In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the characteristics of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as well as student life, the curriculum, and campus culture.
People often refer to the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as the “Mechanical Engineering Department.” However, from the perspective of students who focus on the aerospace field, this isn’t exactly a welcome term. Seoul National University’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering was established in 1995 through the merger of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Mechanical Design, and the Department of Aerospace Engineering. That’s why it’s called a “school” rather than a “department.” Students in the College of Engineering or other schools typically choose their major within their school by entering a specific track in their sophomore year. However, the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is a bit different. While it’s easy to assume it’s divided into mechanical and aerospace fields, all students remain part of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering until graduation. Instead, students are categorized into mechanical or aerospace tracks based on whether they take more major courses focused on mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering. This might seem a bit ambiguous, but I think it’s better than feeling stressed by academic competition to secure a spot in your desired major starting in freshman year. This is because, generally, major selection is often determined by academic performance.
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is located in the iconic Building 301. Located at the highest point on campus, Building 301—along with Building 302 right next to it—is a place where students in the humanities, arts, and physical education rarely have reason to visit during their college life. However, Building 301 is visible from virtually anywhere on campus. It even gives off a somewhat sacred atmosphere. From Building 301, you can see the 63 Building, and from the rooftop, the panoramic view of Seoul unfolds before your eyes. Ironically, many students in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are often unaware of this. As the saying goes, “the light is dimest under the lamp”—to them, Building 301 is not a place to admire the view, but a space for learning and studying. It’s not uncommon to see students from other colleges visiting Building 301 and marveling at it.
Building 301 is equipped with nearly all the facilities necessary for daily life. In addition to a cafeteria and snack bar, there is a bookstore, a library, a reading room, a computer lab, and even shower facilities and lounge areas. For this reason, stories are even told of upperclassmen who actually lived in Building 301 for an entire semester.
While students in the College of Engineering typically take general education courses such as science or math during their freshman year to adjust to college life, students in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering begin taking major-specific courses right from the start. They take “Mechanical Drafting” in the first semester and “Creative Engineering Design” in the second semester. In fact, since midterm and final projects account for a very large portion of these two courses, there isn’t much theoretical study involved. However, the projects are quite challenging.
In the “Mechanical Drafting” project, students use design software to create computer-aided designs, and many of the results are so polished that it’s hard to believe they were created by freshmen. Our group designed a helicopter with propellers on both sides, similar to the one featured in the movie ‘Avatar’. We implemented it so that the propellers would actually rotate when the engine was turned on. We also designed the “Naro” rocket; we paid such close attention to detail that we even made a special request to my uncle-in-law, who works in the rocket industry, to help us obtain the design blueprints.
In our second major course, “Creative Engineering Design,” we build actual prototypes based on the blueprints we created. We’re provided only the most basic materials—such as bolts, nuts, plastic sheets, aluminum sheets, and wooden boards—and must fabricate everything else ourselves by filing, cutting, and assembling. When taking these two courses, pulling all-nighters becomes a regular occurrence. While it may look very difficult to outsiders, it’s actually a really fun course if it suits your aptitude. Of course, it’s definitely challenging. As you go through these two courses, you can’t help but think, “I really am a student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.” I’ve heard that even more difficult major courses await us in our junior year.
A student in the College of Engineering put it this way.
“Out of 50 students, there are only 10 women.”
That’s a luxury. In my class, there are 5 female students out of 60. Even that’s considered a high number. The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which shares the same building with the electrical and computer engineering departments, is notorious for having few female students. It’s so extreme that a drinking game was even created claiming there are no female students in Building 301. This is also why students from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are frequently seen in central student clubs or general education classes offered by other colleges. This phenomenon is reversed in the field of nursing, where there are few male students. That’s why there’s a joke going around that no matter which club you join, half the members are from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the other half are from the Department of Nursing. Still, as you go about your daily life, having fewer female students can actually be convenient at times. You don’t have to spend time getting dressed up or picking out clothes every morning, and you can move around freely in comfortable attire. In fact, it’s common to see upperclassmen walking back and forth to Building 301 dressed casually and wearing slippers.
As such, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is known for having one of the most rigorous academic programs even within the College of Engineering. Consequently, graduates are often highly regarded in both the job market and the research field. Aside from a few minor drawbacks, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is certainly an attractive and rewarding program.
