In this chapter, you will be introduced to some very important suggestions and ideas
that could, if followed, make your engineering education more rewarding. Read this
section very carefully, and think about how you can adapt the strategies offered here
to get the optimum benefit from your college years. If you encounter difficulty in
your studies, reread this chapter for ideas to help you maintain some self-discipline.
2.1 Making the Transition from High School to College
You belong to an elite group of students now because you are studying to be an engineer.
According to theChronicle of Higher Education, approximately only 5% of students who graduate
with a B.S. degree from universities and colleges across the United States are engineers. You will be
taught to look at your surroundings differently than other people do. You will learn how to ask ques-
tions to find 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.
Some of you may be on your own for the very first time. Making the transition from high
school to college may be a big step for you. Keep in mind that what you do for the next four
or five years will affect you for the rest of your life. Remember that how successful and happy
you are will depend primarily on you. You must take the responsibility for learning; nobody can
make you learn. Depending on which high school you attended, you may not have had
to study much to get good grades. In high school, most of your learning took place in class.
In contrast, in college, most of your education takes place outside the class. Therefore, you may
need to develop some new habits and get rid of some of your old habits in order to thrive as an
engineering student. The rest of this chapter presents suggestions and ideas that will help you
make your college experience successful. Consider these suggestions and try to adapt them to
your own unique situation.2.2 Budgeting Your Time
Each of us has the same 24 hours in a day, and there is only so much that a person can do on
an average daily basis to accomplish certain things. Many of us need approximately 8 hours of
sleep every night. In addition, we all need to have some time for work, friends and family,
studying, relaxation and recreation, and just goofing around.
Suppose you were given a million dollars when you reached your adulthood and were told
that is all the money that you would have for the rest of your life for clothing, food, entertain-
ment, leisure activities, and so on. How would you go about spending the money? Of course,
you would make reasonable efforts to spend and invest it wisely. You would carefully budget for
various needs, trying to get the most for your money. You would look for good sales and plan
to buy only what was necessary, and you would attempt not to waste any money. Think of your
education in a similar manner. Don’t just pay your tuition and plan to sit in class and daydream.
Your education is an expensive investment, one that requires your responsible management.2.2 Budgeting Your Time 27
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