An Introduction

to Engineering
Chapter 2
Preparing for an Engineering
Career

Making the transition from high school to

college requires extra effort:
you must start studying and preparing from
the rst day of class.
attend class regularly.
get help right away.
take good notes.
select a good study place.
form study groups.
consider the time management ideas.

You belong to an elite group of students now:

You will learn how to ask questions to nd out

how things are made, how things work, how to
improve things, how to design something from
scratch, and how to take an idea from paper to
reality and actually build something.

what you do for the next ve years will affect you

for the rest of your life.

You must take the responsibility for learning.

With 24 hours in a given day, we have, for a

one-week period, 168 hours available.

Even with generous relaxation and social

time, this sample allows 68 hours a week to
devote to your education.

A typical engineering student takes 16

semester credits, which means simply about
16 hours a week are spent in the classroom.
You still have 52 hours a week to study.

you need to learn to manage your time

wisely if you want to be successful in life.
Look at the table and adapt it to yourself.

You start studying and preparing from the very

rst day of class!
It is always a good idea to read the material that
your professor is planning to cover in class ahead
of time.

Attend Your Classes Regularly: Your professor may

offer additional explanations and discussion of
some material that may not be well presented in
your textbook.

Get Help Right Away: If for some reason you

cannot see your professor during the designated
office hours, ask for an appointment.

Take Good Notes: listen carefully during the

lectures so you can identify and record the
important ideas and concepts. Some students
may not realize that they should also take notes
when reading the textbook.
Select a Good Study Place:

Form Study Groups: the best way to learn

something is to teach it. You need to study on
your own rst and then get together with your
classmates to discuss and explain key ideas and
concepts to each other.

Prepare for Examinations: Dont wait until the

night before the exam to study!. Spend a few
hours reviewing your notes and sample problems.
Ask your instructor ahead of time what type of
exam it will be, how many questions there will be.
Consider timing yourself when doing your
homework problems

There are many good reasons to join an

engineering
organization.
Networking,
participating, listening to technical guest
speakers, attending social events, taking
advantage of learning opportunities through
short courses, seminars, and conferences,
and
obtaining
student
loans
and
scholarships are a few of the common
benets of belonging to an engineering
organization.