Applying Your Knowledge and Building Things

"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:
  • Campus: Vancouver
  • Year: Third year as of January 2024

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.

The skills you need to succeed as an engineer

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.

Biomedical engineering option

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. 

Mechanical engineering

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. 

MECH 2

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. 

Co-op  Kardium

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. 

Engineering might not be what you think it is

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. 

Foundation year 

The first-year advantage of UBC Engineering

LinkedIn
Two UBC mechanical engineering students prepare for the autonomous landing platform competition.

Mechanical Engineering

As a student in UBC’s Mechanical Engineering stream, you’ll begin by mastering the fundamentals, building a knowledge base in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, vibrations, heat transfer, controls and design. As a student in UBC’s Mechanical Engineering stream, you’ll begin by mastering the fundamentals, building a knowledge base in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, vibrations, heat transfer, controls and design.

Mechanical Engineering

Discover Student Experiences

UBC Applied Science students are people who are passionate about their chosen field — architecture, landscape architecture, community and regional planning, engineering and nursing — and those that inspire others by making meaningful contributions to the betterment of society.

Browse Student and Alumni Spotlights
UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. E-commerce Cart A shopping cart. Time A clock. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Social Media The globe is the default icon for a social media platform. TikTok The logo for the TikTok social media platform. Calendar Location Home A house in silhouette. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Search A magnifying glass. Arrow indicating share action A directional arrow. Speech Bubble A speech bubble. Star An outline of a star. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. User A silhouette of a person. Vimeo The logo for the Vimeo video sharing service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service. Future of work A logo for the Future of Work category. Inclusive leadership A logo for the Inclusive leadership category. Planetary health A logo for the Planetary health category. Solutions for people A logo for the Solutions for people category. Thriving cities A logo for the Thriving cities category. University for future A logo for the University for future category.