[ladyrustic]

Any of our freeper engineers care to comment on this man's experience? What was your experience at school?

[snowsislander]

I think that if the student had perceived the economic rewards of being an engineer as far greater than being an investment banker or lawyer, then he might have made more of an effort: "You party and blow off homework now, but in ten years, you'll be making merely wonderful money as investment bankers and consultants, while I'll be getting laid off from a great job at General Electric."

But his observation is accurate: it is simply more economically sensible to go into another career than engineering. Unless that dynamic were somehow to change, and I don't see that happening, our best and brightest will tend more toward careers that make more money and are less subject to lay-offs. (Though I might point out to the young man that while the legal profession doesn't seem to have many lay-offs, investment banking is not immune to them.)

[jocon307]

Well, I could certainly never be an engineer, or anything else that requires a good grasp of pure mathematics, but my conclusion is that our author needed to study more. I think he gives us a good example, in himself, of Americans who only want to do the things that come easily; and to be grandly rewarded for their mere competance. And yes, if that continues to be our attitude, we will remain dependant on harder working foreigners.

[cowboyway]

Find a way to teach engineering to verbally oriented students who can't learn math by sense of smell.

I think that Kern he is bitter because he didn't have the 'knack'. Verbally oriented individuals should become english majors, history majors, lawyers, etc and I commend engineering departments that weed out all the non-hackers, because if an english teacher screws up a sentence, you just have a screwed up sentence, but if an engineer screws up, a bridge could collapse or an airplane could fall out of the sky and kill a few people.

The Knack

[TotusTuus]

It's all part of the weeding process. Self motivation is key to an engineering degree.

The probable truth is that the author couldn't survive on an average of 4 hrs of sleep per night.

[js1138]

Any of our freeper engineers care to comment on this man's experience? What was your experience at school?

I know that in good schools of archotecture there are more incoming students than the schools wants to graduate. The goal of the teaching staff is to convince at least half to drop out before the end of the second year. If you don't get the message in class they simply refuse to admit you to the upperclass courses.

If you find yourself at a schools that doesn't teach, look for one that does.

[boris]

"'What happened?' said the comment on my second test. I wish I knew."

Someone set you up the test.

[Fierce Allegiance]

First day of class, the profs said only 2 in 3 will make it. It's tough, and it ain't for everyone.

However, I've found a great deal of respect based on the title. However, the one thing schools do not teach is interpeersonal skills, which for me is probably the most important part of my job.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Civil Engineer Ping List:

[caver]

I think Mr. Kern here suffers from an inflated sense of self-esteem. He may have gotten great grades in high school so he thinks he's a genius and his teachers and parents told him was. So he goes into the real world where the rubber hits the road and he's just chopped liver.

The younger ones right now have never been told that they are wrong. They always been congratulated how how smart they are and how great a job they did and how much effort and so on, when usually all they are doing is barely getting by with normal involuntary bodily functions. They get out in the real world and it's an eye opener.

[sauropod]

I'm not sure I would advise anyone to go into engineering right now, given all the outsourcing that is going on.

[sionnsar]

Any of our freeper engineers care to comment on this man's experience? What was your experience at school?

I had an abymsal teacher or two at the junior college level, but for the most part my teachers ranged from good to excellent. (This was a long time ago...) But even then some of my fellow engineering students washed out.

[sionnsar]

Geezer Geek ping.

This is a very low-volume ping list (typically days to weeks between pings).
FReepmail me if you want on or off this list.

[null and void]

Sounds pretty close to mine. I lasted five years before dropping out.

We were made of sterner stuff in those days...

[anymouse]

Imagine if the World allowed slacker engineers. Bridges would collapse, buildings would crumble and airplanes would fall from the sky - routinely, just because the responsible engineer had a bad day and didn't feel like giving it his all.

Of course this theory falls apart when you talk about software. ;)

[N. Theknow]

My dreams were dashed at age 12 when I found out all the math requirements for an engineering degree from Georgia Tech.

All I wanted to do was learn how to drive a choo-choo train.

[Professional Engineer]

I nearly fainted when I learned that I received a 43% on the Physics final. I nearly fainted again when I learned that the class average was 38%.

That sounds familiar. I receieved a similar mark for Diff Eq 2, and received a "B". Turns out the professor routinely gave such scores. When he reported grades, he just multipied each student's score by 2.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

There is a difference in going to an engineering college in the 1950's than in the 90's or later.

Big difference!

I had a prof who was a lead engineer in the design of B-52 fuselage. Another who was in the Space Program. And another who designed a Breeder Reactor.

The today's profs don't seem to have any contacts with the kids.

[blam]

I hired an engineer (turns out to have been my replacement when I retired) that had a 3.9 ave on his BS from Wabash State, a 3.9 ave on his masters from Purdue and a 3.9 ave on his PhD from Berkerley. His PhD was in theoretical chemistry.

I asked him why he never got a 4.0 on anything, he said, professors don't think anyone is perfect.

My son wanted to be an actor...I told him to get a BS in anything and then I would support his desire to act. Well, he has a PhD in physics...he said it was a lot more interesting than acting, lol.

[jwalsh07]

Some good, the guy who taught me Calculus for three semesters worth 15 credits especially. Some bad, Mr Laplace Transform who couldn't transform those transformer toys. And some ugly, the Philosophy Professor who hated soldiers which I naturally took umbrage at.

To be honest, I was an older student with two kids and highly motivated, the author and I were not exactly of the same mindset.

[SunkenCiv]

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