Do you still teach yourself after work?

In other words,

How much subjects, which attended in university, do you still remeber after work for 10 or 20, 30 years?

Between 80 to85%

Orpheuse

you must be a work hard man. and excellent scholar

do you still teach yourself in your work?

Yes, I do. I'm in instrumentation and controls which, nowadays, is mostly electronics and computers, two of the fastest changing technologies today. I have to keep up or else become obsolete myself.

One of the problems I face right now is keeping up with technology. I've so much to do that I hardly have time to attend seminars or trainings. I send my people on trainings but have not gone myself. Mostly I rely on what I can learn on my own.

Your first question has been answered pretty much by everyone, it is a given in engineering/technical work that you must constantly keep learning and relearning things.

But nobody's really tackled your second question, I guess it depends on your level of motivation and to a lesser extent how much time/money you can invest in the perpetual pursuit of new skills and or knowledge. The internet is still a wonderful source of free information for most computer/engineering/science topics, even if it is starting to get a bit overcrowed with utterly inane and pointless drivel (like myspace and youtube or any of the millions of stupid blogs out there), but I digress...

For myself, I don't have kids and I don't like to watch much on TV, so its no problem (providing I've done all my wife's tasks) to come home at night and surf the web or pick up an old text or notebooks (I kept all mine) to brush up on some old topic I haven't thought about in years or to research some new topic I just heard about at work. And I don't mind dropping some cash now and then for books or a cheap dev kits for some new processors (I'm talking $100 - $200), but these things can be way too pricey (imho), luckily I can use work to absorb most of those costs.

Following early retirement there were plenty of jobs to do to keep up two houses, help wife with her garden and some social activities. Years later and unable to physically do most of the things I want to do I am taking on some self study courses to keep my mind, if not my body, active.
Currently pursuing some topics in mathematics that are new and fascinating.

The material is not entirely foreign but did not know details that the study material goes into. It could be rated as interesting but of doubtful practical value other that to dispel the boredom of putrid tv etc.

do you still teach yourself in your work?

Yes, I do. I'm interesting in design and fabrication of petroleum & petrochemical equipment like pressure vessels, heat exchangers, ... etc., and we hold a package of certificates of authorization (U, R & ISO9001), and we have to follow the latest edition of that codes and standards which renewal every 3 years. So I have to work hard, daily reading at codes and standards, and attend seminars.

Also, I used to work as instructor/lecturer for engineers in my country and abroad, and this give me a great chance for instructing and get update knowledge at the same time.

I ask my crew of beginners of engineers to read more and more, and I told them when you stopped reading you will lost your engineering thinking, and I instruct them not to use ready made software unless you learn design calculations first manually.

I'd like to add that since 16 years, there was no policy to our company except oil refining is the main target, and our tasks as a designers was towards repairing and improving the existing units (pressure vessels, heat exchangers, piping, .. etc.). But due to the accumulated experience in design and fabrication, and holding a package of code certificates of authorization, we had become capable to enter the field of business, and we becomes a designers and fabricators in Egypt and middle east foe code items.

Now, there is a really intent and a recommendation from ministry in relation to separate the department of design & fabrication to establish a new company to work at code equipment.

I think so that I played an important role in achieving this project because of "I still tech myself in my work".

Been studying to take my HVAC/R contractor's test. I don't really need a license, but the challenge is getting interesting. I spend a hour a day researching and learning. I've got a sorta bet with my daughter, that I'll have my license before she graduates from college with a BA in Business Management(she has 2 years left). The way I figure it is, we could start a small company and she could be the "BOSS". In a nutshell, someday when I'm no longer able, I'd be leaving her and my son a heat and air company.

I totally agree with that summing up...

I suppose every one who used to visit time to time CR4 does something like that can be called as self-education. I'd found here so valuable and unique things as engineer and human.

Difficulties what I'd been experienced are not original: lack of time, lack of understanding of some English expressions, terms, abroad standards, etc. But it's education as well.

It's obviously we need teach ourselves as for to be up to date of new technologies and simply for to be human beings.

I moved into engineering management quite early on. I still have a built-in curiosity of all things technical, so yes, you have to keep on keeping your eyes & ears & (especially) mind open. As I live in a rural area, to me the internet was the best invention since disposable nappies. CR4 is one of the places that really does it for me. Being in charge of a multi-disciplinary team also ensure that you stay on top of your game (there's nothing like an electrical guy telling the civil engineer something he should have known to keep everyone sharp!) As an aside, to keep your professional status, local engineers have to prove continuous professional development, similar to the medical industry (I believe).

BTW, I'm very impressed by the bi- and multi-lingual people out there. Don't ever feel shy about your less-than perfect English. I was possibly lucky to grow up in a multi-lingual society, being taught English from relatively young. I cannot even imagine the struggles some of you must go through. As long as you get the message across, and strive to improve, all is well!

Hi Cnpower... If you don't educate yourself continually you are out of the game... Especially if you are occupied with R&D (like I do)... The problem is the lack of time... Unfortunately the day has only 24h (a day of i.e. 48h could solve the problem... on another planet maybe... )... Often I have to do extra study at home due to the lack of time at work... On the other hand the life is too short and we have to do sooo many other things... (An engineer who is only an engineer and nothing else (although a very good one) is not a "complete person" and probably he is not happy too... We need a lot more things beside work in order to feel complete and happy... So, everything is a matter of a good balance in our lifes... Personal life, general education, a nice hobby, travels, culture, should also be a part of our lifes... Above all we are humans, not machines... )

time, time.it s very value. but how to use the time reasonablly?

Your professor is good. He kknow how to teach his students, he knows what skills that students will apply on their careers.

http://www.thegreatcourses.com/teach12.aspx?ai=27658

The usual disclaimer.

I would suggest only buying what is on sale. They change what is on sale regularly. The sales are in the area of 75% off.

The calculus course is far better than what I received in college.

A great way to refresh your skills / knowledge or learn something new. I have been working on two such courses for several weeks. Well presented by excellent lecturers.

Mathematic is very basic on each subject. I thnk I forget it more little than other subject. becaues I use it more often than others.

I understand completely Cardio2. A day without learning something is a day wasted.

I have been retired for 11 years, have one foot in the grave and surf the web every day to learn. Unfortunately my interests are narrow I am only into learning automation (pneumatics, plc, electronics, electricity, hydraulics, vacuum technology, computer programming, metalurgy, polymers, die and mold design, etc) as well as marketing (advertising, copy writing, multichannel marketing, list management, ad response analysis, graphics layout, web page design, accounting, etc), politics, philosophy, cooking, history, sociology, anthropology, animal behavior, and a few other things. Maybe that is why I am sometimes so bored.