Engineer Tomas breaks stereotypes: he feels good both with modern devices and on stage

A second-year student bursting with great mood and energy, Tom attracts the attention of those around him from the very first sight. A conversation with the interlocutor is no less engaging. The student revealed why he chose to study engineering, how he manages to combine his career as a musician with his studies, and why he is glad that he does not have a musical education.

Aimed to gain practical knowledge

“Like many young people, I see myself in many fields, but I loved to make and build things from my childhood. My hands were always full. Therefore, I realized that I want to work with electricity. I entered purposefully where I wanted. Now I can say that this science is interesting for me, and so are the lectures,” the student is happy.

In the interviewer’s opinion, many students have the wrong impression about studying Automation and Electrical Engineering, just like he did when he was a graduate student, but the reality turns out to be a little different.

“I thought that I would have to land somewhere, lay cables. However, I can say that the reality looks more modern, – smiles Tom. – We work with controllers, we program. This study subject is interesting and suitable for those who are interested in electrical work, installation”.

During several years of studies, Tom feels that he has gained a lot of practical knowledge and is happy about it. The interviewer emphasizes that after the 12th year at school, he no longer wanted to “gnaw” on textbooks. The desire not only to learn, but also to be able to do practical work was his main goal as a high school graduate. That is why the young man chose to study at the college.

The student is happy that he has been actively involved in the activities of the high school since the first year – he is a member of the student representative, an organizer of various events, and a big fan of events in the city of Šiauliai.

Šiauliai State College Tomas is studying at a state-funded place, and in addition, he even receives two scholarships – a 200-euro scholarship for regions established by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and a 300-euro scholarship awarded by the patron of the educational institution, UAB “Ignitis”. According to the student, this incentive is a great motivation to move forward.

“Money is not that important to me personally, but of course I was very pleasantly surprised to receive these scholarships. This money can be used for the future – a car or own home,” the student answers modestly.

Going to play video clips

The student’s greatest passion is music. Tom is glad that he didn’t go to music school and avoided the hustle and bustle that often discourages young people from pursuing a musical career. Creativity at the piano keys came naturally to the young man’s life. Tomas started writing lyrics himself recently, but he has already revealed his abilities as a vocalist – he sang the national anthem at the Šiauliai City Council meeting.

“I have been playing music for seven years, but it has been with me since my childhood. I am glad that I have the support of my family in this journey. I remember my twin classmates playing the piano and I was so fascinated by their music. I just challenged myself to master this instrument, and at the end of the eighth grade I performed one piece in public for the first time”, smiles the student.

The first successful performance inspired the student to deepen his musical knowledge and improve his skills. At every opportunity, Tom organized his own shows, and a little later he dived deeper – he started creating music himself and revealed himself as a vocalist.

“I’ve been creating and releasing my own songs for two years now. And I tried to do it before, but I lacked the courage. But after graduating from school, I bought my first professional microphone, recorded my first song of my own creation and released it. My immediate plans are to release two Lithuanian songs with video clips, in which my listeners will be able to see myself,” the musical engineer shares his future plans.

When asked which path he will choose – a musician or an engineer – Tomas smiles. According to the interviewee, if there is a desire, all areas can be combined, so it is not necessary to choose.

“I am thinking of not abandoning music and continuing to improve in this field. Organize performances not only in Šiauliai, but also in other cities. But I don’t intend to forget the subject of my studies either,” says the student with a wink.

Exams were worrying

The sophomore admits that he was most worried about the exams during his high school graduation year. The most important is the physics matriculation exam, the result of which has a significant impact on the score for admission to the desired specialty. The young man says that he had no more fears, because he is brave, he is not afraid of challenges and new stages of life.

In the interviewee’s opinion, the biggest fears of students are the uncertainty about the future and the lack of practical knowledge related to admissions. He says that visiting the higher school during the open days helped him a lot. Tomas encourages other students not to miss the opportunity to get to know the higher education institution of their choice:

“During open days and other exhibitions, higher schools inform students about all the vicissitudes of admission: required scores, exams, scholarships and the like. After knowing all the necessary information, students are definitely much calmer. I experienced it myself.”

The student says that graduates should not be overly alarmed because the exam is just a test of knowledge.

“If a person studied for twelve years, it is possible to retain everything. You need to trust yourself, take the time to learn something else and move forward into your future,” the Šiauliai State College student concludes the interview encouragingly.

Information and photos prepared by Etaplius.lt