Where does your engineering heart belong?

Say your younger self knocked on your door asking for advice on their big decision, “What’s better, Mechanical or Electrical engineering?”

Whoa now there’s a deep topic, but it’s one I’ve been thinking about over the last week.

This one question has stumped me, how can you compare these two monoliths of engineering.

Mechanical:
To quote Columbia University – Mechanical engineering is the study of objects and systems in motion.
• Gears
• Linkages
• Screws
• Engines
• Springs
• Humans
• Work done
Using the principles of motion, energy and force, Mechanical engineers can design hardware to solve many problems.

Mechanical solutions tend to focus on infrastructure.

But it has limitations:
• Limited by available materials.
• Faces challenges in size and weight.
• Sensitive to external environmental conditions.

Electrical:
This is the study of electrical components, frequencies, voltage, currents and ampere.
• Motors
• Radar
• Navigation
• Communication
• Power generation
• Circuits
Using the principles of electricity, Electrical engineers can solve problems of a different nature.

Electrical solutions tend to focus on automation.

But it also has limitations:
• Complex circuits can be challenging.
• Some solutions may be power-hungry.
• Sensitivity to environmental factors is a consideration.

What do I think?
I’m old school, so I would side with Mechanical, there’s something about making a solution using only what’s around you that inspires me.

But this question is also dated, it doesn’t account for modern day solutions where the two disciplines have merged into Mechatronics.
• Robotics
• Drones
• Starships
• Planes
• EV’s
• Nano tech

If I could advise my younger self today:
I’d say dive into Mechatronics. In this evolving field, the best of both worlds come together, preparing engineers for a tech-rich future.

What’s your opinion?