Hello Mechanical Engineering Students!
Welcome to our new reality! If someone had suggested at the beginning of this spring semester that all of our courses would go online in less than 2 weeks, the entire country would be in shutdown mode and there would be serious concerns for the welfare of our population, it would have seemed like the plot of a bad zombie apocalypse movie. Well…times have changed. We are now facing big uncertainties in both our personal and professional lives. Everyone is under a large amount of strain in adjusting to these new realities. Now is a great opportunity to practice patience with your fellow travelers in this life as well as a deeper personal mindfulness. It is easy to get frustrated but remember that the ways we respond in a crisis reveals a lot about our character.
For those of you who have had me as an instructor, you may remember a few key phrases that I encourage engineers to embrace. These are even more important today:
- “Be Comfortable with Uncertainty” – The real world can be messy, and the answers are not in the back of the book. Problems are not always easily understood, and we may need to act without all the information. This can be an uncomfortable feeling for many engineers that are accustomed to being correct. In this time, we should learn to be aware and embrace this feeling of uncertainty. Be willing to act and react based on our best understanding.
- “Take responsibility for Your Own Learning” – Classes are now very different for both the instructors and students. We are learning new ways of being instructors and you will be learning new ways of being students. As you graduate and move into a professional career, you will eventually need to take responsibility for learning without the immediate help of an instructor. Take this opportunity to prepare yourself for this important skill. Read your textbooks in more detail. Always ask yourself “why” when reading and working problems. Don’t ever give up on this. Ask your instructors the “why” question when it still doesn’t make sense. Keep asking “why” until it makes sense to YOU!
- “Manage Your Own Priorities” – An online environment for instruction can be liberating for some as well as an opportunity for distraction. You may be taking care of a relative or a pet as well as following the rapidly evolving news cycle. You should continue to maintain a personal set of priorities to keep you progressing towards your ultimate career goals. As a professional engineer, you will likely be tasked with long-term projects that require you to breakdown your tasks into a personal schedule to stay on track. Your supervisor will not be looking over your shoulder every day but will definitely expect you to hit your milestones. Consider adopting a daily or weekly planner focused on your progress towards professional goals. Be honest with yourself and adjust your activities if necessary. This will help you become a more effective professional and help you maintain focus on your priorities.
Lastly, I encourage everyone to look for ways to “own this shutdown”. Get out for a walk, reconnect with family, play your guitar, read one of those books on your shelf or pursue a new hobby. With this amazing chance to reconnect with yourself, perhaps one of you will invent the next calculus or come up with new ideas to solve our energy crisis. As for me, I will definitely be working on my BMW R100 GS motorcycle and getting it ready for some amazing summer rides.
With much love for all my fellow travelers in this life…
Don Plumlee, Chair MBE