How to become a successful engineer?

Sean720 · 2012-08-25T06:52:42+00:00

I am a sophomore majoring electrical engineering. Because of my major, it's rather tough to keep on top of my studies as much as my professors tell me to do so. They have very high expectations of me and most of them aren't easy with assignments/tests. I get lots of B's and very few C's, but not A's. I've studied with other students and when we get papers back, I'm docked MORE points for a simple mistake and the other student wasn't docked AT ALL for the same mistake. We had the same answer. I've never had a 4.0 in my life, but I try like its the end of the world. I study harder than all of my friends (they aren't engineers), I summerize chapters in my own words in a notebook, I complete assignments, I go to class EVERDAY, I NEVER fall asleep, etc. Becoming an engineer is extremely hard at first. I figure it's because it's worth it in the end. My question is, was there a time in your college career when you felt like all odds were against you? How did you overcome it? I'm looking for some inspiration and motivation. Serious answers please.

How to become a successful engineer?

Sean720

Member

Updated: Oct 26, 2024

Views: 6.6K

I am a sophomore majoring electrical engineering. Because of my major, it's rather tough to keep on top of my studies as much as my professors tell me to do so. They have very high expectations of me and most of them aren't easy with assignments/tests. I get lots of B's and very few C's, but not A's. I've studied with other students and when we get papers back, I'm docked MORE points for a simple mistake and the other student wasn't docked AT ALL for the same mistake. We had the same answer.
I've never had a 4.0 in my life, but I try like its the end of the world. I study harder than all of my friends (they aren't engineers), I summerize chapters in my own words in a notebook, I complete assignments, I go to class EVERDAY, I NEVER fall asleep, etc.

Becoming an engineer is extremely hard at first. I figure it's because it's worth it in the end. My question is, was there a time in your college career when you felt like all odds were against you? How did you overcome it?

I'm looking for some inspiration and motivation. Serious answers please.

0

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KenJackson

Member • Aug 25, 2012

When I enrolled as an Electrical Engineering major in college, I had no intention of becoming an engineer. I had enjoyed technician work and intended to pick up where I left off after college. I took EE because it was absolutely fascinating stuff. (Of course after a while I figured out that yes, I really did want to be an engineer.)

Do you enjoy the mind boggling information you're learning? Is it fascinating or drudgery? If your primary focus it just getting it done so you can get a good job, I can see why you're in pain. Enjoy the knowledge.

One trick I found was that professors often did not assign problems that had answers in the book, but often those problems were more interesting and revealing than the assigned ones. So I often did more of the problems than were assigned. I didn't turn them in or get credit, but I gained understanding. And that, after all, is what I was after.

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Ramani Aswath

Member • Aug 25, 2012

I wanted to be a physicist. Next best was to become an engineer. I became one. There were problems.
Swami Vivekananda (an Indian monk) made a statement about work, which helped me a lot.

'If you are poor, work. If you are rich, work. If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities, work. If disappointments come, work. If sorrow overwhelms you and loved ones seem not true, work. If health is threatened, work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life is in peril. Its really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully. Work in faith. Work is the great remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions'

Swami Vivekananda

This helped me through many trying situations.

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archlpe

Member • Aug 28, 2012

i saw three kinds of people become engineers, viz., those who were not at all sincere, those who were very sincere and those who were somewhere in between. All the three categories turned out successful as i see now after 6 years of becoming an engineer. The most successful were those who were the least sincere as they were better at social skills which the other two categories missed out. Communication skills are not be missed out for an engineer. Time is a great teacher. It does all. Best of luck.

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Yournished

Member • Feb 10, 2013

When I was a college student, I felt like giving up and shifting into other disciplines. I don't really get good grades, just enough for me to pass. Now that I'm working, I realize that at the end of the day your grades in college does not guarantee a good job position. It's your skills and interests that matters most.

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