Engineering Practice

January 21 2009, 12:00 AM  by Caleb Eggensperger
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The latest in a long line of bullshit but required-for-my-major classes is ENGR2003 aka Engineering Practice. The first class featured the instructor building up the already swollen egos of the 54 engineering students in the room. Rather than attempt to take notes, I jotted down a few choice quotes, my favorites being: "In my opinion, engineers are better than everyone else", "Engineering is the hardest way to get a degree here", and "You can only be the best you can be by being an engineer".

The instructor, Matt Green, appears to be new. Before this he was a recruiter for the CoE, and it shows.

Some selected readings posted on D2L:

  • Visioneering
  • How to Wow
  • In Search of Courage
  • The Fabric of Creativity
  • Good to Great

The textbook, Engineering Your Future: A Comprehensive Approach, doesn't look much better. It includes a chapter on "financial aid" which refers to applying to college as though I haven't (note that this is a sophomore level class) and encourages you to fill out the FAFSA.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think CS should be in the College of Engineering. It has so little in common with the other engineering coursework and topics. From the begining the coursework is totally different. With the other engineerings, you can start out as "Engineering -- Undecided" as your major and not choose until later, but CS starts with CS1323 Intro to Computer Programming, and if you don't take it (or AP out of it) you'll be behind. (I think it should be in the College of Arts and Sciences, and share a lot of coursework with the mathematics dept).

The textbook apparently agrees with me, as it doesn't list "Computer Science" in the "Engineering Majors" catagory (which is written as though you are picking a major, even though I hope that most of the engineering students have already chosen a major) (It does list "Computer Engineering", but that's different.)

0 views and 2 responses

  • Jan 21 2009, 12:00 AM
    andrewshays.blogspot.com responded:
    Comp Sci != Engineering.

    it's closer to math, you're right, and should share more courses with it. Yay for double majoring in math/comp sci.

    (Reply to this)

  • Jan 21 2009, 12:00 AM
    laigaiem responded:
    is there a CompSci student organization on campus? Also, how is the department structured? If it has its own head of department, you may be able to discuss with him/her what the department has done to get itself in the appropriate college. Sometimes, an organized student and faculty effort with evidence like your ENGR 2003 class can make a difference.

    A friend of mine managed through student and faculty effort to set up a program for December graduations here, though it won't help him 'cause he's graduating before it can be implemented.

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