The start of the new academic year is just around the corner, so I am looking for insights from the engineers on this forum. What advice would you give an engineering student to make the most of their college years? Or, what do you wish you had been told when you were studying engineering?
Back to school advice for engineering students?
- Thread starter dalewilson
- Start date
Best advice would be to try to be curious, interested on what they teach you.
Ask question don't be afraid to ask either if it is a wrong or right question.
Try to get autonomous as best as you can..
I would give this advice: At first you think, where do I need all this theory for? What's the purpose of all this mathematics.....it is all so extremely abstract and seems without a purpose.
However, think of it as the concrete basis of the house you are going to live in.
The foundation of your house must be very rugged and solid. But there is no house yet.
Ok, you can build a house on sand without foundation, but it won't last for your lifetime (approx. 80 years?) It will crack and break to pieces over time.
Now, what you learn at school, is this foundation of your knowledge. This foundation must be solid and good.
Now, when you start working together with experienced engineers in your field, you are going to build the house.
This goes slowly, brick by brick.
In the first years you work with experienced engineers: don't think you know it all. Be respectful to the older guys and girls.
Listen, listen, listen and memorize what they say.
Learn from then, so you don't have to make the same mistakes as they did.
Keep your mouth shut the first years.
Be respectful to elder people. Don't be the arrogant brat you often see.
Here's also some important advice I got from an elder man, my English teacher that was almost 70 years old back then. A man that travelled the world. Seen a lot. Lived through the 2nd worldwar.
He told us, that school is very important. What you learn is something you need the rest of your life.
He always said:
"as you make your bed, you sleep in it"
However, think of it as the concrete basis of the house you are going to live in.
The foundation of your house must be very rugged and solid. But there is no house yet.
Ok, you can build a house on sand without foundation, but it won't last for your lifetime (approx. 80 years?) It will crack and break to pieces over time.
Now, what you learn at school, is this foundation of your knowledge. This foundation must be solid and good.
Now, when you start working together with experienced engineers in your field, you are going to build the house.
This goes slowly, brick by brick.
In the first years you work with experienced engineers: don't think you know it all. Be respectful to the older guys and girls.
Listen, listen, listen and memorize what they say.
Learn from then, so you don't have to make the same mistakes as they did.
Keep your mouth shut the first years.
Be respectful to elder people. Don't be the arrogant brat you often see.
Here's also some important advice I got from an elder man, my English teacher that was almost 70 years old back then. A man that travelled the world. Seen a lot. Lived through the 2nd worldwar.
He told us, that school is very important. What you learn is something you need the rest of your life.
He always said:
"as you make your bed, you sleep in it"
I 100% agree with patrickduis. Here's my experience from MANY years ago. In my formal college engineering courses I learned higher math, calculus, etc., physics, chemistry, circuit analysis (note - much more analysis than design), probability, a tiny bit about AC power, communication theory. (Not much about computers other than Fortran programming - this was the 1960s).
I remember my job interview with a fellow at Xerox. He asked me to draw a circuit meeting some rather simple requirements (which I now could do easily). I could not. He did offer me a job. He said was just having some fun with me - pointing out how little "practical" knowledge college had given me.
My 1960s education included transistors but not integrated circuits, certainly not microprocessors or digital signal processors! In fact, one textbook used relays to illustrate AND, OR and other logic. If my courses had focused on technology of the day, it would be useless today.
I actually took a job with another company. I had a great boss and, more important, was put on a project with Tony, an experienced senior engineer. That's where I learned how to design. College gave me the basics, on-the-job is where I learned how to use it. Thank you, Tony!
I also learned my getting my hands dirty, playing with electronics projects, burning things out, etc. Read, experiment, try things. Don't just rely on your formal education.
Good luck with your education.
I remember my job interview with a fellow at Xerox. He asked me to draw a circuit meeting some rather simple requirements (which I now could do easily). I could not. He did offer me a job. He said was just having some fun with me - pointing out how little "practical" knowledge college had given me.
My 1960s education included transistors but not integrated circuits, certainly not microprocessors or digital signal processors! In fact, one textbook used relays to illustrate AND, OR and other logic. If my courses had focused on technology of the day, it would be useless today.
I actually took a job with another company. I had a great boss and, more important, was put on a project with Tony, an experienced senior engineer. That's where I learned how to design. College gave me the basics, on-the-job is where I learned how to use it. Thank you, Tony!
I also learned my getting my hands dirty, playing with electronics projects, burning things out, etc. Read, experiment, try things. Don't just rely on your formal education.
Good luck with your education.
