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Faculty of Applied Science / Mechanical Engineering / 2024 / March / 25 / Student Experience: Applying Your Knowledge and Building Things

Student Experience: Applying Your Knowledge and Building Things

March 25, 2024

This article is from UBC Engineering Student Spotlights.

Applying Your Knowledge and Building Things Cover Slide

“I wanted a career that was much more hands-on and where I didn’t have to invest in years of additional education after finishing my undergraduate degree.”

Briden Cardillo

  • Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
  • Program: Mechanical Engineering
  • Campus: Vancouver

Why did you want to study engineering?

I’ve always been interested in figuring out how things work – often by taking them apart! At the same time, I’ve also always been very creative and interested in making things.

Engineering was a place where I could do both.


Why did you choose UBC?

I’m from Ontario and had visited Vancouver once on the way to a ski trip Whistler. I loved the city and always had it in mind as a great place to go to school. When I was applying to university, I was also considering a career in medicine, and UBC Engineering’s biomedical engineering option seemed like a good pathway to get there.


Why did you choose Mechanical Engineering?

In first year I realized that being a doctor wasn’t a direction I wanted to pursue.

I wanted a career that was much more hands-on and where I didn’t have to invest in years of additional education after finishing my undergraduate degree.

Mechanical engineering appealed to me because you are building things and applying your knowledge from day one. I think this makes it quite unique among all the engineering programs on offer.

As students, we’re working with equipment in labs and seeing right away how theory applies to the real world – it makes for a very engaging and challenging program.


What are some highlights of your studies so far?

One that stands out is a design project we did in MECH 2 where we had to build a small car, launch it across a table using a launching mechanism and then get the car to fire a ball it was carrying and have the ball land in a funnel on the other side of the table. The project combined electrical and mechanical engineering and you got to see how all the different subsystems worked, in addition to the challenge of figuring out how to integrate them all together to achieve the objective.

This project was an unbelievable amount of work – but it was an amazing learning opportunity and so much fun.


Tell us about your co-op experiences.

Co-op has been a definite highlight of my undergrad. I did my second co-op position with Kardium, a medical technology company, and they recently asked me to extend for another four-month term.

I’m working on their laser-welding equipment and making modifications to the blades. Kardium uses high-precision laser welders to very small components.

I’ve been working on some safety devices that will enclose objects to protect operators from laser beams in the eyes, and I’m currently working on a new calibration method for optics that uses a robotic jig.

Last month I put together a PowerPoint presentation of my solution to different teams and got the go-ahead for it to be implemented, which was very rewarding.

On top of how interesting I find my co-op work, this is the first time since coming to university where I have found a healthy balance with my engineering interests and personal life.

It’s been great to invest my energy and effort into both my career and my life outside of work – and excelling at both.


What are your goals for your next few years at UBC?

My goals used to be quite academically focused on getting a high GPA, but those goals have shifted.

Now that I have some co-op terms under my belt I realize that my work experience speaks volumes about my abilities. Looking ahead, I want to continue to find that good balance between school or work and my personal interests, and not get overwhelmed by the pressures of coursework.


Any advice for students interested in pursuing engineering?

Take care of yourself.

The biggest factor that will help you do well is to be in a healthy place mentally and physically.

The first-year workload is very intense and you can try and grind through and push yourself, but that is mentally and emotionally exhausting and will only get you so far. Taking the time to take care of yourself, go to the gym, pursue your interests and talk with friends will help you out.

And by doing that, it’s easier to stay curious and interested in what you are doing. Rather than being pushed into it, you’re more likely to be pulled towards what you are studying and be much happier and engaged.

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