Yeah, I've been there.

During my first year as a mechanical engineering student, I was failing my classes, feeling overwhelmed, and honestly questioning if I had made the right choice.

I thought, maybe I'm just not smart enough or cut out to study engineering.

But then, one day, something clicked.

And I went from struggling to becoming one of the top students in my program.

So in this video, I'm going to share how I made this sudden transformation and the exact strategies that helped me succeed.

Let me take you back to one of the lowest points in my life.

It was a dark winter evening.

I remember sitting in my Boston University dorm room, located on 7 Buswell Street, after failing yet another exam and feeling like a complete failure.

My roommate was playing Starcraft like a madman, like he always does, with his physics textbook open and placed on his lap.

In between games, and I'm not even exaggerating, he would read his textbook momentarily for about 5 minutes and then proceed on to his next game.

At that time, all my classmates were like my roommate, who could seemingly understand everything effortlessly while I was drowning in formulas and concepts that just didn't make sense.

And essentially, I was playing catch-up all the time.

I had always been a top student in my high school, and I wasn't used to falling behind.

I have to say that was one of the scariest feelings ever for me at the time.

Boston University had given me a 4-year scholarship that covered a huge chunk of my tuition, which was around $43,000 back in 2012.

To keep this scholarship, all I had to do was maintain a GPA of 3.0, but that apparently was a tall order for me.

After almost bombing my first midterm for MATLAB class, I literally thought I would lose my scholarship, drop out, and be forced to attend a university that I hated.

For me, Boston University was a dream school.

Everything about it was perfect, except for the tuition.

If you guys didn't know, I am originally from Ohio, and I could've attended Ohio State or Case Western Reserve for a lot less, but my family, who is a typical middle-class family in America, made a lot of sacrifices so I could attend my dream school.

Although I was feeling down in the dumps, and nothing was going my way, I knew I had made it too far to give up and let my parents and myself down.

So I went back to the drawing board, identified what worked and what didn't work, and changed my approach entirely.

And this decision ultimately changed everything.

The first thing I immediately noticed that I wasn't doing was managing my workload effectively.

I didn't know where to start, and basically treated every class equally.

I quickly learned that this is a recipe for disaster.

Every class is different.

Each professor is different.

And the level of difficulty of each class varies greatly.

On the first day of class, you need to sit down with all your syllabi and break down each class's grade structure.

Identify which assignments, projects, and exams have the most impact on the final grade and focus on those.

For example, in my thermodynamics class, the final exam was worth 50% of our final grade.

This meant that I had to start preparing for that exam well in advance, even if it meant sacrificing some time on smaller homework assignments and projects.

This brings us to the second thing I failed to do that had a huge impact on my grades.

And that is having a prioritized to-do list and calendar that lists out all my important deadlines.

You want to have a list of daily tasks based on key assignments and exam deadlines that you jot down on your calendar.

It can either be a digital or physical calendar.

It doesn't matter.

I wrote down every assignment and project deadline as well as midterm and final exam dates and even scheduled time for studying specific topics.

If my lab report was due on November 30th, for example, I worked backwards to determine that I should start working on it two weeks in advance.

I would then break the work down into drafting, typing in LaTeX, and finalizing, assigning each phase its own deadline.

Your to-do list and calendar shouldn't just include school-related work.

It should also include key deadlines and dates for things like applying to internships, attending career fairs, and participating in club events.

The next major mistake I made was not asking enough questions.

You definitely need to ask questions.

I would sit in class totally lost and just hope things would make sense later.

Spoiler alert, they never did.

So I started doing something different.

Whenever I was studying and hit a roadblock, I would write down my questions in a Google Doc along with my current understanding.

This gave me a list of things to clarify during lectures or office hours.

For instance, I struggle with fluid dynamics, especially with understanding the terms in the Navier-Stokes equation.

Instead of just moving on, I wrote down all the parts that I was confused about and brought them to the teaching assistant and occasionally the professor.

Not only did this help me understand the material better, but it showed the professor that I was genuinely engaged.

This simple yet effective habit drastically improved my grades.

Don't just wait for class to ask questions.

Email professors and TAs, attend office hours, and participate in study groups where you can get different perspectives.

Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question.

Well, there is.

But it's likely your questions are valid, and not asking them is simply a missed opportunity to learn.

Now, at some point, you have to realize that the way you studied in high school probably won't work well in university, especially for a major like mechanical engineering.

The classes are much more challenging, the pace at which material is taught is much faster, and it will demand much more self-discipline and problem-solving ability.

You need to find what works best for you.

It took me an entire semester to realize that the way I was studying wasn't working out, but I eventually discovered the quote-unquote set of optimal parameters that led to the most efficient study sessions.

What I did was experiment with a lot of different study styles until I found what worked best.

First, I tried studying alone for a few hours, then with friends.

What I found was that starting with two hours of focused solo study allowed me to efficiently absorb the material without any distractions.

Then studying with friends reinforced what I had learned through discussion and explanation.

Explaining concepts to others is one of the best ways to solidify your understanding of them.

Now, I also tested different environments.

Studying in my room was convenient, but I often got distracted.

The library provided a quiet space, but sometimes it felt too isolated.

I found a balance by spending my mornings in the library for deep-focused sessions and afternoons in the department's common area where I could easily ask classmates questions if needed.

Timing matters a lot, too.

I tried studying at different times throughout the day.

For me, studying for two hours in the morning after going for a morning run and eating breakfast was the most productive.

I would then review my notes right after all my classes and then do practice problems in the evening right before bed.

But remember that everyone is different, so what worked for me might not work for you.

Now, the biggest difference I noticed was when I studied right after exercising.

I'd go for a run or hit the gym, then dive into my textbooks.

The physical activity cleared my mind, and I felt like I could concentrate 10 times better.

Definitely give it a try, but no promises.

Now, one thing I didn't do nearly enough was build relationships with professors.

This is more important than you might think.

Early on, I treated my professors like distant figures, but that completely changed after I started attending office hours regularly.

By getting to know them, I not only gained valuable insights, but also felt more motivated to succeed in their classes.

I remember I took an intro to engineering design course taught by Professor Theo de Winter as a freshman, and I had trouble understanding this problem related to share stress.

I went to his office hours, and he spent merely five minutes clearing things up for me.

As a bonus, he also gave me tips on how to land an internship as a freshman without much practical experience.

That one-on-one interaction gave me a deeper understanding and made me more confident in the class.

Don't be afraid to approach your professors.

Start by asking questions after class or emailing them for any clarification.

Over time, you'll build a rapport with these professors that can be incredibly beneficial, not just academically, but for your future career as well when you need letters of rec and references.

And yes, there will always be some professors you don't vibe with.

Just forget about them and get what you need out of the class.

Now, everything we mentioned so far doesn't matter if you don't have a positive mindset.

Mindset is everything when it comes to engineering.

There will be tough classes, garbage professors, endless problems for you to solve, and those days when you just feel like giving up.

But it's how you respond to these challenges that makes a huge difference.

I remember for dynamics class, the professor was not the best at teaching and chose to use a textbook that I hated.

Instead of venting and giving up, I found online resources, bought a supplemental textbook, and studied with a group of friends who were in the same boat.

By staying positive and controlling what I could, I not only passed the class but did well in it.

When things get tough, remind yourself why you're here.

Focus on what you can control.

Your study habits, your attitude, and your effort.

Don't waste energy complaining about things you can't change, like a bad professor or a difficult class.

Instead, channel that energy in improving yourself and finding solutions.

Now, based on my experience, exams in university, including midterms and finals, typically account for the majority of the final grade.

So preparing hard for exams pays dividends, but at the same time, they can be incredibly stressful.

I'll share several strategies now to help you maximize your exam scores.

First, when I get my exam, I always take a minute to read through all the questions to gauge the difficulty and prioritize which questions to tackle first.

I always start with the questions that are worth the most points.

This ensures I'm making the biggest impact on my grade from the start.

If I get stuck on a question, I move on to the next one and come back if I have time.

Next, you should always show your work.

Even if you don't know the exact answer, laying out the steps you would take can earn you partial credit.

And if your final answer doesn't seem right, explain why it doesn't make sense and what you would do differently.

This shows the greater your thought process, which can sometimes earn you a few extra points.

Finally, keep an eye on the clock.

Allocate your time based on the points each question is worth and leave the last five minutes to review your answers and make sure you didn't miss anything.

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I'll end by saying that university is much more than grades.

While your academic performance is important, it's equally crucial to balance it with other aspects of your life.

Building relationships, getting involved in extracurricular activities, networking, and taking care of your physical and mental health will not only make you a well-rounded student, but also prepare you for life after graduation.

All of my best friends are people that I met at Boston University, and I'm so glad I didn't just focus solely on grades, because grades mean nothing after you graduate.

It's an absolute must to set aside time to eat proper meals, get enough sleep, exercise, and socialize daily to maintain a balanced lifestyle and avoid burnout.

Remember, nothing matters more than your health, so that should always be your top priority.

Besides, future employers aren't just looking at your GPA.

What they value way more are relevant practical experience, your passion, your ability to manage multiple responsibilities, and how well you work with others.

So don't feel guilty taking time for yourself and pursuing activities outside of your studies.

It's essential and necessary.

So there you have it, that's how I went from failing to becoming one of the top students in my class.

It definitely wasn't easy, and the entire process was a marathon, not a sprint.

It's without question that some days will be a dogfight, but by applying the right strategies, mindset, and tips that I shared in this video, any of you can and will succeed in mechanical engineering and any type of engineering for that matter.

You'll meet some of the brightest students from around the world and university, and just because you fall behind doesn't mean they're better than you.

You came from different backgrounds, you attended different high schools, your teachers teach differently, so it doesn't make any sense to compare yourself with others.

The only thing you should be doing is improving yourself and finding what works best for you.

Anyways, that's it for today, guys.

As always, thank you so much for watching, and if you found this video helpful, be sure to check out my video here, where I share the top skills to develop as a mechanical engineer, and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.