Happy with Their Choices

The biggest problem I see with recent graduates is that they think they come out of school ready to be an engineer. While most seem technically competent (good at math, firm grasp of fundamental concepts) few have any critical thinking skills and fewer still realize that they will have to spend at least a few years learning to work as an engineer and absorbing all the field-specific information they need to be successful. While the accomplishment of an engineering degree is a respectable feat and demonstrates a certain amount of tenacity on the part of the candidate, I think a great many become a little disillusioned when they take their first job and find out how far they have to go to be competent in their field. I think this leads to a significant attrition rate within the first five years. To a certain extent, engineering should be considered more of a trade than a professional vocation. A 6-8 year apprentice program split evenly between classroom and field work would yield journeymen engineers far better prepared for the realities of day-to-day engineering work.

I am an engineer because I can't imagine doing anything else. To paraphrase Katherine Hepburn: If they didn't pay me to be an engineer, I have to find something else to do so I could afford to be an engineer for free. No student should enter engineering for a lesser reason than the pure love of engineering. Providing an educational program that prepares students for the realities of engineering is only a fair return for the dedication we expect.