nyspeed engineers, how has school really helped you?

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

please dont dick up this thread

my friends, and fellow students, and myself are getting very close to graduating, and i can say that several of us are getting worried

what im worried about is being successful in the work place. my problem is (well a lot of the studetns i associate with) that all the classes ive done well in, i really do not remember much of the material

i mean do not get me wrong, i can do bridge trusses, remember general theories, take moments, do stress and fatigure problems, math is really a no brainer for me, but how much of this do i really need to know

i can say about my 3rd year i started to get a lil nervous, until my friends and i met and spoke to some engineers that really inspired some confidence in us

most of this took place in my 277 class

  1. couple of gm engineers came in to speak with the class, gave us the typical bullshit about stuff
    so i kinda pulled him to the side (younger guy) and really asked him about how his job is. long story short, school didnt mean shit and he was taught everything when he arrived on the job, the only thing that sorta helped proE and autocad

  2. my buddy has an internship at fischer price, he introduced me to some of the engineers and theyh basically told me they sit around and dick around all day as long as their work is on time. they do the same repetitive thing and get payed very well, and every once in a while the company has “fun days”

  3. the list could go on and on

now, not to brag, but compared to most of my fellow students, i am much more qualified mechanically, whether itd be subsystem design, repair, klnowledge of machining equipment, or basic maintenance of pretty much anything

a lot of these people i go to school with can do piston problems etc etc, but have no idea what one is, what theyr look like, or what they are used in

also has anyone else noticed the incredible amount of cheating? especially with the arabs, they love passing their tests around

my grades are great (well not that great 3.1), but i really do not think grades matter besides getting your foot in the door

so to my nyspeed engineers, what has helped YOU become successful in your career, and how much from school have you really brought with you to the workplace

2

:lol:

great way to start it. im really loling.

GPA definitely plays a part in the selection process, but other things can make up for a low gpa, especially when applying for XYZ specific jobs. (ie, a leadership role, management, etc etc… gpa will probably be outweighed by an appropriate display of that ability and/or experience in that field)

3

i do have management experience! even if it is managing a bunch of grease monkeys =D

4

where im working started as an intern. 1 month later they bumped me to part time. year later i had my 2year degree in cadd from nccc and i was switched to fulltime. im now going to buff state part time for my engineering degree, but only so that i can get my PE license. every single thing that is specific to my job i learn on the job.

oh yea, im a plumbing and fire protection designer drafter for a large sfmo a/e firm. i do alot of calcs and layout of the plumbing systems and the engineers that are training me review it after im finished most of the time.

i dont think you should be worried too much. most places it will be the basics that youll need to know, everything else they teach you.

edit: willybean, after i was hired my boss flat out told me he wasent concerned about how i did in school, just aslong as i passed everything. he said he knew what to expect coming out of the program i was in and that it was the best in the area for what i was doing. theyre more concerned about if they think youll fit in and what your personality is. hell its casual professional where i work and on my interview i showed up in shorts and sneakers with just a polo shirt.

5

this is what im talking about^^ makes me feel good =)

its like i couldnt believe some of the repsonses from the engineers ive met, like “dude (laughing) we had like every solutions manual and barely passed the exams, after a curve we had like a b-” now im not saying im innocent, its hard to not get a solutionts manual, but most of the time i try

to hear statements like above is pretty comforting lol

6

Same here, I managed a lube shop before I started my internship last summer. I am also interested to hear what some of the other members who are industry have to weigh in. I’m graduating from UB with a BSME this spring.

7

at the rate im going working and with school, im lookin around december (next year)

BTW, my minor in french got cut, govenor patterson took a good chunk of foreign languages out of the budget, they only have room for the majors =(

8

Yeah it sucks, a ton of the MAE TE’s got cut. It is slim pickings next semester.

9

hopefully my autobody degree, 2 years experience with that, associates in bus. admin, some experience in management soon, and a BSME degree will help me do something worthwhile.

in for more bits of advice…

10

just pray you can find a job when you get out, a bunch of friends and myself are having a hard time finding engineering jobs. I have been looking for a couple of months and have only got a couple call backs. Fun Fun

11

Engineering school is more about learning how to learn technical concepts than it is about the specific topics covered. My degree is in mechanical but my job is more fundamentally electrical engineering. I don’t use much specific material beyond 2nd year level fundamentals. The last 2 years were valuable, but in more of an abstract sort of way. :gotme:

Long story short: Don’t worry.

12

Good luck getting a job, there are a lot of people out of work right now. I know of a few experienced engineers taking almost entry level positions.

I am happy to say only 6 more months till I can finally take my PE test

13

yea, hopefully in the 3/4/5 years before I graduate things will be turned around.

14

im glad this thread is developing well, keep it up guys! def listening to everyones advice keep it coming!

15

take the fe before you graduate

16

When you start job hunting, look far and wide. If there’s even a chance you are somewhat qualified for a job, apply. Don’t decide that you’re not qualified and skip it. Let the company’s HR department decide that. They might see your resume and decide that they’ll find a place for you anyway. Even if you don’t know how to do the job, apply. You’ll figure out how to do it once you get there.

Funny how things work. I don’t remember applying at the place I interned at, but one day my Junior year I got an email from some guy at some company called “OGSI” asking me to resubmit my resume because they were having problems with their email server. So I did, and I got the job. And I interned/co-op’d there, then worked 2 years full time there, then upgraded to Praxair, and now all signs point to a long career in industrial gases. I’m about a month shy of the 5 year mark of full time engineering work now, all in industrial gases, which are big in Buffalo so I have decent options right in this area. OGSI, AirSep, Linde, Praxair…

So, yeah. Just keep your head down and your ears open. Luck is nothing but preparation meeting opportunity.

17

is this thread serious?

18

Your conversation with the GM engineers kind of explains why you have to tear half the front of my car apart, including the water pump, to replace the alternator. :slight_smile:

19

Indians.

20

Engineering is all about learning how to apply the fundamentals to real world problems.
In most companies, you would be working with experienced people that can help point you in the right direction… So long as you are not an ass hat.

I too do not recall much of my classwork, but I also do not work in electronics anymore.
My degree is electrical, and I spend most of my time getting test systems up and running.

If you want to do well, you should work on people skills. There are a lot of dilbert like people in the workforce and you will need to get to/through/around and along with them.
Interview and people skills will get you an edge over people with similar experience and education.