1. Have fun with your engineering courses.
Do not believe the rumor that engineering courses are just way too tough. On the contrary, engineering courses can actually be so much fun. Far from being inscrutable and indecipherable, engineering courses -- being primarily based on the principles of physics and mathematics, which are highly coherent, systematic and even elegant -- are among the most ordered, logical and, therefore, understandable courses. What is more, you will actually be able to employ these principles in designing solutions to real-world problems. If many students can ace these courses, there really is no reason as to why you should not be able to achieve the same if only you exert the necessary effort. Just always keep in mind the right approach to solving engineering problems. Always learn the pertinent theory first before solving the problem. After identifying what is required by the problem, enumerate all the known parameters, articulate your assumptions, and then solve the problem while keeping track of your units of measure. Also, always find ways, and there are always ways, to check for the correctness of your final solution.
2. Check your assumptions.
While this is part of the previous item, it really deserves its own category because this is quite crucial, not only in solving classroom problems, but also in solving all engineering design problems. The set of assumptions that you adopt, whether done consciously or unconsciously, ultimately determines the effectiveness and worth of your engineering design solution. This is true in that your assumptions are what set apart the real-world engineering design solutions from the merely ideal or imaginary design solutions. Thus what you assume has far-reaching consequences. Numerous engineering students lose their way when they transition from solving structured and well-defined classroom engineering problems (wherein almost everything is identified, from the unknown to the given parameters to what should be assumed) to solving open-ended engineering design problems -- the kind found in the real world -- primarily because they do not know the first step in making or articulating the assumptions that they should employ to solve the engineering problem at hand. Stating your assumptions is tantamount to creating a certain model for your real-world engineering problem. You would like, of course, to have a model that is as close to reality as possible. This all depends on what assumptions you make. Therefore, be always aware of what assumptions you make and validate them periodically. (Indeed, this is not just an engineering lesson, but a life lesson as well.)
3. Develop your creativity.
A myth or stereotype is perpetuated that engineers are like living automatons that deal exclusively with numbers, hardware and technical stuff, and nothing else. Absolute nonsense. Engineers are artists. No, that was not a misprint. Engineers are artists. Indeed an engineer being an artist is what enables him or her to employ his/her knowledge of numbers and hardware and technical stuff to create effective and practicable engineering solutions. To be precise, engineers are artists who are trained in the discipline of buttressing their creations (engineering design solutions) on the solid supports of the engineering sciences. Thus, it is essential for engineers to be creative. The more creative an engineer is, the more alternative solutions he or she is able to imagine for a given problem. Therefore, develop your creativity. Do not despise the assortment of non-engineering courses that you are required to take in your program since you could find in them myriads of creative ideas, constructs and systems which -- you never know -- might provide you with just the right seed of an idea that you could germinate for solving an engineering problem in the future.
4. Endeavor to learn effective communication.
Another myth or stereotype that is perpetuated is that engineers are introverts who essentially keep to themselves and are not very comfortable with language and, therefore, do not communicate well with others. This is another categorical nonsense. If engineers can be very fluent and creative in expressing abstract ideas in mathematical forms or in computer program codes – languages that are absolutely exacting and meticulous in their syntax and grammar – there is no reason as to why they could not achieve effectiveness in expressing their thoughts and ideas in English (or any other language for that matter) whose syntax and grammar are relatively far more relaxed. One key is to read widely so that you get exposed to various language and communication styles. Just because you are an engineering student does not mean that you should not read on business, politics, literary criticism, history or religion. Pick up The New York Times or any other reputable newspaper or magazine once in a while. Learn how people from different professions and walks of life communicate and express their ideas. By doing so, you will not only learn how to understand different types of people and their ideas better, but you will also learn more how to make anyone understand you and your ideas better. One very important matter: make sure that you communicate effectively with your advisor periodically, at least once each semester. This way, neither you nor your advisor would get any surprise near the end of your program just before your anticipated graduation.
5. Seek to gain research experience.
The typical classroom engineering problems are mostly idealized, with ideal or imagined scenarios and parameter values. This is why solving real-world problems comes as a rude awakening for many undergraduate engineering students. Gaining some experience in research would help ease the transition from the ideal world to the real world. In doing research, you will be exposed to the imperfections of the real world – measurement errors, imperfect mixing, variable temperature, anisotropy, non-rigid or deformable objects, non-Newtonian fluids, turbulent flow, etc. Research experience can help remind you that, when proposing an engineering solution, it is healthy to contend with the imperfections of the real world. It forces you to keep it real. And as a student, it certainly would give you significant edge if you get the valuable opportunity to present a research abstract or paper at some technical conference, or maybe even serve as co-author for a paper for publication in a research journal. Do not wait around. Talk with professors in your Department (and others) and ask for opportunities for research experience in their laboratories. You will find some who would be glad to welcome you.
6. Seek internship opportunities.
Have you ever wondered how engineers spend their working hours and what they actually do on the job? And would you not like to find out whether or not what they are doing is what you would like to be doing after you complete your engineering degree? One of the best ways to get the answers to these questions is to gain internship experience in an engineering company. An internship will provide you with the privileged opportunity to observe, mingle with and work with engineers in their natural work habitat, which could mean in an office, a laboratory or out on the field. More important, an internship could give you a vision of what your future could look like as a practicing engineer, based on which you could decide which aspects you would like to keep and which ones you would like to be modified. An internship experience could also underscore for you the knowledge and skills that you really need to learn as an engineering student to enable you to have adequate preparation. And, of course, an internship helps open doors for future job offers -- and not just in the specific company that provided you your internship.
7. Network professionally.
Joining your professional engineering society has many important benefits, one of which is getting to meet the practicing engineers in your field locally, nationally and internationally. This is also an excellent way to learn about the culture of your engineering profession, which includes learning how professionals in your field interact and conduct business with one another. Talk with them and ask questions. By interacting with them, you will not only learn about what is out there relating to your field, but they will also get to know you and what you could potentially offer them now or in the future.
8. Connect what you are doing now with what you want to be doing in the future.
The most motivated and successful engineering students are those who both have some picture in their minds of where they would like to go professionally in the future and are clear about how the things that they are doing now connect to that future career destination. While connecting the present to the future may not be so easy at first, minding the previous seven things would help you arrive at this point. If you practice connecting what you are doing now with what you want to be doing in the future, it will be easier for you to maintain your motivation on your way to the finish line of your program.
9. Take care of yourself.
Face it, you are not merely an engineering student, but a whole and still developing human being. Hence, take care of yourself, not just mentally, but also emotionally, physically and spiritually. Aim for a balanced life. Treasure family ties and friendships. Do something good for others, and remember those who do not have as much opportunities in life as you do.
10. Plan for continuous career improvement.
Guess what, your education does not stop the moment you complete your engineering degree. It will go on. Therefore, start making plans down the road. You should plan on taking the Engineers in Training (EIT) examination immediately. And a master degree in the future, sooner rather than later, is highly recommended, since this will certainly make your engineering education more focused and well rounded. If you so desire, nothing, of course, should stop you from getting a Ph.D. degree, though this is not necessary for everyone. (And keep in mind that being an engineer does not necessarily mean working for a company. You surely have the option of starting your own business, in which case it would be necessary for you to acquire business knowledge by taking some business courses or getting an MBA or partnering with someone who is knowledgeable in business.) Maintain your membership in your professional engineering society, and make it a point to attend its annual meetings. And when the time comes, getting that professional engineer’s license is certainly recommended. In short, plan to keep on learning and growing as an engineer and as a person.
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