My university experience. Mechanical engineering from my eyes.

University... Golden times that I will treasure in my memory forever! Is there anyone who is happy that it's over? My sister! you don't know, I used to have anxiety attacks at the end of every semester thinking that I was going to fail some subject and at the end everything went well, however, "not passing" is not something that existed in my school vocabulary (to make you out of doubt I only failed one subject that I later passed "Mechanics").

But let's start right, where did my desire to become a mechanical engineer come from? I honestly didn't know what I wanted to do at university until the end of my high school. My last two years of high school I did in an institute where I graduated as "Bachelor in science and technology" since you had to take two extra subjects: " Design" and "Electronics" (exactly!). Electronics became one of my favorite subjects, and I must proudly say, I was always good in math, physics and chemistry, so engineering was on my future path (I didn't know it back then but I realize it now). I started researching about what careers were interesting to me and I discovered industrial engineering and mechanical engineering.... The functioning of machines and the structure of materials always caught my curiosity and fascination so I decided that Mechanical Engineering was my path.

Simple, with no external influence or anything to stop me from trying. Since I was a little girl I was always (with all my femininity and sweetness) daddy's "boy"! I loved to stick my nose in the things that needed to be repaired at home, passed the tools and asked a thousand questions to later be amazed by my dad's ability to repair the iron. I found out after I graduated that my dad's dream was to be an engineer and he felt he accomplished it when I did it (he never said anything to me before).

I had no idea what I was getting into, I didn't know all the pressure a woman could have on her shoulders just for making a decision as simple as "I want to study this career". What kind of world do we live in? The truth is that one of the things that helped me to face the challenge was simply not having any idea about it.

I fell in love with engineering, I fell in love with what it implies, with the possibilities that the life of an engineer offered me. I fell in love with what was around me in my university life. I loved studying with only guys. I loved the daily challenges I had to face, and most of all I felt capable of doing it and I felt I was in my element. It wasn't easy but sometimes when you feel like you belong in a place things just flows and the effort comes from a very beautiful place inside of you, it comes from passion.

In the beginning it's like everything else, no one believes you can do it until you just do it! My classmates were sure that I would quit at any moment until they met me and saw how stubborn I am, my professors also expected that from me until they saw my passion and commitment. The best laughs of my life were in a classroom of approximately 5 x 3 meters (I am not exaggerating).

One of the things that helped me conquer my college life was that I was surrounded by wonderful men who accepted, respected, cared for and loved me throughout my 5 years of career. We became a brotherhood, I was the glue that held us together (because poor who dared to disagree with me). Whenever someone was in trouble it became everyone's problem and from there I understood very well the concept of "We are stronger together".

With them there is no prejudice, and I allow myself just to be myself to the fullest. They know me completely and accept me as I am and I am in love with each of them. I will always thank them for how much they believed in me. I became an empowered woman, confident and able to approach a group of men without feeling nervous or intimidated. These are skills that only experience can teach you.

Maybe I was very lucky, it is not easy for women who decide to be in this career. You have to have a lot of character and maturity to show that you can do it and that it is not a gender thing, it is about effort, dedication and discipline. But it is not impossible and every day it becomes more and more exposed! One of the things that stops us from trying to get into these waters is the simple phrase "It's for men".... Amigas, that phase is already burned, so if you like it, dare, it's a wonderful career.

Key.