For Engineering here in Cambridge, second year is considered the most demanding and difficult of them all, for various reasons. One of them is that the topic is still broad, so we still have to cover various engineering fields before we specialize with the start of the third year. Also, the residual knowledge gained before coming to university does no more help us in making understanding of the concepts easier, from now on basically everything is new. On the other hand, most of the subjects in this term are very interesting and useful, and every new grasped equation gives myself a good feeling. Laboratory projects are no longer just an attractive chance to practically use the theory gained in lectures, but also demand lots of report writing and technical assessments. We often work in large teams of people that we had not known before, therefore often even co-ordination is very time consuming.
However, many aspects of the studies and life are now easier for me because after a year in Cambridge I know what to expect. Therefore my personal feeling from the first 6 weeks of this term is that although the workload rises, the stress level is less than last year. I discovered how I can make myself efficient and unlike last year, I know that it is ok to take a break unless it is June. In this aspect, a very important part of my life is rowing. This is because of the crew spirit that comes from the fact that all members of the crew take rowing as their way to escape for a while from the quick and demanding life at their departments. The fact that many people voluntarily get up at 6AM, just to enjoy freezing on a river in rain and temperatures just above zero between 6:45 and 8:00, then rush to their departments and finally end their day by a hurtful evening erg session, speaks a lot about the determination of Cambridge students. It is an absolutely unique experience to be part of it, and brings a lot of positive energy.
Currently we are starting the so-called Integrated Design Project at the department, the main part of which is constructing an autonomous small vehicle that will complete given tasks. According to the older students, this should be one of the highlights of the entire studies at Cambridge, so I will certainly include a further description of it in the next article.
But now, it is time to set my alarm clock for 6AM and look forward to a next fulfilling day in Cambridge!
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