Engineering accounts for the E in STEM, but the field is so broad that most engineers end up working the Science, Technology, and Mathematics aspects of the acronym into their careers as well. For this reason, engineering students have their work cut out for them. From online tutoring to portfolio development, here are five tips that will help you get into the STEM field of your dreams.

1. Tutors Can Give You the Boost You Need

Even if you have a natural aptitude for science and mathematics, some industries within STEM can be highly competitive, so improving by even a grade point or two can make a massive difference. A tutor will help you improve on your strong points while also bringing your weaker areas up to speed. Having a skilled teacher to bounce ideas off may also help you come up with innovative ideas that could help you win competitions and make a name for yourself at a young age.

2. Don’t Shy Away From Group Projects

Many students secretly despise group projects, and with good reason. There always seems to be at least one member of any group who’s determined to do as little as possible. Even if everyone is eager to collaborate, it can be hard to coordinate everything smoothly. However, this is the life of an engineer, so the sooner you can figure out how to manage group projects effectively, the better.

3. Supplement Your Education

While STEM offers the fundamentals you need, engineering is an incredibly broad field, so you will benefit by supplementing your education with relevant courses. You may wish to consider design, business, biology, chemistry, coding, or writing and communication courses. If you already have your heart set on a particular niche, you can use this to guide you in your choice of extracurricular learning.

4. Network and Seek Out Mentors

A great place to start with this is by getting to know your professors and introducing yourself to any guest lecturers who visit your school. If a guest speaker is coming, do some research ahead of time on their career, their niche, and the topic of their talk. This will allow you to develop interesting questions to pose to them should you get the opportunity.

It’s also worth looking into whether your school has an alumni mentorship program. This can give you the chance to gain valuable insight and advice from a successful engineer who attended your school in the past.

If you’re unable to find a real-life mentor, there’s nothing to stop you from researching people whom you admire. Find out what character traits made them so successful and see if there are any habits you could cultivate or strategies you could emulate to improve your life, your studies, and the career you have ahead of you.

5. Start Developing Your Portfolio as Early as Possible

Whether you hope to design medical equipment or become an aeronautical engineer, being a student is no excuse for not having a portfolio. If you’re not taking advantage of every opportunity to get experience in the field, you can guarantee others will be. By taking on internships and hunting down other opportunities to put your name to a project, you’ll enter the graduate pool armed with an impressive portfolio that will help you stand out from the sea of other students who have achieved impressive grades.

You may face a lot of competition for the engineering roles you want most, but if you implement the above tips, you’ll give yourself a valuable head start.