You maybe didn’t want to be here in the first place. Maybe someone you cherished painted a dream you held onto. Or maybe your reason is as simple as a having a ‘conversation’ with friends. Here’s Ibraheem’s take on Why Mechatronics
Initially, I didn’t even have the science department in mind. I didn’t have it in mind at all. It was as though I was actually forced to come to the science department in some way.
Oh. Interesting. Science department as in Secondary school, correct?
Yeah, yeah. Secondary School.
Hmm
So, I actually had the commercial department in mind and wanted to be an accountant—because I love money a lot; so counting a lot of money and the likes.
soft laugh
I mean, Valid point y’know.
My dad loved engineering since he was younger but because he had other priorities—he was working already—he went the commercial route by studying business administration.
MmHmm
He was like he wants me to do engineering. So, that was where the journey started.
On the long run, as a science student, I actually didn’t know what I wanted to study in the engineering [route/path], I just knew I wanted to become an engineer.
But I had friends that did one or two things and also had that joy for engineering; they aspired to be engineers also.
Hmm
So, when I was in SS2. There’s this friend of mine that wrote JAMB to [enroll into] FUNAAB and said he wanted to study “Mechatronics Engineering.” That was where I first heard the word “Mechatronics.” I was like, What is Mechatronics??.
He tried to explain to me, but I didn’t quite get what it was about. But after hearing that, I went home and told my sister about it—as I’m the only boy in the house.
OoO, interesting.
I told my sister and she happened to have a friend in FUNAAB that studied Mechatronics engineering. The way she described it (Mechatronics engineering) felt very interesting, she was like They built robots. Like I saw the robot fly…
…and that was what sparked my initial interest in Mechatronics engineering.
I still had some doubts.
My friends were like: you cannot get into FUNAAB for Mechatronics engineering.
And I was like: why?
They said: they have a way its done such that only those who they want eventually get the course.
And I was like: are you doubting my capabilities?
And they were like: you do JAMB, and if you get into Mechatronics engineering, we’ll see.
So you LockedIn™
Haha.
That was it right. Now that I’m in the department, I’ve seen other reasons as to Why Mechatronics. Not as ‘just another course’ but one that cuts across domains necessary for development and technological advancements. Cause this country is way behind on that front.
Hmm
Mechatronics is a good course, but it feels more like emphasis is placed on theory than the more practical aspects of the course.
I’m not saying there are no practical learnings, I’m saying, they’re limited.
[…]
I just felt like that robot my sister made mention of was what piqued my interest. I want to build that robot. Maybe even something more.
soft laugh
I want to build humanoids.
Hm. Interesting. Why humanoids exactly?
Well, essentially I intend to have my own hardware company someday.
That’s interesting. Hardware does run the world, right? At the end of the day, everything thing needs to sit on something tangible.
Yeah.
Alright, a quick recap of this conversation.
Essentially, you’re telling me (Mechatronics) engineering wasn’t even an afterthought. It wasn’t on the radar to begin with.
Hmm
And then your dad’s subtle nudge to study it, which led to conversations with a friend, then the grandiose dream painted by your sister, fast-forward to the dare with more friends, and now a resolve to impact the world through it via your long-seated interest in business and economics. Through a reimagination of what’s possible.
Did I get that right?
Yeah, right. Right.
Now that’s interesting. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you for having me.
