Yeah, I've been there.

是啊，我也經歷過。

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.

在我就讀機械工程專業的第一年，我的課程不及格，感覺不堪重負，而且我真的懷疑自己是否做出了正確的選擇。

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

我想，也許我不夠聰明，或者不適合學習工程學。

But then, one day, something clicked.

但是，有一天，我突然意識到了什麼。

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

我從苦苦掙扎到成為本專業最優秀的學生之一。

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

是以，在這段視頻中，我將與大家分享我是如何實現這一突然轉變的，以及幫助我取得成功的具體策略。

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

讓我帶你回到我人生的最低谷。

It was a dark winter evening.

那是一個漆黑的冬夜。

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.

我還記得，在又一次考試失敗後，我坐在位於布斯韋爾街 7 號的波士頓大學宿舍裡，感覺自己徹底失敗了。

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

我的室友像往常一樣瘋狂地玩《星際爭霸》，物理課本翻開放在腿上。

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.

毫不誇張地說，在比賽間隙，他會看一會兒課本，大約 5 分鐘，然後繼續下一場比賽。

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.

那時，我所有的同學都像我的室友一樣，似乎可以毫不費力地理解一切，而我卻被淹沒在公式和概念中，根本無法理解。

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

基本上，我一直在追趕。

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

我一直是高中的優等生，我不習慣落後。

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

不得不說，這是我當時最害怕的感覺之一。

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.

波士頓大學給了我四年的獎學金，支付了我一大筆學費，2012 年的學費約為 43,000 美元。

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.

為了保住這筆獎學金，我所要做的就是將平均學分績點保持在 3.0，但這對我來說顯然是一個很高的要求。

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.

在 MATLAB 課程的第一次期中考試中，我差點掛科，當時我真的以為自己會失去獎學金，退學，被迫進入一所我討厭的大學。

For me, Boston University was a dream school.

對我來說，波士頓大學是一所夢寐以求的學校。

Everything about it was perfect, except for the tuition.

除了學費，這裡的一切都很完美。

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.

如果你們不知道，我來自俄亥俄州，我本可以花更少的錢上俄亥俄州立大學或凱斯西儲大學，但我的家庭是美國典型的中產階級家庭，為了讓我上我的夢想學校，他們做出了很多犧牲。

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.

雖然我當時心情低落，一切都不順心，但我知道自己已經走得太遠，不能放棄，不能讓父母和自己失望。

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

於是，我回到繪圖板前，找出哪些有效，哪些無效，並徹底改變了我的方法。

And this decision ultimately changed everything.

這個決定最終改變了一切。

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

我立即注意到，我沒有做到的第一件事就是有效管理我的工作量。

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

我不知從何下手，基本上對每個班級都一視同仁。

I quickly learned that this is a recipe for disaster.

我很快就意識到這是一個災難的根源。

Every class is different.

每個班級都不一樣。

Each professor is different.

每個教授都不一樣。

And the level of difficulty of each class varies greatly.

每個班級的難度也大不相同。

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

開課第一天，你需要拿著所有的教學大綱坐下來，細分每門課的成績結構。

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

確定哪些作業、項目和考試對最終成績影響最大，並將重點放在這些方面。

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

例如，在我的熱力學課上，期末考試佔我們期末成績的 50%。

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.

這意味著我必須提前開始準備考試，即使這意味著要犧牲一些時間來完成較小的家庭作業和項目。

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

這就引出了我沒有做到的第二件事，它對我的成績產生了巨大影響。

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

那就是我有一個按優先順序排列的待辦事項清單和日曆，列出所有重要的截止日期。

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

你要根據關鍵作業和考試截止日期，在日曆上記下每天的任務清單。

It can either be a digital or physical calendar.

它可以是數字日曆，也可以是實體日曆。

It doesn't matter.

沒關係。

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

我寫下了每項作業和項目的截止日期以及期中和期末考試日期，甚至還安排了學習特定主題的時間。

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.

例如，如果我的實驗報告在 11 月 30 日到期，我就會倒推，確定我應該提前兩週開始寫報告。

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

然後，我會將工作分為起草、用 LaTeX 輸入和定稿，併為每個階段指定各自的截止日期。

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

你的待辦事項清單和日程表不應只包括與學校有關的工作。

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

它還應包括申請實習、參加職業博覽會和參加俱樂部活動等事項的關鍵截止日期和日期。

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

我犯的下一個重大錯誤是沒有問足夠多的問題。

You definitely need to ask questions.

你肯定需要問問題。

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

我坐在教室裡完全迷失了方向，只希望以後事情會變得有意義。

Spoiler alert, they never did.

劇透一下，他們從來沒有做過。

So I started doing something different.

於是，我開始做一些與眾不同的事情。

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

每當我在學習中遇到困難時，我都會在 Google 文檔中寫下我的問題和我目前的理解。

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

這給了我一份在講座或辦公時間需要澄清的事項清單。

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

例如，我在流體動力學方面很吃力，尤其是在理解納維-斯托克斯方程中的術語方面。

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.

我沒有一蹶不振，而是寫下了所有我感到困惑的部分，並把它們帶給助教，偶爾也帶給教授。

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

這不僅有助於我更好地理解教材，還讓教授看到了我真正的投入。

This simple yet effective habit drastically improved my grades.

這個簡單而有效的習慣大大提高了我的成績。

Don't just wait for class to ask questions.

不要等到上課時才提問。

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

給教授和助教發郵件，參加辦公時間活動，參加學習小組，以便獲得不同的觀點。

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

記住，沒有愚蠢的問題。

Well, there is.

嗯，有的。

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

但你的問題很可能是有道理的，不問這些問題就等於錯過了學習的機會。

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.

現在，你必須意識到，你在高中的學習方法可能在大學裡行不通，尤其是像機械工程這樣的專業。

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.

這些課程更具挑戰性，教材的教學進度更快，對學生的自律性和解決問題的能力要求更高。

You need to find what works best for you.

你需要找到最適合自己的方法。

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.

我花了一整個學期的時間才意識到我的學習方法並不奏效，但我最終發現了一套引以為豪的最佳參數，這套參數能讓我的學習效率最高。

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

我所做的就是嘗試許多不同的學習方式，直到找到最有效的方法。

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

首先，我試著一個人學習幾個小時，然後和朋友一起學習。

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

我發現，從兩個小時的專注獨學開始，我可以心無旁騖地高效吸收材料。

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

然後，與朋友們一起學習，通過討論和講解，我學到的知識得到了鞏固。

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

向他人解釋概念是鞏固自己對概念理解的最佳方法之一。

Now, I also tested different environments.

現在，我還測試了不同的環境。

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

在房間裡學習很方便，但我經常分心。

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

圖書館提供了一個安靜的空間，但有時也讓人感覺過於孤立。

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.

我找到了一個平衡點，那就是上午在圖書館集中學習，下午在系裡的公共區域學習，如果有需要，我可以很方便地向同學請教問題。

Timing matters a lot, too.

時機也很重要。

I tried studying at different times throughout the day.

我試著在一天中的不同時間學習。

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

對我來說，早上晨跑和吃完早餐後學習兩個小時是最有成效的。

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

然後，我會在所有課程結束後馬上覆習筆記，晚上睡覺前再做練習題。

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

但請記住，每個人都是不同的，所以對我有效的方法可能對你無效。

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

現在，我注意到的最大不同是在運動後立即學習。

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

我會去跑步或去健身房，然後一頭扎進課本里。

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

體育活動讓我頭腦清醒，我感覺自己的注意力比以前集中了十倍。

Definitely give it a try, but no promises.

一定要試一試，但不能保證。

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

現在，有一件事我做得遠遠不夠，那就是與教授們建立關係。

This is more important than you might think.

這比你想象的更重要。

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

早期，我把教授們當作遙遠的人物，但在我開始定期參加辦公時間後，這種情況徹底改變了。

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

通過了解他們，我不僅獲得了寶貴的見解，而且更有動力在他們的課堂上取得成功。

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.

我記得我在大一的時候選修了 Theo de Winter 教授講授的工程設計入門課程，我很難理解這個與分擔壓力有關的問題。

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

我去了他的辦公室，他只花了五分鐘就為我澄清了一切。

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

另外，他還給我支招，告訴我作為一個沒有太多實踐經驗的大一新生，如何找到一份實習工作。

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

這種一對一的互動讓我加深了理解，也讓我在課堂上更加自信。

Don't be afraid to approach your professors.

不要害怕接近你的教授。

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

從課後提問開始，或向他們發送電子郵件以求澄清。

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.

隨著時間的推移，你會與這些教授建立起良好的關係，這不僅在學術上，而且在你未來的職業生涯中需要推薦信和推薦信時，都會對你大有裨益。

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

是的，總會有一些教授與你格格不入。

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

忘掉他們，從課堂上獲得你需要的東西。

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

現在，如果你沒有積極的心態，我們到目前為止提到的一切都不重要。

Mindset is everything when it comes to engineering.

說到工程學，心態就是一切。

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

會有艱苦的課程，會有垃圾教授，會有解決不完的問題，也會有想放棄的時候。

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

但是，如何應對這些挑戰才是最重要的。

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

我記得在上動態課時，教授的教學水準並不高，而且選用了一本我很討厭的教科書。

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.

我沒有發洩和放棄，而是找到了網上資源，買了一本補充教材，並和一群同病相憐的朋友一起學習。

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

通過保持積極的態度和控制自己的能力，我不僅通過了這門課，而且學得很好。

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

遇到困難時，提醒自己為什麼來到這裡。

Focus on what you can control.

專注於你能控制的事情。

Your study habits, your attitude, and your effort.

你的學習習慣、態度和努力。

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

不要浪費精力去抱怨你無法改變的事情，比如糟糕的教授或難上的課。

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

相反，要把這些精力用於改善自己和尋找解決方案。

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

根據我的經驗，大學裡的考試，包括期中考試和期末考試，通常佔期末成績的大部分。

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

是以，努力備考是有回報的，但與此同時，考試也會給人帶來巨大的壓力。

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

現在，我將與大家分享幾種策略，幫助大家最大限度地提高考試成績。

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.

首先，當我拿到考卷時，我總會花一分鐘時間通讀所有試題，以衡量難度，並確定首先要解決哪些問題。

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

我總是從分值最高的問題開始。

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

這樣可以確保我從一開始就對我的成績產生最大的影響。

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

如果我在一個問題上卡住了，我就轉到下一個問題，如果有時間再回來。

Next, you should always show your work.

其次，你應該經常展示自己的作品。

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

即使你不知道確切的答案，列出你要採取的步驟也能為你贏得部分學分。

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

如果你的最終答案看起來不對，請解釋為什麼不合理，以及你會採取什麼不同的做法。

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

這表明你的思維過程更嚴謹，有時會為你加分。

Finally, keep an eye on the clock.

最後，要注意時間。

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.

根據每道題的分值來分配時間，最後留出五分鐘來複習答案，確保沒有遺漏。

Now, one of my favorite platforms that fostered essential learning skills and helped me excel in my classes and gave me that extra edge was Brilliant, the sponsor of today's video.

今天視頻的贊助商 Brilliant 是我最喜歡的平臺之一，它培養了我的基本學習技能，幫助我在課堂上取得優異成績，為我帶來額外的優勢。

It features thousands of interactive lessons in math, physics, data analysis, programming, and AI.

它提供數千節數學、物理、數據分析、編程和人工智能方面的互動課程。

Brilliant simplifies complex problems into straightforward parts, leveraging a first principles approach.

Brilliant 利用第一原理方法，將複雜的問題簡化為簡單的部分。

Their lessons build problem-solving skills and allow you to experiment with concepts.

他們的課程能培養學生解決問題的能力，並讓學生嘗試各種概念。

This method is proven to be six times more effective than conventional lecture-based learning.

事實證明，這種方法比傳統的講授式學習有效六倍。

Brilliant's lessons are crafted by professors, researchers, and professionals from MIT, Caltech, Microsoft, and Google, so you will be learning from the best.

Brilliant 的課程由麻省理工學院、加州理工學院、微軟和谷歌的教授、研究人員和專業人士精心設計，是以您將從最優秀的人那裡學到知識。

Brilliant also promotes critical thinking through active learning, not memorization, so you become a much better thinker.

Brilliant 還通過主動學習而不是死記硬背來促進批判性思維，是以你會成為一個更好的思考者。

It also encourages the habit of daily learning conducive to both personal and professional growth.

它還鼓勵養成每天學習的習慣，以利於個人和專業的成長。

Brilliant's fun bite-sized lessons allow you to learn wherever, whenever, and make the most out of your time.

Brilliant 的趣味課程可以讓您隨時隨地學習，充分利用時間。

Scientific thinking is one of my favorite courses that teaches you key scientific and engineering principles and theories, from simple machines to gears and pulleys to the rules of collision.

科學思維是我最喜歡的課程之一，它向你傳授關鍵的科學和工程原理與理論，從簡單機械到齒輪和滑輪，再到碰撞規則。

To try out everything Brilliant has to offer free for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org slash engineering gone wild or check out the link in the description below.

要在 30 天內免費試用 Brilliant 的所有功能，請訪問 brilliant.org slash engineering gone wild 或查看下面描述中的鏈接。

You'll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.

您還可以享受年度高級訂閱 8 折優惠。

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

最後，我想說的是，大學不僅僅是成績。

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

學習成績固然重要，但平衡好學習成績與生活的其他方面也同樣重要。

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.

建立人際關係、參與課外活動、建立人際網絡以及關注自己的身心健康，不僅能讓你成為一個全面發展的學生，還能讓你為畢業後的生活做好準備。

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.

我所有的好朋友都是在波士頓大學認識的，我很慶幸自己沒有隻看重成績，因為畢業後成績就毫無意義了。

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.

要保持平衡的生活方式，避免倦怠，絕對要留出時間合理膳食、保證充足睡眠、鍛鍊身體並每天進行社交活動。

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

請記住，沒有什麼比你的健康更重要，所以這應該始終是你的首要任務。

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

此外，未來的僱主不會只看你的 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.

他們更看重的是相關的實踐經驗、你的激情、管理多項職責的能力以及你與他人合作的能力。

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

是以，在學習之餘抽出時間參加活動，不要感到內疚。

It's essential and necessary.

這是必不可少的，也是必須的。

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

就這樣，我從不及格變成了班上的尖子生。

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

這絕對不是一件容易的事，整個過程是一場馬拉松，而不是短跑。

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.

毫無疑問，有些日子會很難熬，但只要運用我在本視頻中分享的正確策略、心態和技巧，你們任何人都能在機械工程和任何類型的工程中取得成功。

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.

你會遇到來自世界各地和大學裡最聰明的學生，你的落後並不意味著他們比你優秀。

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.

你們來自不同的背景，就讀於不同的高中，老師的教學方式也不同，所以拿自己和別人比較沒有任何意義。

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

你唯一應該做的就是提高自己，找到最適合自己的方法。

Anyways, that's it for today, guys.

總之，今天就到這裡吧，夥計們。

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.

一如既往，非常感謝您的收看，如果您覺得本視頻對您有幫助，請務必點擊這裡查看我的視頻，在這裡我將與您分享作為一名機械工程師需要掌握的頂級技能，我們下期再見。

Peace.

和平。