Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The First Group Project
The buzz of chatter filled the lecture hall as Dr. Patel walked in, a stack of papers in her arms. Ethan sat in the middle row, his notebook open and ready, but his nerves were on edge.
"Good morning, everyone," Dr. Patel began, her sharp voice cutting through the hum of the students. "As I mentioned last week, engineering isn't about working alone. It's about collaboration—working together to solve problems and create solutions. Today, you'll get your first taste of that."
Ethan exchanged glances with Raj, who looked more excited than nervous. Mike and Liam, seated on either side of him, seemed calm as usual.
Dr. Patel continued, "I'm assigning you all to groups of four. Each group will design and build a functional prototype of a simple machine—a wind-powered water pump. You'll have two weeks to complete it, and you'll present your results in class."
Ethan's heart sank. A wind-powered water pump? He had no idea where to even start.
Later that evening, the four of them gathered in their dorm room to discuss the project. Raj immediately took charge, pulling out a whiteboard and jotting down ideas.
"Okay," Raj said, capping the marker. "Here's the plan. We need to divide the work. I'll handle the calculations and design. Liam, you're good with tools, so you can work on building the prototype. Mike, you've got a knack for troubleshooting, so you'll handle testing. Ethan…"
Ethan felt all eyes on him.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, trying to hide his uncertainty.
Raj smiled. "You're good at organizing. You can handle research and make sure we stay on schedule."
Ethan nodded, relieved to have a role but also feeling like the weakest link.
The next day, Ethan spent hours in the library, poring over textbooks and articles about wind-powered water pumps. The technical jargon was overwhelming, and he struggled to make sense of it all.
"This is harder than I thought," he muttered to himself, flipping through yet another page.
By the time he returned to the dorm, Raj was sketching a detailed design, Liam was testing materials, and Mike was fiddling with a small motor.
"How's it going?" Ethan asked, setting down his notebook.
"Great," Raj said, barely looking up. "I think I've nailed the design. Check this out."
Ethan stared at the blueprint, nodding as if he understood. But deep down, he felt completely out of his depth.
By the end of the first week, they had assembled a rough prototype. It was clunky but functional—at least in theory. They set it up in the dorm common room for testing, drawing curious looks from other students.
"Okay, moment of truth," Raj said, flipping the switch.
The blades of the windmill spun, but the pump didn't work.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked, crouching down to inspect it.
Raj frowned. "The torque isn't transferring properly. I must've miscalculated somewhere."
Ethan watched as Raj and Mike discussed possible fixes, their conversation filled with terms he barely understood. He felt useless, standing on the sidelines.
That night, Ethan sat at his desk, staring at his notes. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding the group back.
"You okay?" Liam asked, strumming his guitar softly.
Ethan sighed. "Not really. I feel like… I don't belong here. You guys are all so good at what you do, and I'm just average."
Liam set the guitar aside. "Dude, you're not giving yourself enough credit. You've been keeping us on track and making sure we don't miss anything. That's important."
"Yeah, but anyone could do that," Ethan said.
Liam shrugged. "Maybe. But you're the one actually doing it. And besides, it's not about being the smartest. It's about putting in the work. That's what gets you through."
Ethan nodded, feeling a little better.
Over the next few days, Ethan threw himself into the project. He might not have been a genius, but he could work hard. He double-checked Raj's calculations, researched alternative materials for Liam, and even helped Mike troubleshoot the motor.
By the time they finished, their prototype wasn't perfect, but it worked. The windmill blades spun smoothly, and the pump delivered a steady flow of water.
On the day of the presentation, Ethan's nerves were back in full force. As their group set up their prototype at the front of the lecture hall, he couldn't help but feel like they were being judged.
Raj handled most of the technical explanation, with Mike and Liam chiming in about the building and testing process. Ethan focused on explaining how they had managed their time and resources, emphasizing the teamwork that had gone into the project.
When the pump worked during the demonstration, the class broke into applause.
"You did great," Raj said afterward, clapping Ethan on the back.
"Thanks," Ethan said, smiling. For the first time, he felt like he had contributed something meaningful.
That night, as they celebrated with pizza in their dorm, Ethan reflected on the past two weeks. He wasn't a genius like Raj or a natural builder like Liam, but he had learned something important: hard work and teamwork could make up for what he lacked in raw talent.
"I guess this is what MIT is all about," he said, raising his soda can in a toast.
"To surviving our first project," Raj said, grinning.
"And to the next one," Liam added.
Ethan smiled. He still had a long way to go, but for the first time, he felt like he truly belonged.