I want to go into Mechanical Engineering and want to know if I would have time to do clubs, workout and go out on weekends. Im willing to study hard and sacrifice those things if I have to but I dont think Im going to be able to do it excessively. Do the schools Im planning on going to matter? I already applied to PSU, Upitt, Rutgers, and Clemson, I`ll prob pick PSU or Rutgers if i get in.
The answer to this question depends on your time management skills. Of course engineers have free time as long as they can work efficiently enough to get their stuff done in a reasonable time. I think I probably went out 3 nights a week on average as an undergraduate.
As @boneh3ad said, it’s about your efficiency. If you aren’t organized and you don’t have good study habits, you’ll always be in crisis mode. There are plenty of students however that are involved in clubs, do hobbies like biking, hiking, surfing or skiing and party some while getting good grades and only going into crisis mode occasionally. Yes, it hits the fan occasionally for everyone. The secret is minimizing the amount of time that things feel overwhelming.
As previously stated, it depends on your management skills and your willingness to use them.
I played varsity ice hockey at the D3 level. Two practices each day except when we had games, which you had to set aside at least 3.5 hours. Travel in D3 was usually local, so away games weren’t too much of a strain. I would bring my books and figure on doing some reading on the bus. D1 sports is another level of commitment, many times more than an engineering student wants to put in, but it can be done.
Point of all this is yes, you do have time for sports or other activities of your choice.
The times when I had issues with keeping up with my classes was the off season. Too much free time and I’d let things pile up rather keep them under control.
You will have no free time in college, after classes/homework/projects all of your remaining time will be consumed goofing off.
I did EE at PSU, and during my last two years I studied full time, worked part-time, raised a family, and still had time to watch football games and hang out with friends. I graduated with a guy who was a competitive gymnast as well as a top EE student, and he had time to hang out and relax.
That having been said, as it got nearer to finals week I would stop in a computer lab and see some guys there working, the next morning when I stopped back they would still be there, some of them literally sleeping at their computers.