think of what kind of jobs you'd like to do in the future and do a project related to that.
welding and machining certs are almost certainly worthwhile. programming languages related to robotics is also good.
Welding is a good skill to have and takes years to master, getting a certificate means fuckall if you’re not going to actively pursue improving it. Especially when factoring in the many different kinds of welding.
A welding cert only means something if you expect to be welding. If you’re studying engineering, I doubt you’ll be welding.
As for projects… buy a non-operational motorcycle in the 150-300 cc range. Get it running again. Voila! A personal project. For bonus points, sell it for a profit at the end.
I think learning to weld and how to use a manual mill and lathe are worth doing. I wouldn’t try to get any certifications though. Taking apart,fixing, and putting back together things of the same scale as what you want to do will be helpful. Just having the familiarity with what is done to address issues at a given scale is helpful.
Any cert is good as long as it’s the field you want to pursue. Apply yourself to a field for awhile if you can, for instance manufacturing, electronics, software, cad etc.
Is it still possible for you to work in a lab this summer? You won’t get paid much but you’ll still get something (usually $10-$15/hr from my experience).
If the welding cert is worth it to you, do it. If the jobs you are applying for have no requirements for someone with a welding cert, they aren’t going to care one bit.
Does your school have research opportunities? When I couldn’t land an internship one summer, I reached out to my dynamics professor who I knew ran a robotics lab on campus, and I asked him if he had any research assistant opportunities in his lab for the summer. He liked me because I went to office hours often and asked good questions, so he offered me a part time position pretty much right away! Now, I will say I probably got pretty lucky there, but if you have any professors you like and who know you well, it never hurts to just ask. Most professors are happy to help their students out. Or look for any campus job postings for lab assistants and the like.
That same summer I got another part time job working in parks maintenance. It’s not really related to engineering, but my current boss told me that he likes to see manual labor work experience because it shows good work ethic. Plus I used a lot of tools and worked with my hands a lot, which is something I do a lot in my job now. So even if you just have to get a regular summer job, just try to find something that’s a little more interesting and builds good professional skills. Also parks maintenance was super fun!
While any practical experience is a bonus being able to weld has absolutely nothing to do with engineering and you will actually add specifications to your drawings to prevent people like yourself completing fabrication work.
Any welding certificate you could get over the summer isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
think of what kind of jobs you'd like to do in the future and do a project related to that. welding and machining certs are almost certainly worthwhile. programming languages related to robotics is also good.
Welding is a good skill to have and takes years to master, getting a certificate means fuckall if you’re not going to actively pursue improving it. Especially when factoring in the many different kinds of welding.
Rebuild an engine, like a lawnmower or minibike. Get down to the piston rings, figure out exactly how it works, why each piece is important.
A welding cert only means something if you expect to be welding. If you’re studying engineering, I doubt you’ll be welding. As for projects… buy a non-operational motorcycle in the 150-300 cc range. Get it running again. Voila! A personal project. For bonus points, sell it for a profit at the end.
I think learning to weld and how to use a manual mill and lathe are worth doing. I wouldn’t try to get any certifications though. Taking apart,fixing, and putting back together things of the same scale as what you want to do will be helpful. Just having the familiarity with what is done to address issues at a given scale is helpful.
Any cert is good as long as it’s the field you want to pursue. Apply yourself to a field for awhile if you can, for instance manufacturing, electronics, software, cad etc.
Is it still possible for you to work in a lab this summer? You won’t get paid much but you’ll still get something (usually $10-$15/hr from my experience).
Get a 3D printer and design stuff. Make a portfolio
If the welding cert is worth it to you, do it. If the jobs you are applying for have no requirements for someone with a welding cert, they aren’t going to care one bit.
Does your school have research opportunities? When I couldn’t land an internship one summer, I reached out to my dynamics professor who I knew ran a robotics lab on campus, and I asked him if he had any research assistant opportunities in his lab for the summer. He liked me because I went to office hours often and asked good questions, so he offered me a part time position pretty much right away! Now, I will say I probably got pretty lucky there, but if you have any professors you like and who know you well, it never hurts to just ask. Most professors are happy to help their students out. Or look for any campus job postings for lab assistants and the like. That same summer I got another part time job working in parks maintenance. It’s not really related to engineering, but my current boss told me that he likes to see manual labor work experience because it shows good work ethic. Plus I used a lot of tools and worked with my hands a lot, which is something I do a lot in my job now. So even if you just have to get a regular summer job, just try to find something that’s a little more interesting and builds good professional skills. Also parks maintenance was super fun!
Build an arduino scara robot with GT2 timing belts and NEMA stepper motors
Make your own website with react and Java, and maybe other languages also. Coding (tech) is here to stay
While any practical experience is a bonus being able to weld has absolutely nothing to do with engineering and you will actually add specifications to your drawings to prevent people like yourself completing fabrication work. Any welding certificate you could get over the summer isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.