Blog 4: Project Reflection and Working EQ

The Pentagon: 

(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing has happened as a result of what you have completed so far?
So far, with all the people I have talked to and all the research I have done, I have learned how great engineering is. When I did my mentorship this summer, I got the chance to talk to several different kinds of engineers and individuals who all guaranteed me that engineering was a fantastic field to get into; which helped me to solidify my choice in not only my senior topic, but my future career as well.

(2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?
One of my pieces of research, by Eweek.org, listed a very long list of many different kinds of engineering jobs and sub-fields. As I have not yet decided for sure what my topic, or future career will be under engineering, this article helped me to understand and discover the many, many different kinds that are out there; many of which I haven't ever even heard of!


(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?
I think that our mentorship hours have helped a lot. Not only do I get to see and experience what an engineer does in a civil engineering field, but I get the opportunity to speak and ask questions to all kinds of different engineers who do jobs that many don't even know exist!

(4) What hasn't worked so far?  
I feel that I am a little lost on what my research should be tailored to. I have decided my topic would be Engineering, however, I am confused on whether that is too broad of a topic, therefore, confused on what my research should be about. So far, I have just been collecting research that covers engineering as a whole, however perhaps when I begin to create my EQ and focus down my topic, I will begin to get more specific pieces of research.

(5) Finding Value:  Based on your experience so far,

•  What possible question or questions come to mind regarding what you would like to study this year? 

I would like to know some specific things regarding engineering, like:
- How easy is it to switch engineering fields once you've gotten settled?
- How difficult is it to obtain an engineering degree if you're not so great at math?
- Which field is the best? Or better suits me?

• What is your end goal this year with your senior project?

I have already learned more and experienced more than I had previously expected. I hope to decide on an engineering profession by the end of my project. And I hope to give back and give help to others, like others have given to me.

• Who would you like to talk to next? Why?   

I recently begun taking an Intro to Civil Engineering class at Cal Poly. I would perhaps like to talk to my professor, or perhaps one of the students in my class. I would like to see how they decided to embark on an engineering career, what made them choose Cal Poly, what they plan to do with their degree, etc. Since they're all doing the same thing I'd like to do, i'm just curious and would like to ask them the things I've wondered about.