How I Went from Hating Studying in Engineering to ACTUALLY ENJOYING It 📝

You’re sitting at your desk, scrolling through an endless list of equations and lecture slides, wondering why you ever signed up for this in the first place.

Sound familiar?

Yeah, same. For the longest time, I absolutely hated studying. It felt like a chore—something I had to get through just to survive another week of classes. But then, everything changed. I figured out how to actually enjoy studying, to the point where I look forward to it. No joke.

Before I dive into it, I just want to put it out there: I’m not a Professional Engineer. At the time of writing, I’m a 5th year engineering student sharing what worked for me. This blog was inspired by my video, so be sure to check it out:

Why Studying Felt Miserable

Studying used to be so boring for me because it always felt like a grind. Endless notes, huge blocks of text in textbooks, and lectures that seemed to drag on forever. I didn’t even hate learning—it was really the way we were being taught that drained the fun out of it. Our minds had been conditioned to find learning as boring our whole student lives.

But one day, I started thinking about how I used to learn things when I was younger. For example, I’d get curious about something random, like how a car works. That curiosity would lead me down this rabbit hole of Googling everything from engines to steering mechanisms. Before I knew it, I’d spent hours learning without even realizing it!

That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t enjoying studying because I was associating it with stress, pressure, and deadlines; the stuff we deal with on a daily as students. Once I changed that mindset and found ways to make learning fun again, everything clicked.

But how do you actually go about putting it into practice? This is what I did:

Step 1: Ditch the 'Pressure' Mindset

The first thing I did was stop thinking about studying as something I had to do for exams or other assessments that pressured me to learn. Instead, I imagined myself as an explorer—like I’d landed on a new planet and was learning about everything for the first time. I started approaching topics with genuine curiosity, asking simple questions like, “How does this even work?” or “Why is this important?”. Asking these super simple questions helps spark the curiosity. The way I see it, to enjoy learning you should understand this: Curiosity due to seeing an application > Desire to learn > Take action to learn (effortlessly)

It's just like my car example earlier:

1) I saw a car and wondered 'How does that work?' (Curiosity due to seeing an application)

2) I wanted to learn how it worked (Desire to learn due to curiosity)

3) I went on Google and spent hours learning how a car works (Take action to learn)

Understanding this process can help alleviate that pressure to learn, and make the process way more enjoyable.

Step 2: Set Yourself Up for Success

Okay, so mindset is one thing, but you also need to set yourself up to actually enjoy your study sessions. Here’s how I do it:

1. Plan Ahead

If you usually cram three days before an exam, try simply starting four or five days earlier. Giving yourself more time takes the stress out of studying and lets you focus on understanding the material instead of rushing through it. It's these kind of tips that seem obvious, but work like a charm when put into practice.

And nothings worse than trying to rush through stuff. I remember hating watching my recorded lectures back in first year at 2x speed where the professor started sounding like a mouse. But when I switched to 1x speed and let myself take in the information, it felt less painful.

2. Use a Pomodoro Timer

This one’s a classic: study for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and repeat. It keeps things manageable and stops you from burning out.

Here's one you might be interested in looking into: Cube Pomodoro Timer: https://amzn.to/3Z3aXEo (Amazon)

3. Create a Distraction-Free Zone

It's an obvious yet effective tip: Put your phone in another room, or at least on Do Not Disturb. There’s nothing worse than getting into a groove and then getting derailed by a random notification.

Step 3: Make Studying Fun

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to actually make studying enjoyable. Here’s what works for me:

1. Spark Your Curiosity, even through social media?

If you're stuck scrolling on Youtube shorts or Instagram Reels or Tiktok, let's use the app to our advantage instead of trying to work against it.

If I’m learning about aerodynamics, I might watch a quick Youtube video about how airplanes fly. Or if I'm learning about heat transfer, maybe I'll look into some videos about insulation or whatever. You're already on the app, so why not try to use it to spark the curiosity you need to get studying? These techniques help get me excited about the topic and helps me ease into the session.

2. Join Engineering Clubs

One of the best decisions I made was joining an engineering club. When I was in a satellite design club (AlbertaSat), I had to review my lecture notes on heat transfer to help with a project. Suddenly, studying felt relevant and exciting because I could see how it applied to real-life problems.

3. Teach What You’ve Learned

Teaching forces you to really understand the material. If you’ve got a classmate, explain it to them. If not, just talk out loud like you’re giving a mini-lecture. It’s surprisingly effective.

Step 4: Keep It Fresh

If one study method isn’t working, don't try to force it on yourself, switch it up. Learning is supposed to be fun, but having fun is subjective, so you gotta find what works for you. Try:

• Writing notes: This works for some people, but if it feels boring, skip it.

• Have a conversation with an AI, like ChatGPT: Challenge yourself to think critically about the material while speaking to the AI. Conversate about the topic and see where your lacking.

My take on 'Reward Systems'

Many of those who also try to help make studying more fun like to talk about 'Reward Systems', like having a treat after reading through a chapter in a textbook. While this may help, it doesn't really make the actual act of studying itself enjoyable. It's more like rewarding yourself for doing something you're forcing yourself to do.

To me the most rewarding aspect of studying is the idea of grasping a subject (like when you say OHHHHH). These OHHHH moments should really be what you are looking for, because these moments are what make the actual act of studying enjoyable. And when you accumulate enough OHHHH moments, then sure, have a treat or go on your phone for a bit, but don't solely rely on these external treats to get you going.

Step 5: Track Your Progress

Remember Snapchat streaks? You can apply the same idea to studying. Keep track of how many days in a row you’ve studied, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Once you’ve built up a streak, you’ll feel more motivated to keep it going. I mean, what else kept you sending a picture of the ceiling everyday with a drawn on 'S'? (lol)

The Bottom Line

Learning doesn’t have to suck. It’s supposed to be fun, and fun looks different for everyone. Experiment with different techniques, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Once you find what works for you, studying won’t feel like a chore anymore. It’ll feel like an adventure.

Have more specific questions about engineering school? I'm offering 1 on 1 Engineering Student Coaching to help those all around the globe through their degrees, but this is really only for those who are serious about their degrees and careers in engineering. You can book an appointment with me here:

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