I intend to study mechanical engineering as my major in college. Ever since I was young, working with LEGOs and creating mechanical projects has always greatly interested me. I am interested in pursuing a path which is more flexible than many engineering fields and allows me to obtain the skill set necessary for a myriad of future projects. My hope is to work for tech start ups, designing and developing a range of incredibly useful products.
Nikola Tesla is a mechanical and electrical engineer whose technical contributions to society are numerous and profound. Since 1884, Tesla worked as an engineer alongside Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, filing numerous patents and pioneering all sorts of new his ideas. Throughout the 1890s, he developed an oscillating generator, efficient lighting systems, and the infamous Tesla coil.
This Serbian prodigy excelled throughout middle school and high school in Germany, where he even graduated a year early. After a successful two years at an Austrian Polytechnic school gaining high marks and considerable attention, a gambling addiction cost him his college degree. Upon these educational failures, he made his way from city to city across Europe and into America, evading his disappointed family and constantly attaining new jobs. Even without a degree, Tesla's advanced understanding of physics and electronics and helped him rise in the world of engineering.
Nikola Tesla was brilliant, eccentric, independent, and forward-thinking.
I chose to research this iconic and intriguing character in the engineering realm because of his unique persona, unfathomable understanding of universal mechanics, and creative deliberation, traits found only in a figure like Tesla poised to revolutionize modern technology.
What I really like about Tesla's career path is the multitude of employment opportunities, sectors, and areas he was able to work in. The knowledge of electronics he accumulated was expertly utilized in such a wide range of engineering fields. The flexibility and freedom of mechanical engineering greatly appeals to my future aspirations. However, one thing I dislike about the genius' style of work was his solitude in the workplace. Tesla frequently took to his mind when designing and memorizing the parts of machinery he sought to create. Rather than work collaboratively with peers, the engineer sought to work alone and figure everything out for himself. While it may be reasonable for a man of his brilliance, it is an aspect of his career choices I don't personally adore.
Overall, Nikola Tesla was an ingenious master of mechanics who forever altered the technological course of civilization.
https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/nikola-tesla