Life Lessons in Engineering

**thinkbackwards** · Apr 15, 2020, 02:12 AM

I have to agree with hemmjo and Rick and Crusty.
A few years into my chosen career as a magnetic design engineer I came to the realization that the sheepskin on the wall had barely given me much more than the vocabulary and the most rudimentary tools to solve the problems I was being presented with. Looking back I now know that some of the more valuable classes were not the 'sciences' but the 'arts' classes. The science classes were all about getting the right answer... teaching to the test....what to think. The 'arts' classes let you use something of greater value -- your imagination. Using that helped me solve more of the most complicated magnetic problems than going through the process of 'design' .....making everything fit in the box. Knowing how to think will get the job done....knowing how to imagine will take it to the next level. Innovation. And I think that this is what we need to be teaching. And the arts should be better funded than sports. Dont get me wrong I do like a good football game. Sports to provide good education in the form of competition. Welcome to the real world. No 'participant' trophys here.
Let students fail. Failure has led to more innovation than success. And innovation ultimately will lead to new......... (That rant comes from the 'No child left behind' philosophy) which seems to be pulling good students down instead of pulling lesser students up.

Ok I've vented enough about school. And I liked going to school.... working half days..... three months vacation in the summer. Dont want to go.. dont go. Getting an education...........PRICELESS.

**rgsparber** · Apr 15, 2020, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by thinkbackwards

I have to agree with hemmjo and Rick and Crusty.
A few years into my chosen career as a magnetic design engineer I came to the realization that the sheepskin on the wall had barely given me much more than the vocabulary and the most rudimentary tools to solve the problems I was being presented with. Looking back I now know that some of the more valuable classes were not the 'sciences' but the 'arts' classes. The science classes were all about getting the right answer... teaching to the test....what to think. The 'arts' classes let you use something of greater value -- your imagination. Using that helped me solve more of the most complicated magnetic problems than going through the process of 'design' .....making everything fit in the box. Knowing how to think will get the job done....knowing how to imagine will take it to the next level. Innovation. And I think that this is what we need to be teaching. And the arts should be better funded than sports. Dont get me wrong I do like a good football game. Sports to provide good education in the form of competition. Welcome to the real world. No 'participant' trophys here.
Let students fail. Failure has led to more innovation than success. And innovation ultimately will lead to new......... (That rant comes from the 'No child left behind' philosophy) which seems to be pulling good students down instead of pulling lesser students up.

Ok I've vented enough about school. And I liked going to school.... working half days..... three months vacation in the summer. Dont want to go.. dont go. Getting an education...........PRICELESS.

You may have noticed that I graduated from Union College (founded 1795). The name came from their goal - teach a balance of the arts and science to each student. The arts are essential for creativity but science is essential for learning the basics.

Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."

I tell my students that when they get out of college, they will know "the letters" and can make up "words". Maybe they can even string together a few words and make a "sentence". After about 5 years in industry, they will be able to compose a "paragraph". By the time they retire, they might be able to write books.

Rick

**jdurand** · Apr 15, 2020, 06:14 PM

We were supposed to graduate? I seem to have missed that part.

Actually due to a state grant snafu where they retroactively canceled past payment for my college, leaving me with a huge bill. Got me straight into industry and from there it's history. Minor history but still known for a few things.