A Day in the Life of a Chemical Engineering Student

The reality behind the lab coats, grades, and caffeine-fueled nights

People see the gold medal. The grades. The title “chemical engineer.”
What they don’t always see is the grind behind it.

My day as a chemical engineering student started not with the sun, but with Fajr — the early morning prayer that gave me a moment of calm before the storm. Breakfast was usually simple: one boiled egg and a cup of tea, enough to carry me through the first stretch of the day.

By 6:30 a.m., I was on the university bus, headed for the long ride — an hour and a half of mentally preparing for the day ahead, often squeezing in last-minute prep for quizzes, skimming over assignments, or just trying to stay awake. I’d arrive at University of Wah by 8 a.m., already bracing for the full day ahead — one that often didn’t let up until the sun set again.

Our days were packed. Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Mass Transfer, Heat Transfer, Instrumentation and Control, Plant Design — just a few of the subjects that defined my routine. These weren’t just names in a timetable — they were intense, mentally exhausting, and absolutely uncompromising.

Classes would run back-to-back, sometimes with a tiny breather, sometimes not. And when labs came into the picture? That meant long walks across campus in the blazing heat, with sweat on your back, books in hand, and a growling stomach because the lunch break was too short and the cafeteria rarely had anything edible.

Our labs weren’t just about mixing chemicals in beakers. They were full-on technical environments — mini reactors, pressure drop experiments, process control setups, engines, lathe machines, carpentry tasks, welding booths, milling and grinding stations. You name it — we did it. And yet, the results? Rarely came out right. That was the game — measure, analyze, tweak, fail, try again. Every error was a lesson, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time.

There were quizzes without warning, assignments with brutal deadlines, and semester projects that demanded weeks of research and sleepless nights. Vivas were another kind of stress altogether — standing before a panel and defending your understanding under pressure, while your voice trembled and your palms sweated.

Lunch breaks felt more like time trials. You’d rush out, maybe find a snack nearby with your friends — those rare outings being little adventures of their own. We’d laugh, vent, maybe even bunk a class or two. I was the topper, yes, but those spontaneous moments of fun — skipping a lecture just to sit and talk about life — were priceless in their own way.

Being President of AIChE came with its own weight. Organizing seminars, hosting events, networking, constantly meeting people — even your alone time on campus could turn into social time. A quick walk across the grounds meant running into three different people, exchanging greetings, answering queries, and remembering your responsibilities.

By 4 p.m., I was back on the bus, completely exhausted. The ride home was long and quiet. I’d reach by 6 p.m., only to find undone housework. I’d tidy up, cook, serve food — and finally retreat to my room by 8 p.m., only to return to unfinished lab reports, assignments, and prep for the next day.

Skincare? Self-care? Forget it. Some nights, I’d leave food next to me and forget to eat it. I was simply too tired to remember.

Weekends? They weren’t for rest. They were for catching up — writing lab reports, revising notes, planning events, and preparing for the next round of academic warfare. Sometimes, I’d pause and wonder: Is this what I signed up for?And the answer, always, somehow, was yes.

Because beneath the pressure, exhaustion, and chaos, there was passion. A hunger to do something different. To rise above circumstances. To prove that I wasn’t less than anyone. To make my younger self proud — the girl who dreamt big even when the world around her was small.

That was my life as a chemical engineering student.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Comments

  1. Anonymous9 May 2025 at 18:52

    It has given me motivation to not stop😭😭😭😭

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

She Engineers it!

From a small-town classroom to big-picture dreams — a chemical engineer crafting her own path. I’m a proud graduate of the   University of Wah , a small private university in Pakistan — but my ambitions were always global. I didn’t just want a degree; I wanted to   create change . That drive led me into a field where science meets innovation, where precision meets purpose —   chemical engineering. Why chemical engineering? Because I wanted to do something  different . I wasn’t interested in following the crowd — I wanted to solve problems that matter. I wanted to understand how things work on a molecular level and scale them up to change how industries — and lives — function. That curiosity and courage carried me through  four years of challenges, breakthroughs, late nights, and personal growth . My time at university was more than lectures and lab reports. It was an intense journey of  friendships and rivalries ,  healthy competition , and moments whe...
Read more

Why I Chose Chemical Engineering — and What It’s Really Like

I  wasn’t expected to succeed — but curiosity, chemistry, and courage led me here. I didn’t grow up surrounded by engineers. In fact, no one in my family had even gone past high school. There was no legacy of education, no footsteps to follow — only challenges. Being adopted and growing up without my biological parents, I often felt like I was expected to stay small, to settle. People looked at me and assumed I’d never go far. But deep inside, I had something else — a spark.  Curiosity. Passion. The unshakable belief that I was created equal, that I could do something big. Even as a child, I couldn’t stop asking questions. I needed to understand the “why” and “how” behind everything. I didn’t just want to exist — I wanted to  challenge myself , constantly. I’ve never been able to live without challenging my brain. That’s just how I’m wired. During parent-teacher meetings, my teachers would tell my mother, “She belongs in science. Chemistry and math are her strengths.” I w...
Read more

Women in Engineering: Breaking Stereotypes, Building Legacies

From silence to strength — my journey as a woman who refused to shrink in a space that wasn’t built for her. They said it’s not a field for women. They said I’d be too “delicate” to handle the pressure. They said I’d be surrounded by men all the time — that it wouldn’t be “appropriate.” They said too much. But I stayed quiet — and let my actions speak. When I chose chemical engineering, I wasn’t just stepping into a degree — I was stepping into a battlefield of perceptions. In a class of 40, there were only  four of us girls . And that number alone made everything harder. Being seen. Being heard. Being taken seriously. I wasn’t just a student — I was a  woman  in engineering. And that meant I had to work  twice as hard to be considered half as capable . There’s a common belief where I come from — that women are  physically weak , emotionally fragile, and not fit for such “tough” fields. But the truth is, engineering doesn’t demand biceps — it demands  brain...
Read more