<p>Engineering deals with concepts and thinking. </p>
<p>What they do (most schools do this) is cram a ton of knowledge into your head. I'm talking about physics, chemistry, dynamics, thermo, structural design, etc. The fourth year of college you usually do design projects, this is where you get to apply all your knowledge to design something. </p>
<p>There won't be much hands-on experience in class, but you can always take part in extracurricular activities or take separate classes. </p>
<p>Being hands-on isn't the issue, you have to develop thinking and designing skills. The physical hands-on things you will learn by practice and in labs, but the conceptual part makes up most of engineering.</p>
<p>IMO, the car guys who can build engines and understand them fully, have a leg up in Mechanical Engineering, especially when it comes to thermo, and dynamics. At many times, i visualize certain parts inside a car to get a mental image of something happening and relating that to a HW or in class problem.</p>
<p>After understanding basic thermo properties, analysis of stresses, dynamics, fluids and equilibrium; you would be surprised at how much more you know about a car than your average mechanic. While a mechanic's job is to replace/align components, and troubleshoot issues, their knowledge of why something does something is very limited to "so and so said..." and "i read on this forum...", etc.</p>
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At many times, i visualize certain parts inside a car to get a mental image of something happening and relating that to a HW or in class problem.
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<p>To get through E&M, I visualized electrons as water molecules and circuits as networks of hoses. Doesn't mean I'm a plumber.</p>
<p>Snark aside, I think a basic understanding of how a car works would probably be to everyone's advantage. The goings-on of an internal combustion engine aren't spectacularly mysterious, and I think that if a beginning mechanical engineering student has even a basic understanding of what stuff in an engine does (I'm nearly certain there's a wikipedia article that would provide sufficient knowledge), then I think that basic understanding would give enough of a basis of practical knowledge that they'd be able to take advantage of the automotive mental images that you speak of.</p>
<p>Car knowledge is also useful for med students. Car parts and people parts play similar systems roles, e.g., the nervous system, dissected and lying on a table, looks remarkably similar to a wiring harness--because that is essentially what it is.</p>
<p>what are the industries that involve mechanical engineering?? Can mechanical engineers be well placed in computer-related and electronics-related industries?</p>