Name: 我是如何從機械工程專業的 "FAILING"（不及格）學生變成 "TOP"（優秀）學生的？ (How I went from FAILING to TOP Mechanical Engineering Student | Best Study Tips)
Uploaded: 2024-09-25T13:37:27.000Z
Duration: 15 min 56 s

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try, you're always behind in your classes and drowning in work?

你是否有過這樣的感覺：無論你多麼努力，你的課程總是落後，作業總是太多？

分詞構句

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。

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。

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.

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.

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。

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.

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。

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。

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。

劇透一下，他們從來沒有做過。

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.

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.

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。

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.

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.

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.

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.

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。