongst thousands of feats of ingenuity, passion, and perseverance I was humbled and inspired. Everywhere I looked I was reminded how much the world owes to engineers; for the first time since I decided to pursue a degree in engineering, I felt that my job was important and that I could change the world by doing it.

This program also allowed me to see what it was like to live independently, as an adult, in a large city pursuing my career. Every day I had to wake up early in the morning, exercise, make breakfast, and commute thirty minutes to class. Then I would take classes for six hours with a one-hour lunch break and head off to either explore the city on my own or with my classmates. There was no handholding when we were not in class or participating in program-sanctioned activities. We were expected to figure out the city on our own, find and get food on our own, and enjoy ourselves on our own; all while trying to learn and pass two three-hundred-level engineering courses in one month. It was scary at first; I’d never had such independence before, and I did not know if I could handle it. Come to find out, I thrived off it. I learned how to survive, study, and enjoy my time all on my own. This experience allowed me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I learned so much more about how I operate. I learned that I could do so much more than I ever thought possible as long as I just try.