University: The University of Western Australia

Degree: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours), Mechanical Engineering and Business Law

School Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics Methods, English, Accounting and Finance

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Introduction

My name is Jack Anderson; I am currently completing my Master’s Degree in Education Technology at Harvard University and serving as a Teaching Fellow at the Harvard Engineering School for classes on Fluid Mechanics and Entrepreneurship. At Harvard, I am studying on Harvard’s most prestigious full-ride scholarship, the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship, and I was recently selected as a 2026 Schwarzman Scholar to pursue my Master’s in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

I previously studied a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering and Business Law at the University of Western Australia, and in this blog, I’ll be breaking down what it’s like to study each of these majors and hopefully giving you some tips on how to succeed during your time at uni.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Australia is definitely an intense major to pursue; however, it is simultaneously extremely rewarding. During the first two years of study, all engineering majors take almost all of the same courses to get everyone’s engineering foundations on the same page. These include mathematics courses like multivariable calculus and linear algebra, as well as foundational engineering courses on motion, energy, materials, and thermodynamics. The first two years of the engineering major are difficult because it all feels extremely theoretical and not related to a specific field of engineering.

However, once you reach your third and fourth year of engineering, everything starts to come into alignment. Your courses are directly focused on your specific engineering major, and you can see the applications this will have one day in your future employment. For Mechanical Engineering, this will include courses such as Fluid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Vibrations and Sound.

I found the Mechanical Engineering major at UWA to be highly theoretical, with limited practical opportunities. Sometimes there would be labs where you would do experiments; however, the opportunities for practical exposure are relatively limited. The good news is that UWA has fantastic clubs you can join to get hands-on experience, such as UWA Motorsports and UWA Aerospace. These are great places to gain practical experience and build out a strong resume.

Overall, the difficulty of the major stays consistent throughout, and you will begin to enjoy it in the latter years of your degree, so be sure to be resilient and see it through. The critical thinking, problem-solving, and employment opportunities that engineering provides make it worth all of the difficult times and late nights.

Business Law

Compared to Mechanical Engineering, Business Law at UWA will be a breeze while also teaching you a whole new set of valuable skills. For me, the Business Law major was invaluable in helping me start my first not-for-profit, navigate legal documents, and select the correct incorporation structures for my charity. The Business Law major covers various topics of the legal profession in a foundational way. You will cover Company Law, Tax Law, International Investment Law, and Commercial Law. Prior to commencing at UWA, I had never practised law-based subjects, but once I understood the process of using statutes and case law to form an argument, it became routine and straightforward.

The Business Law major is especially great for getting a taste of what it would be like to do a Juris Doctor (JD) postgraduate degree. For me, I quickly realised that law wasn’t the profession for me, but it has still been invaluable in helping me run my not-for-profit and navigate legal documents.

Advice to Prospective Students

As I reflect on the advice I would give to prospective uni students, I can distil it down to a few key lessons that I learned during my undergraduate degree:

1. Learn to sprint early. Everyone starts working hard in their final year of uni, so when you are eighteen, work really hard to get ahead of everyone else. You will reap the rewards of being an outlier.
2. Avoid nightclubs and excessive partying. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.” Going out, listening to the same song with the same people, and expecting it to make you happy is pure insanity. Instead, take your party Saturdays and hungover Sundays and use that time for meaningful endeavours.
3. Grades and ATAR are meaningless. High school teaches you to get the highest grades possible, but uni is all about gaining experiences. As long as you are in the top 20% of your cohort, employers couldn’t care less what your grades are beyond that. Instead, they want to see a stacked resume, so take the time you would’ve spent obsessively studying and put it towards building a business, joining clubs, and strengthening your resume.
4. Stop caring what others think about you, because the truth is, no one cares. People love you but aren’t obsessively judging you—they’re too busy with their own lives. Let that fact liberate you and do what makes you happy.
5. Don’t fear failure. Set goals so daring that failure is likely—because the person in the arena, daring greatly, is impossible to ignore. People will watch, cheer, and respect you for trying.

I could honestly write an endless list of lessons, but I believe if you can get these principles right, you will be well on your way to setting yourself up for an exceptional life.