Newton once asked, “How to write 4 between 5?” He received different answers from different batches of students –
Medicine students said, “Joke!”
Science students said, “Impossible”
Management students said, “Not found on the internet”
Engineering students said, “F(IV)E”
And, that’s how we respect an engineering student.
To anything that has existence, has a right or left; a wrong or right. For instance, if medicines are bitter; they help you recover from the disease as well. Likewise, all the fingers in a hand are never equally sized; but they are all made of similar bones and exactly similar colour of flesh. Similarly, every human being in this world is not the same; but they all have one pair of eyes, one pair of hands, one tongue, and so on. Every human being possesses a similar mind; the only difference among different individuals is how they use their minds and how hard they work. That’s what creates different abilities among different human beings.
A psychologist or even an intelligent, matured person would never accept the fact that there is anything in the world that a person can’t do. In the exact manner, there is nothing that keeps a person from accomplishing a task, lest he himself wants to do it. There is absolutely no guide available to being perfect for any subject. All that is required is to be ready to give in all the hard work that your stream requires. For instance, if you really want to pursue engineering as your career, you must go for it. Even if you aren’t an excellent student in maths or science, you must give little more time to the subjects you are weak at. And you’ll be right there.
Coming to the original question as to whether you are (will be) the right engineering student or not, let’s see if you possess the following traits-
- Science or Technology?
To others, science and technology come from the same roots. But for the engineers, they are least related. An engineer would instantly say that science and technology are never the same things. The difference between the two terms is metaphorically the same as sailing and farming or say exploration and exploitation. Science is an open-ended quest into new possibilities, but engineering is to find new uses of existing possibilities. A scientist is a seeker, but an engineer is a maker.
2. Observation never leaves your side.
History would suggest that being an engineer isn’t a big deal. As we have already read of James Watt who invented the steam engine only after he saw steam blowing a kettle’s lid off and Newton who discovered gravity after he saw a falling apple. Now, we must understand that the backbone of such discoveries is mere observation. But the hard work can’t be a piece of cake, easy to earn. If you aspire of becoming an engineer one day, you must definitely be a keen observer. Engineering students, their abilities, and choices, are most affected by their meticulous observation.
3. A student of logic is what you’ll always be called.
You are definitely a great questioner. The whys and hows to anything and everything are all that you look for. You have no other option than to follow the footsteps of James Watt or Newton. None of what they did could have been possible, had they not thought about the hows and whys of the situation along with a strong determination to find the answers. It is rightly said that engineers like to solve problems. If there aren’t any, they would be ready to create some of their own.
4. Analytics interests you.
Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Therefore, O students, study mathematics and do not build without foundations.” A very common symptom of a true engineering student is possession of good analytical skills and the will to tackle problems. And now, it would be clear to you as why competitive exams like JEE focus so much more on analytical skills and always present a new set of questions which require thinking, unlike regular school exams where questions from previous years may appear again.
5. Research is your path to success.
As they say, to the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. But to the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. You truly don’t believe in answers coming your way. You run behind the answers and find them on your own. The dedication for research is what everybody should learn from you. Designing new products for the market involves extensive study of existing technologies that would make the design possible. Even though, your meaning of research stands totally different from common man, yours does count.
The reality and the misconceptions.
A course like engineering, in our country is unfortunately losing its significance. People have been able to develop the mindset that engineering is an area that can be easily covered. A belief has been formed that it is found easier to get placed. However, people don’t realize that everybody has the ability to dress up, but only a few become successful designers. People in our country often fall prey to the impression of engineering students created by the ones who don’t actually realize the importance that data holds.
It is not so much near the truth but an engineering student is believed either to be a geek or the exact opposite. While everyone’s idea of having fun is different, engineering students do have their fair share of fun and at the same time get their tasks done with good efficiency. You can read about the funny things that happen in an IIT here. While it remains a nightmare for majority of students to understand subjects like Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics; the others find solace in what engineering provides them with, the chance to tackle real life problems, the chance to implement solutions that makes human lives easy and many more such aspects. Surprisingly, from what is generally observed, the latter constitutes the major proportion of the total number, and we are seeing more of them, every day, with the changing entrepreneurial landscape in our country.
Becoming an engineer opens up a host of opportunities, and living in a college campus as an engineering student becomes the best time of ones lives for many. Not being good at the course doesn’t imply not being the right engineering student. Moreover, curiosity and good company are at times enough to help pull off wonders. As we know it, nothing makes an engineer more productive, than the “Last Minute.”
